Best 13 Sweet Plantains Recipes

SAUTEED SWEET PLANTAINS (TAJADITAS DULCES DE PLATANO)

Steps:

• Heat peanut oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to sizzle. Gently toss plantain slices with brown sugar, then place into hot oil. Fry until the plantains begin to turn golden brown, then turn over, and continue frying until they have caramelized, about 2 minutes per side.
• Drain plantains on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt before serving.

SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• To peel the plantains, cut off ends and discard. With a paring knife, make 3 shallow slits lengthwise along the seams of the skin and peel away. Split the plantains lengthwise.
• Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and place over medium low heat (plantains have a high sugar content and will burn if the heat is too high.)
• Fry the plantains in a single layer, until golden on the bottom then turn over with a spatula.
• Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and let cook a few more seconds, just to begin caramelizing the sugar.
• Just before serving, melt remaining tablespoon of butter to finish the sauce. Serve immediately.

MADUROS (FRIED SWEET PLANTAINS)

Steps:

• Use a paring knife to cut a slit along the length of the plantains, carefully avoiding cutting into the flesh. Remove peels and discard. Slice plantains at an angle crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about 12 pieces per plantain).
• In a large skillet, heat about 1/8 inch vegetable oil over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add half the sliced plantains and fry until golden brown, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The plantains should be caramelized and slightly crisp at the edges but still tender in the middle.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer maduros to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining sliced plantains. Serve immediately.

SWEET AND SAVORY FRIED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Cut plantain into three sections. Quarter each section so you have twelve pieces. Season plantain pieces with garlic powder.
• Heat oil and margarine together in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook plantains in hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side; season with black pepper and continue to cook until slightly darker in color, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat and drizzle agave syrup over the plantain pieces. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the plantains.

SWEET FRIED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Heat about 1-inch of oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 340 degrees F. Line a large plate with paper towels.
• Peel the plantains and discard the skins. Slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Fry the plantains in oil, turning occasionally, until a golden brown color, about 2 to 4 minutes. The longer the plantains fry the sweeter they are. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the plantains with a little salt.
• Put the sugar and cinnamon in a brown bag, drop the warm plantains into the bag, and shake to coat evenly. Serve with rum whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.
• Whip the cream just until soft peaks form. Add the rum and whip again, taking care not to over whip your cream. Serve now or refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHEF JOHN'S FRIED SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy-duty skillet over high heat. Place 4 to 5 plantain slices in a single layer in the pan and cook until golden brown and tender, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining plantain slices.
• Sprinkle cooked plantains with salt and drizzle with lime.

CHICKEN STEW WITH SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Rub chicken with cumin, chile powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the orange zest and lime zest. Coat with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook, in batches if necessary, until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add plantains in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side (add more oil to pan between batches if needed). Transfer plantains to a bowl.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and cook 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes with their juices, orange juice, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Return chicken and plantains to pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Keep at a steady simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir in olives and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or lime juice to taste. Serve topped with cilantro.

FRIED SALVADORIAN SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Cut each plantain into two halves and each half into three strips.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Gently lay plantain strips into hot oil; drizzle vanilla extract over plantains and season with cinnamon. Place a cover on the skillet and cook the plantains until browned completely, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer plantains to a plate lined with paper towel to drain; sprinkle sugar over the plantains.

GHANAIAN SPINACH STEW WITH SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, warm the palm oil over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chile and a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and sweet, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a few generous pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and partly cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has cooked to a rich tomato-soup consistency, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pulse the egusi or pumpkin seeds in a food processor or blender to a fine powder, until it just starts to get clumpy. (Do not overprocess into a butter.) Remove to a bowl.
• When the tomatoes have reduced, add the shrimp powder (or smoked paprika and fish sauce to taste), and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, to the bowl of egusi powder until it is a loose paste. Add the egusi paste on top of the tomato sauce, and spread it out. Cover the pan, and cook 5 minutes.
• Stir the sauce all together; it will look like a thick porridge. Add a few splashes of water, and increase heat to a boil. Stir in the spinach, until wilted and tender. Taste, season with salt (or more fish sauce, if using) and serve with boiled sweet plantains.

BANANA-GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS WITH TROPICAL CREME DIPPING SAUCE AND SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• For the marinade: Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, jalapenos, garlic, cinnamon and star anise. Pour the marinade over the wings and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the wings from marinade and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
• For the banana-garlic sauce: In a large pot set over low heat, melt the butter and toast the garlic until dark golden brown, 15 minutes. Add the fish sauce, orange juice, maple syrup, chili sauce, banana liqueur, bananas, orange juice and zest. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the sauce in a blender, and then set aside.
• For the dipping sauce: Place the pineapple juice and sugar in a small saucepot set over medium heat and cook to reduce by one-third (6 ounces), about 1 hour. It should be slightly caramelized. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Add the reduced juice mixture to the sour cream and mix.
• For the plantains: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Carefully peel the plantains, taking care to avoid getting the peels under your fingernails. Then cut the plantains into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fry the plantain slices for 3 minutes.
• Preheat the grill to high heat.
• Grill the wings until golden brown. Meanwhile, reheat the banana-garlic sauce in a stockpot. Add the grilled wings and fried plantains to the sauce and toss until everything is glazed and very hot. Serve the wings and plantains on a platter with the dipping sauce in a bowl on the side.

JERK PORK CHOPS WITH HEARTS OF PALM SALAD AND SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Thinly slice hearts of palm on the diagonal and put in a colander along with sliced onion. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and toss together with remaining salad ingredients.
• Spread plantains on foil-lined baking sheet and bake until hot, 5 to 10 minutes.
• While plantains bake, lightly oil grill pan and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Meanwhile, stir together jerk seasoning and oil in a small bowl and rub all over pork to coat. Grill pork, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Serve pork with salad and plantains.

SAUTéED PLANTAINS WITH SWEET SPICES

Steps:

• Peel plantains and slice into ¼ inch slices. Place in a large plastic bag with spices. Shake well to coat.
• In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter with ½ teaspoon oil.
• Add half of the plantains, in a single layer, and cook until golden and tender, turning once.
• Repeat with remaining butter, oil and plantains. Serve hot.

FRIED SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• In 2 very large nonstick skillets, heat the oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the plantains in a single layer over moderate heat, approximately 7 to 8 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until deep golden and tender. Drain the plantains on a paper towel-lined rack and, if desired, sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve warm.
• Make ahead: The plantains can be fried early in the day and kept at room temperature. Reheat in a warm oven and sprinkle with the optional salt before serving.