Fried Sweet Plantains
Oi Gente!
Fried Sweet Plantains is a very simple, very traditional Latin American side dish. It adds a natural sweetness to any main dish! With just 2 ingredients and 15 minutes to put together from start to finish, this super low maintenance Brazilian plantains recipe will become a regular on your weekly rotation.
I love fruits in my meal! That sweet and savory mix is totally my jam. And fried sweet plantains, also known as platanos maduros throughout Latin America, served with just about anything is a match made in heaven in my book. I love it with grilled fish, rice and beans, a nice saucy chicken… and the list goes on.
Not to mention this recipe is very straight forward to put together, you just need to know one secret to ensure success. And that secret is, how to pick the right plantain.
And since there are no secrets between us, let’s get to the bottom of that!
How do I buy sweet plantains?
The big secret for making really tasty fried sweet plantains is in how to buy them. Usually, grocery stores will sell plantains while they’re still green (or yellow if you’re lucky) which means you’ll need to plan ahead before you can make fried sweet plantains.
To make fried sweet plantains, the plantains need to be very ripe, meaning mostly black like in the image below. If they are still green, or just yellow, the plantains will not be sweet after you fry them. You’ll need to wait for for the green/yellow plantains to ripen, or turn black, sitting on your counter several days before you can make sweet plantains.
With this in mind, every time I go to the store I buy at least a few green plantains, and just leave them be until they’re good to go. This way I always have them at the house, at different ripeness levels/color stages, and we can eat them pretty often.
Now that you know what to look for in a plantain, it’s time to make them!
How to make Sweet Fried Plantains
- Peel the plantains and slice them about an inch thick on the diagonal
- Melt butter on a skillet and start to fry the plantains
Add some cold butter every now and then to avoid over browning the butter in the pan
- Using kitchen tongs, flip the plantains when they are golden
Add more cold butter to avoid the butter from browning
- Remove the plantains from the pan and let them rest in paper towels before serving to absorb any excess butter – serve hot
Plantains FAQ:
Plantains and bananas are totally not the same. Plantains are longer, firmer, and have thicker skin than regular bananas and before they are ripe, they are also less sweet and super starchy. Unlike bananas, they also need to be cooked prior to eating, and only taste sweet after they are completely ripe.
Ripe! They need to be black to make sure they are sweet. Read through the How do I buy sweet plantains section above to learn more.
Love this Plantain recipe? Check these other sweet and savory faves:
Warm Kale Apple Salad with Apples
Grilled Cheese Pear Salad with Porto wine Dressing
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Fried Sweet Plantains
Ingredients
- 2-3 very ripe plantains peeled and sliced
- 1/2 stick butter cold, divided into 4 cubes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 cube of cold butter
- When the butter starts to melt add the plantains - be sure to not crowd the pan
- Add another cube of butter, and let the plantains fry in the butter for about 3 minutes, or until they are golden
- When the plantains are golden, flip them using a pair of tongs so they can fry on the other side and add another cube of cold butter and fry
- Add the last bit of butter and let the plantains fry until they are golden and nicely caramelized
- When the plantains are golden, remove them from the pan using a pair of tongs, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool
Picking the perfect plantain is key! Great tips.
Glad you found this helpful, Jazz! Getting the right plantain plus a little patience is the big secret, once you know that, phewwww all else is easy peasy! 🙂
Fried sweet plantains is one of those dishes that really reminds me of home. I love using plantains that are totally black and “rotten looking” those are the ones that really come out super tender and super sweet. i’ve never tried cooking them in butter, though. Usually oil. I’ve gotta try that way out.
rotten looking!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! But yes, the darker the skin, the sweeter they are – that’s the secret!! And I promise you the butter makes it so much more amazing! keep me posted xx
Butter is usually my secret ingredient!
Yes!! Butter makes everything better 🙂
This is one of my favorite Caribbean dishes. I could eat sweet plantains all day! Haha. Looks great!
Me too!! lol! They’re too good!
Yesss!! Plantain is one of my fav foods, especially for breakfast! Yours look perfect!
Ohhh never had them for breakfast, but sounds like an awesome idea!! I will try!
OMG! These look delicious! I’ve always fried them in olive oil but I will have to give butter a try!