Fried ripe plantains - Platanos maduros fritos
Easy recipe for fried ripe plantains or platanos maduros fritos, a must-have side dish for so many Latin dishes.
Servings 12 fried ripe plantains slices (6 per plantain)
Ingredients
- 2 ripe plantains
- Oil for frying can use avocado, sunflower, peanut oil
Optional:
- Cheese for sprinkling or melting on top: You can use quesillo queso freso or feta if you want to experience the saltiness contrast with the sweetness of the plantain. Other options include grated mozzarella, monterey jack, or fontina if you prefer the yummy gooiness of melted cheese
Instructions
- Wash and peel the plantains
- Slice the plantains, the best way to slice them is either diagonally or cut the plantain in half and slice lengthwise. The plantain can also be sliced lengthwise full size, but the smaller diagonal or half slices are easier to manage.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and add the plantains
- The plantains will cook very quickly, make sure to turn them before they burn and cook until golden on each side. You can use a spatula or a fork to turn them. If the plantain flesh is still pink or white inside it means that it is not yet fully cooked.
- Thicker slices and less ripe plantains will need longer to cook, and maybe more oil.
- Place the cooked plantains on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Serve warm
Notes
If adding cheese, sprinkle the cheese over the plantains and serve. If you using a grated cheese then it is best to skip step #5, once the plantains are done leave them in the frying pan and add the grated cheese on top, remove from the heat to avoid burning them and let the cheese melt.