Patacones or crispy fried green plantain are sliced, pressed, and twice fried to give them a crunchy potato-chip-like texture. They taste great as a snack with dip.
Patacones are made from green plantain which is a larger, slightly more bitter relative of the banana. To make patacones, the green plantain is chopped and fried while it is still green and firm. The pieces are then pressed to flatten them and fried again, to make them extra crispy, similar to a large potato chip.
Patacones are a popular dish in Latin American and Caribbean countries, but luckily you can find green plantain in most supermarkets in the US next to other tropical fruits. They can be served as a snack with a dip like guacamole or salsa or with a topping such as melted cheese, in this case, they shouldn’t be flattened too thinly.
Patacones are so easy to make in less than thirty minutes and the only other ingredients needed are salt and vegetable oil. We’ll show you how it’s done with our patacones recipe.
How to Make Crispy Patacones
Yield: 20 patacones
Ingredients:
- 4 green plantains
- Vegetable oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions:
- Peel the plantain by cutting both ends off and using a knife to open them. Cut each into half-inch chunks.
- Warm one inch of vegetable oil in a medium-sized frying pan on medium heat.
- Fry the plantain chunks on both sides, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and place onto a plate covered with a dish towel, to drain the oil.
- Flatten the fried plantain pieces by placing another dish towel on top of them and gently pressing with your hand or the side of a glass, until they’re about a quarter of an inch thick.
- Fry again until both sides are golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and place onto a plate covered with a dish towel again, to drain the oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Serve immediately.
Read more:
- Potato Peel Chips: How to Make Fried Potato Skins
- Can You Eat Banana Peels? What You Should Know
- 8 Great Ways to Use Overripe Avocado
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