- May 19, 2023
- 30 Minute Meals
How To Make Tostones In Avocado Oil
Looking for a crispy and delicious snack that won’t leave you feeling guilty? Look no further than these mouth-watering tostones made with the goodness of avocado oil! With their perfectly crispy exterior and soft and fluffy interior, these tostones are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Why This Recipe Works:
Crunchy Perfection: If you have never cooked with green plantains before, you are missing out! They are basically like potatoes but with a slightly sweeter taste. And no, they don’t taste like bananas! The key to crispy, crunchy perfection is frying them twice. Once while they are in large one-inch pieces, and then again after they are smashed into a chip-like shape. After you learn how to make tostones in avocado oil, you will never go back!
Versatile: You can eat tostones on their own with a bit of crunchy salt on top, or you can dip them in your favorite sauces, or top them off with ceviche or guacamole! The possibilities are endless. Tostones have a savory flavor and crunch with a soft middle. Anything you you can eat with a chip, you can eat with tostones!
What Are Tostones?
Tostones are slices of plantain that are fried twice. They are commonly found in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine as a side dish to a plethora of meals. They can be eaten with any meal! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I like to pair them with some guacamole or ceviche as a delicious appetizer to a main meal.
What Is Avocado Oil?
Avocado oil is an unsaturated fat that is extracted from avocados. It is considered a healthy cooking oil, and has a high smoke point, meaning it can cook things at a high temperature without burning. When frying, avocado oil is definitely the best and healthiest choice!
Supplies Needed:
- Paring Knife
- Frying Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Heavy Glass
Ingredients:
Learning how to make tostones in avocado oil couldn’t be easier! You only need 4 simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Green Plantains: In order to make tostones, you need green plantains. If you go to the store and they are yellow, unfortunately that will not work for this recipe. The green ones are harder and starchier, so they can get crispy in the pan!
- Sea Salt: Sea salt or another crunchy salt like kosher salt are delicious on these!
- Cold Water: You will want to soak the peeled plantains in cold water prior to frying them in order get inject some moisture.
- Avocado Oil: I like to use avocado oil since it is healthier than canola or vegetable oil, but still has a high smoke point so I can easily fry these up!
How To Make Tostones In Avocado Oil:
- Prep the Plantain: Begin by slicing off each end of the plantain. The plantains are much hard to peel compared to regular bananas, so I recommend using a paring knife to score each raised ridge (there are 3 visible ridges) around the sides of the plantain. Use your fingers to then peel back each piece to remove the plantain.
- Cut into Equal Sized Pieces: Cut each plantain into six, one inch pieces. Repeat this step with all of your plantains.
- Water Bath: Place the diced plantain chunks into a cold water bath and add some salt (about 2 tsp) and let them soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove them from the water and pat them dry as thoroughly as possible.
- Heat up the Oil: In a medium frying pan, add the avocado oil to the pan so it covers the bottom and goes up about 1/2 in the pan. Let it heat for 5 minutes or so over medium heat.
- Add the Plantains: Carefully add each of the plantain rounds into the base of the pan. Each piece should be submerged about halfway in the oil. Reduce the heat only slightly if the oil is splattering or popping (please be careful). Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip: Flip each plantain to the opposite end and continue to shallow fry the plantains an additional 2-3 minutes. They should begin to lightly brown on the sliced end and turn deeper yellow color around the sides, do not let them get too brown or burn.
- Remove: Remove the plantains to a plate and let them rest briefly.
- Prepare to Flatten the Plantains: Place a sheet of parchment paper down on the counter and fold it in half to form a crease in the middle of the paper. Open it back up and on the right side place on of the plantain rounds in the center and fold the parchment back over the top.
- Flatten: Using a heavy glass with a flat bottom to smash and flatten the plantain. Be careful to not allow it to break apart, but flatten.
- Fry Again: Work in batches of 3-4 and use a spatula to transfer the flattened plantains back to the oil and cook each side for 1-1.5 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan and take your time.
- Remove & Salt: Once golden and crispy, remove them from the frying pan and place them on a wire rack lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil and prevent them from getting too soft. Immediately salt the tops as they come out of the oil and for best results. Repeat this until you have fried all of the plantains!
- If you run out of oil: Add more to the pan and allow it to preheat again before continue to shallow fry.
Serving Suggestions:
After learning how to make tostones in avocado oil, you might be wondering what you should pair these crunchy bites with! While you can definitely eat tostones on their own, they are delightful with a plethora of dips or other appetizers. Think potato meets tortilla chip– you can dip them in ketchup or top them with salsa! Definitely try them with some of my personal favorites!
- Langostino Ceviche
- The BEST Guacamole Recipe
- Mango Pineapple Salsa
- Garlic Dip
- Strawberry Jalapeño Guacamole
- And don’t forget the Blackberry Jalapeño Marg to tie it all together!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Green plantains are when the fruit is not yet ripe, and yellow plantains are ripe and sweet! Every green plantain will eventually turn into a yellow plantain if given enough time. Green plantains are more savory and starchy, whereas yellow plantains are soft and sweet, more like an actual banana. Regardless of if the plantain is green or yellow, you will want to cook it before eating it.
If you go to the store only to find yellow plantains, they will unfortunately not work for this tostones recipe. However, you can still slice them up and fry them to make a sweet fried treat! It is kind of hit or miss if you will go to the store and find green plantains, so I always keep an eye out for them in case I happen to find them!
You have to fry tostones twice because they are too hard to smash without cooking a bit first. Once you cook up the plantain slices a bit in the avocado oil, they will turn a more yellow color and soften up in the middle. That is when you can take them out and smash them with a flat surface like the bottom of a glass or mug. Then, you have to fry them again to get them nice and crispy all around!
To store leftover tostones, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on a baking sheet with a wire rack in the oven, or pop them in the air fryer! You can’t reheat these in the microwave or else they will turn too soft.
More Appetizers to Try:
- Southwestern Chicken Quesadillas
- Mini Chicago Hot Dog Sliders
- Sweet Potato Fritters
- Grilled Elote-Style Cauliflower Steaks
- Best Loaded Nachos
How To Make Tostones In Avocado Oil
Ingredients
- 3 Green Plantains
- 2 tsp Sea Salt plus more for seasoning
- 4 cups Cold Water
- Avocado Oil amount will vary depending on the size of your pan
Instructions
- Begin by slicing off each end of the plantain. The plantains are much harder to peel compared to regular bananas, so I recommend using a paring knife to score each raised ridge (there are 3 visible ridges) around the sides of the plantain. Use your fingers to then peel back each piece to remove the plantain.
- Cut each plantain into six, one inch pieces. Repeat this step with all of your plantains.
- Place the diced plantain chunks into a cold water bath and add some salt (about 2 tsp) and let them soak for 15 minutes.
- Remove the plantains from the water and pat them dry as thouroughly as possible.
- In a medium frying pan, add the avocado oil to the pan so it covers the bottom and goes up about 1/2 inch in the pan. Let it heat for 5 minutes or so over medium heat.
- Carefully add each of the plantain rounds into the base of the pan. Each piece should be submerged about halfway in the oil. Reduce the heat only slightly if the oil is splattering or popping (please be careful). Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip each plantain to the opposite end and continue to shallow fry the plantain an additional 2-3 minutes. They should begin to lightly brown on the sliced end and turn a deeper yellow around the sides, do not let them get to brown or burn.
- Remove the plantains to a plate and let them rest briefly.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper down on the counter and fold it in half to form a crease in the middle of the paper. Open it back up and on the right side place one of the plantain rounds into the center and fold the parchment back over the top.
- Use a heavy glass with a flat bottom to smash and flatten the plantain. Be careful to not allow it to break apart, but flatten.
- Work in batches of 3-4 and use a spatula to transfer the flattened plantains back to the oil and cook each side for 1-1.5 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan and take your time.
- Once golden and crispy, remove them from the frying pan and place them on a wire rack lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil and prevent them from getting too soft. Immediately salt the tops as they come out of the oil for the best results. Repeat this until you have fried all of the plantains.
- If you run out of oil- Add more to the pan and allow it to preheat again before continuing to shallow fry. See the article above for tips on how to serve and store them.