Puerto Rican Tostones (Fried Plantains) Recipe

I have made these all my life and I love them. A nice twist (and probably my favorite) is to make them with a ripe plantain (in which case they're called "amarillos". For making amarillos, the plantain must be at least yellow or almost throwing to "too ripe"--close to blackening skin). Cut the ripe plantain into diagonal, long slices and fry them--keep an eye on them because they cook much, much faster--turn around and they'll be burnt!--and drain on paper towels. You can serve these with anything and are great solo. Because they're made with a ripe plantain, they're very sweet. My fiance doesn't really care for amarillos, but I wouldn't have my plantains any other way. I would give both of these a 3 kid rating because, depending on the kid, he or she will love the tostones/amarillos or just hate them. I grew up with them, so I simply adore them!

Also known as Platanos Fritos o Patacones. I make these all the time but i do not soak them in water. I just peel the plantain, slice it crosswise about 1 inch thick, fry just a little (they'll look yellow-er), press in the tostonera (or with the bottom of a can) , fry again until cripsy and golden and then sprinkle with garlic salt. Yum!! Ignore the rating of the person who burnt them, that is not the recipe's fault.

Just a few observations: 1. If you want to have a toston that is made like those in Puerto Rico you have to have green plantains (oh, and a plantain is not a banana. They are related, but are not the same. A plantain is much larger and thicker than a banana, even the plants are different). 2. The slices should be cut diagonally so the initial frying can cover the most area. 3. If you don't have a tostonera, a can or a plate can be used to squash the slice, 4. Once it is squashed it is put in salted water for at least 30 minutes, not just to prevent it from going brown, but to give the toston a very good salty taste. 5. Last you fry it until golden brown. 6. Some people make mayoketchup mix (mayonnaise mixed with ketchup) or olive oil with salt, lemon, and garlic or just sprinkle with garlic salt. Hope this has clarified some issues with the recipe.

One of my familys fave! I do not think there's any of my kids that dont like tostones... My husband loves them too. My variation to the recipe is that after i peel and slice the plantain i put in water with adobo before frying , these gives them more flavor. after frying i use a tostonera to mash the toston a bit and then return to fry pan to crisp. Then just make a mix of fresh crush garlic with a bit of olive oil which i heat. We love it alone, with fried pork or chicken or just as a side with rice, beans and chicken. And by the way a plantain is not a banana, it is much larger and firm than a banana. The peel is very different too. When plantains become ripe you can slice and fry to make what is called Maduro . This is a sweet version though and you just fry once you do not refry..

If you let them ripen, you are making maduros or amarillos, which is a whole different item.For tostones, the greener, the better. Soak in salt water with garlic after smashing, season with garlic salt or adobo seasoning (goya and badia are good) after the second fry, and serve with a sauce made with mayo, ketchup and garlic. ¡DELICIOSO!

As someone pointed out. It's in the beginning of the process to put in water. But if you want a little extra kick to it , add vinegar and salt to the water and let it sit for a little while before frying. And as suggested by Sanda Jz. pat dry. Make a garlic sauce on the side to dip them in. There are some recipes for garlic sauce for tostones on the web.

In Venezuela we ate fried platanos as an appetizer. Cut diagonal strips 2inches long by about 1/4 inch thick. Fry until the outside is crunchy and the middle is mushy. Top with cheese and they will be gone as soon as they are cool enough to eat!

I read many reviews after I made them exactly as recipe. Next time, I am going to use half butter and half oil for frying. Use black or yellow and black plantains. Cut them in thicker pieces, 1.5 inch diagonal slices. And fry 2 minutes per side. Then flattening by rolling a can over them sandwiched between wax paper. Then refry 1 min per side. Half I sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and half with garlic salt.

Turned out really great, but I greatly reduced the cooking time. I do t know if my oil was too hot or what, but my first batch was black at 3 1/2 min per side. 2ish min per side seemed to work.

Pretty easy to make. I added adobo seasoning to the water, but you could add a little bit of salt or any other seasoning you like.

We make these every Christmas eve in my house along with an entire Puerto Rican spread. Plantains are used by many different cultures in all kinds of different ways, some savory, some sweet, it may be the sauce used for dipping or simply the way its cooked that makes it specific to one. We do not use the water, just the double fry but we use GHEE instead of oil and its AMAZING. We also eat them with the (ketchup, mayo, garlic powder) dip, soooo yummy!!!!!!

love it

This is actually a Cuban staple as well.

Hot sauce

Pretty cheeky saying they’re Puerto Rican. Everyone in Latin America makes these. We call them patacones in Colombia and live alongside every meal. And I have never soaked them in water and then put in hot oil. Sounds very dangerous.

You need to tell people that the plantains have to be COMPLETELY dry before frying g the second time - what a mess. Since then, I have heard to pre-soak them in garlic salt water for a half hour before the first fry - allowing them to dry completely before.

Can’t wait to show it off to my friends.

Was delicious & crispy , just like I remember them when I bought them in Bronx

I drizzled lime juice on them then salted after the secondary fry.

Quick, easy & delicious!