These Fried Plantains are irresistible! Ripe sweet plantains are fried until golden brown with a caramelized texture and sweet flavor that melts in your mouth. Serve with Rice and Peas, Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Brown Stew Chicken for a dinner that will take you to the islands!
A HUGE THANK YOU to Aline from Brazilian Kitchen Abroad for taking over my site today!
Hi guys! Aline here, from Brazilian Kitchen Abroad, my little corner of the internet where I help folks from all over easily make delicious food that’s packed with Brazilian flavors. In this blog post, I’m taking over for Grandbaby Cakes to talk to y’all about sweet plantains. Eeek I’m so excited!!
Fried Sweet Plantains is a very simple, very traditional Latin American side dish. It adds a natural sweetness to any main dish! With just 2 ingredients and 15 minutes to put together from start to finish, this super low maintenance Brazilian plantains recipe will become a regular on your weekly rotation.
I love fruits in my meal! That sweet and savory mix is totally my jam. And fried sweet plantains, also known as platanos maduros throughout Latin America, served with just about anything is a match made in heaven in my book. I love it with grilled fish, rice and beans, a nice saucy chicken… and the list goes on.
Not to mention this recipe is very straight forward to put together, you just need to know one secret to ensure success. And that secret is, how to pick the right plantain.
And since there are no secrets between us, let’s get to the bottom of that!
How do I buy sweet plantains?
The big secret for making really tasty fried sweet plantains is in how to buy them. Usually, grocery stores will sell plantains while they’re still green (or yellow if you’re lucky) which means you’ll need to plan ahead before you can make fried sweet plantains.
To make fried sweet plantains, the plantains need to be very ripe, meaning mostly black like in the image below. If they are still green, or just yellow, the plantains will not be sweet after you fry them. You’ll need to wait for the green/yellow plantains to ripen, or turn black, sitting on your counter several days before you can make sweet plantains.
With this in mind, every time I go to the store I buy at least a few green plantains, and just leave them be until they’re good to go. This way I always have them at the house, at different ripeness levels/color stages, and we can eat them pretty often.
Now that you know what to look for in a plantain, it’s time to make them!
How to make Sweet Fried Plantains
- Peel the plantains and slice them about an inch thick on the diagonal
- Melt butter on a skillet and start to fry the plantains
- Add some cold butter every now and then to avoid over browning the butter in the pan
- Using kitchen tongs, flip the plantains when they are golden
- Add more cold butter to avoid the butter from browning
- Remove the plantains from the pan and let them rest in paper towels before serving to absorb any excess butter – serve hot
Plantains FAQ:
What’s the difference between bananas and plantains?
Plantains and bananas are totally not the same. Plantains are longer, firmer, and have thicker skin than regular bananas and before they are ripe, they are also less sweet and super starchy. Unlike bananas, they also need to be cooked prior to eating, and only taste sweet after they are completely ripe.
How ripe should plantains be for frying?
Ripe! They need to be black to make sure they are sweet. Read through the How do I buy sweet plantains section above to learn more.
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I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let me, or Jocelyn know – we gotchu boo!
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Love this Plantain recipe? Check these popular Brazilian Kitchen Abroad recipes:
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These Fried Plantains are irresistible! Ripe sweet plantains are fried until golden brown with a caramelized texture and sweet flavor that melts in your mouth.
- 2-3 very ripe plantains peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup cold butter divided into 4 cubes
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 cube of cold butter.
When the butter starts to melt add the plantains - be sure to not crowd the pan.
Add another cube of butter, and let the plantains fry in the butter for about 3 minutes, or until they are golden.
When the plantains are golden, flip them using a pair of tongs so they can fry on the other side and add another cube of cold butter and fry.
Add the last bit of butter and let the plantains fry until they are golden and nicely caramelized.
When the plantains are golden, remove them from the pan using a pair of tongs, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
Tip: To make fried sweet plantains, the plantains need to be very ripe, meaning mostly black like in the image below. If they are still green, or just yellow, the plantains will not be sweet after you fry them. You'll need to wait for the green/yellow plantains to ripen, or turn black, sitting on your counter several days before you can make sweet plantains.
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Frank says
August 7, 2019 at 10:49 amI eat the ripe plantains this way almost everyday as part of my breakfast. Goes good with ham and eggs.
Best part of Costa Rican food that I brought home with me.
Walmart usually has a lot of plantains that are usually ripe.
Aline Shaw says
August 7, 2019 at 12:27 pmHey Frank! Same here – in my Brazilian household we eat a lot plantains pretty often, especially with rice and beans! And that’s a really good point about Walmart! To add to that, a bunch of 99 cent stores also have them ripe/browning! Hope to see you over Brazilian Kitchen Abroad one of these days! Take care xx
Tara says
August 7, 2019 at 10:42 amThese definitely do look irresistible! You had me at the caramelized texture. I love how easy they are too.
kim says
August 7, 2019 at 9:52 amWhat a tasty snack! Love these easy plantain chips!
Emily says
August 7, 2019 at 9:48 amI’ve never tried fried plantains but I’m literally drooling on my keyboard right now!
Aline Shaw says
August 7, 2019 at 12:21 pmGirl! We gotta work that out! hahah You wipe that drool LOL and go make this easy dish – It’ll change your life its so good!! If you have any questions, just let me or Jocelyn know!
Suzy says
August 7, 2019 at 9:24 amThis is hands down the most underrated dish! I absolutely LOVE it from the first time I tried it! It’s so good!