These Dominican Tostones de Platano are made with three ingredients: plantains, salt, and vegetable oil and fried into tostones.
These tostones are a twice-fried fantastic snack that pairs very well with rice and beans and chicken. Tostones is a Dominican dish, although it is widely eaten in Cuba as well as Puerto Rico. I first tried them at my Dominican friend's house and I was so obsessed with the texture and how beautifully it pairs with most dishes.
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Why you will love this recipe
Versatile: Tostones pair wish so many dishes and it is a great crunch to have and serve with a main dish like my Dominican Chicken and my Rice and Beans.
Kid Friendly: My Dominican friends grew up eaten tostones as a kid. It is a huge staple in their cuisine.
Great for any weather: I love making this in the summer or winter months!
What are tostones?
Tostones are smashed and fried unripe green plantains that are usually served in Dominican, Puerto Rican or Cuban cuisine. All you need are plantains, oil, and salt, making this a Vegan friendly dish. I used my tortilla press to smash them but you can use any kitchen utensil with a flat surface.
Why do you soak the plantains?
By soaking the plantains, it will make the plantain a little easier to fry and smash. It also prevents the tostones from oxidizing and makes a fluffier interior. If you are short on time, you can always cut the tips and cut the plantain lengthwise. Keep the peel on it and wrap with a wet paper towel. Microwave for six minutes. Cut into 1 ½ inch pieces and smash. You will skip frying the first time as well as the soaking if you do it this way.
If tostones seem to be falling apart, you need to make sure you cook them well enough when you fry them the first time. If this happens, return to the oil before pressing them down again.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Plantains
- Frying oil, like vegetable or canola oil
- Sea salt
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Dominican Tostones de Platano
Peel the plantains. Peel and sliced them into ½ inch thick rounds. Put the plantains in a bowl and cover with water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat them dry.
Fry the plantains. In a medium skillet, head an inch of light oil on medium heat. Add the plantains and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden. Transfer them to plate lined with paper towels.
Smash the plantains. Put the plantain in a paper bag or between two pieces of paper towel, and using a spatula, smash them down into flat round discs. If you have a tortilla press, use that instead.
Fry the plantains again. Return the plantains into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.
Transfer to another paper towel-lined plate and season with coarse sea salt.
Hint: Try to flatten them as much as possible for a crispier texture.
Substitutions
Vegetable oil: When it comes to frying these tostones, it is best to use a lighter oil.
Plantains: The plantain's ripeness is evidenced by the changing color of its skin. For excellent fried plantains, you will want to choose a plantain with skin that is dull yellow with patches of black or completely black—this is when a plantain is at peak ripeness.
Sea Salt: I love using coarse sea salt for this recipe as it is put on at the very end.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - make a spicy aioli for your dipping sauce. It is also traditionally dipped in Mayo-Ketchup dipping sauce.
- Deluxe - serve with any Caribbean main dish.
Check out this Chicken Mole.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality.
Storage
Dominican tostones de Platano can be frozen: Do it after you flatten them. Separate them with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other and freeze tightly wrapped in ziplock bag. To serve them, thaw them and continue frying a second time.
Top tip
Using finer salt with make the tostones saltier and using coarse salt is less salty. Use whatever you wish.
Dominican Tostones de Platano
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Dominican Tostones de Platano are made with three ingredients: plantains, salt, and vegetable oil and fried into tostones!
Ingredients
- 4 plantains
- Light vegetable or canola oil
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the plantains. Peel and sliced them into ½ inch thick rounds. Put the plantains in a bowl and cover with water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat them dry.
- Fry the plantains. In a medium skillet, head an inch of light oil on medium heat. Add the plantains and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden. Transfer them to plate lined with paper towels.
- Smash the plantains. Put the plantain in a paper bag or between two pieces of paper towel, and using a spatula, smash them down into flat round discs.
- Fry the plantains again. Return the plantains into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Transfer to another paper towel-lined plate and season with coarse sea salt.
Notes
- Using finer salt with make the tostones saltier and using coarse salt is less salty. Use whatever you wish.
- To skip frying the plantains the first time, you can also cut the tips and cut the plantain lengthwise. Keep the peel on it and wrap with a wet paper towel. Microwave for six minutes. Cut into 1 ½ inch pieces and smash.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Cuban
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 170.0
- Sugar: 0.0 g
- Sodium: 1138 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Protein: 5 g
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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