Tostones

By Kiera Wright-Ruiz

Updated May 25, 2021

Tostones
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(601)
Comments
Read comments

A staple dish throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, tostones are crisp, flattened plantains that are often served as appetizers and side dishes. Unlike sweet maduros, which are made with very ripe, almost black, yellow plantains, savory tostones are made with unripe green plantains. Tostones are fried twice: The first fry sears the cut sides of the plantains, establishing a base layer of color; the second fry ensures that every edge is golden and crunchy. Tostoneras, wooden tools designed to create the perfect tostone shape, come in handy here, but a flat-bottomed cup will do just fine in its place.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • 2green (unripe) plantains (about 6 ounces each)
  • Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, for frying
  • Kosher salt, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

181 calories; 13 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 200 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Trim and discard the ends of the plantains. Use a paring knife to cut a slit along the length of the plantain to easily remove the peel, carefully avoiding cutting into the flesh. If the peel is too firm, use a spoon to lift the edges, then discard the peel. Slice the plantain crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 8 pieces per plantain).

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet, heat about ⅛-inch vegetable oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, add the plantains, flat-side down. Fry until beginning to turn golden, about 1 minute per side.

  3. Step 3

    While keeping the heat on, transfer plantains to a cutting board. Working with one piece at a time, use a tostonera or large flat-bottomed cup to gently press each plantain to about ½-inch thick. (If using a cup, keep it as centered as possible to flatten the plantains evenly.)

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, pan-fry the flattened plantains until golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

  5. Step 5

    Using a slotted spoon, transfer tostones to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. While hot, season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
601 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

cesaera

prepare a salty water solution and add a crushed garlic clove. Dip the once fried plantains after smashing them - then re-fry. No Need to salt afterward if your solution was salty enough. ALSO - very important - if you are not able to 'smash' them and they seem really dry and just crack apart you need to fry them longer the first time - until slightly browned - golden really - you may need to lower your heat - The picture is exactly how they should look after the second fry

Camilla

Good recipe. An important thing to consider is to try to find the greenest plantains possible, and this can be a challenge. If they are even slightly ripe, the result will not be good as they will not get crisp.

JCorrea

My kids fill w/down to the soul joy when I make these. My PR friend taught me. You slice the green plantain on a diagonal, discard the ends. Fill a bowl with cold water. Add heaping amounts of adobo. Drop slices into the bowl. Marinade in the water, mixing every once in awhile, for 20 min. This adds incredible FLAVOR! Fry 4/5 min. Place in between parchment. It's cathartic to smash with the side of your fist (gently). Refry until medium golden, 3/4 min. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle pinch salt

Hank

I read extensively including all the comments and watched some YouTube videos but although these looked perfect I found them bland and not really worth the trouble. Perhaps I should have made some of the sauces. I am looking forward to trying Maduros next.

D A G

after frying, i put some garlic + lemon... then... mmmh

Luisanny

Absolutely agree with Julia’s comment. These look horrible.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.