These pan-fried plantains are easy to make side dish ready in less than 15 minutes, with a caramelized and crispy texture on the outside and a soft melt-in-mouth texture inside. Ripe and sweet yellow plantains taste the best with this recipe.
Love plantains? Check out our 3 ingredient crispy plantain chips and also batter fried plantains.
What are plantains?
Latin American and Caribbean cuisine often uses plantains, which resemble bananas but have a unique taste. Unlike bananas, plantains are high in starch content and possess thicker skin. While bananas can be eaten raw, plantains must be cooked before eating. These are best served as a side dish with savory meals. You can use plantains as a substitute for potatoes or sweet potatoes in your meals.
Plantains can be enjoyed at all three stages: Green, Yellow, Black, or dull yellow with black spots. As plantains ripen, their starch content converts to sugar, making them soft and sweeter, less firm.
When plantains are green, they are best suited to make crispy chips, tostones, battered fritters (pakoras), and vegan coconut-based curry.
As plantains ripen, they are best for frying, pan frying, used in desserts, or mashed and used to make Indian-style pudding or halwa.
Why you'll love this recipe?
- You can adjust all the ingredients to taste; a very flexible dish.
- Plantains have never tasted so healthy and, irresistibly delicious, addictive.
- Pan-fried plantains are vegan, grain-free, paleo, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Plantains: Ripe plantains with yellow or dull yellow with brown spots work best. They are soft but, at the same time, firm enough to cut and pan fry.
Cayenne powder / Red Chile powder: We love the sweet and spicy combo. It is totally optional. Adjust to taste.
Salt: Little hint of salt on the caramelized banana takes this dish to he
Oil: I prefer coconut oil or canola oil. You are free to use avocado oil or vegetable oil too. For a richer flavor, use butter or ghee (brown butter).
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
How to peel plantains?
- Wash and peel the plantains by cutting off ½ inch of both ends. Next, create a slit down the side of each plantain.
- To remove the peel, peel it off from side to side, rather than lengthwise, and use a knife to loosen the edge if necessary. Finally, cut the peeled plantains into circles or rectangles, or even diagonally, depending on your preference, with a thickness of either ¼ or ½ inch.
How to cook plantains?
- Add the sliced plantains, chile powder, salt, and any other seasoning and toss until coated.
- Heat a nonstick pan on medium flame and drizzle oil.
- Add the plantains to the pan and drizzle oil, and pan-fry them on one side until they reach caramelized brown color. Approximately 2 to 3 minutes on medium to medium-low flame. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Flip and cook on another side for another 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle oil if needed.
- Transfer it to the plate and repeat it for the remaining plantains.
- Serve hot, and enjoy.
Tips
- If the plantains are not ripe, then this dish will not taste sweet but more starchy, like a potato. If you want caramelized sweeter plantains then, use yellow or overripe plantains.
- The plantains will burn quickly if the pan is too hot. So I highly recommend pan frying in medium to low flame.
- Do not add too much oil or butter. Drizzle as needed. Too much oil will make your plantains soggy.
- Depending on the flame's intensity and the pan's thickness, the time it takes to caramelize may vary, but don't rush or increase the flame. It will burn.
- You can sprinkle some salt and ignore all of the spices. It will still taste amazingly delicious.
What to eat with plantains?
You can serve plantains as savory appetizers, snacks, or a side dish. Here are a few of our favorite
- Best accompaniment with steamed rice and Indian dal (dalitoy), red beans or black beans and rice, and Jamaican chicken.
- Serve it with soups or salads like mashed avocado.
- You can add this to your breakfast plate with an omelet, fried eggs, and bacon.
Storage suggestions
If you have any leftover pan-fried plantains, you can store them in an airtight conatiner for up to 4 days. To reheat, add oil to a pan or skillet. Once hot, place the plantains and heat on medium flame on both sides until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
A ripe plantain's skin is black in most cases or dull yellow with patches of black. This is the right stage to use plantains to enjoy their full taste and sweetness. Also, it cooks in no time.
Plantains have low sugar when compared to bananas, and the starch content is similar to that of potatoes. Plantains are great sources of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin A, b6 and C. They are also low in fat and sodium.
When pan-fried, the nutritional value will highly depend on the oil used. So do not add too much at once. Add as and only when required.
Ripe plantains taste the best when pan-fried. The edges become caramelized and taste delicious.
More Plantain and Banana Recipes to try
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Recipe card
Pan Fried Plantains | Easy Plantain Recipe
Equipment
- Nonstick pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 3 Ripe plantains
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Cayenne powder / Red Chile Powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoon Coconut oil or Canola oil (approx) Use butter or ghee for rich flavor
- Pepper powder, to taste (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder (optional)
Instructions
How to peel plantains?
- Wash and peel the plantains by cutting off ½ inch of both ends. Next, create a slit down the side of each plantain.3 Ripe plantains
- To remove the peel, peel it off from side to side, rather than lengthwise, and use a knife to loosen the edge if necessary. Finally, cut the peeled plantains into circles or rectangles, or even diagonally, depending on your preference, with a thickness of either ¼ or ½ inch.
How to cook plantains?
- Add the sliced plantains, chile powder, salt, and any other seasoning and toss until coated.½ to 1 teaspoon Cayenne powder / Red Chile Powder, Salt to taste, Pepper powder, to taste (optional), ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder (optional)
- Heat a nonstick pan on medium flame and drizzle oil.3 tablespoon Coconut oil or Canola oil (approx)
- Add the plantains to the pan and drizzle oil, and pan-fry them on one side until they reach caramelized brown color. Approximately 2 to 3 minutes on medium to medium-low flame. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Flip and cook on another side for another 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle oil if needed.
- Transfer it to the plate and repeat it for the remaining plantains. Serve hot, and enjoy.
Notes
- If the plantains are not ripe, then this dish will not taste sweet but more starchy, like a potato. If you want caramelize sweeter plantains then, use yellow or overripe plantains.
- The plantains will burn quickly if the pan is too hot. So I highly recommend pan frying in medium to low flame.
- Do not add too much oil or butter. Drizzle as needed. Too much oil will make your plantains soggy.
- Depending on the intensity of the flame and thickness of the pan, the time it takes to caramelize may vary, but don't be in a rush or don't increase the flame. It will burn.
- You can sprinkle some salt and ignore all of the spices. It will still taste amazingly delicious.
Mimi
These Pan pan-fried plantains are absolutely delicious! My family loves this recipe.