Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, this tostones recipe makes the perfect appetizer, side dish or snack. These golden, twice-fried plantains are a beloved Caribbean staple, offering the perfect balance of crunchy texture and salty flavor. We serve them Puerto Rican style with a traditional garlicky mayo-ketchup dip!
Why I Love This Tostones Recipe
If you’ve never had tostones before, we are going to change that TODAY. Homemade Puerto Rican tostones are one of the best snack foods/side dishes out there. Growing up, my Abuela would make these for us on Christmas Eve with a bottle of coquito. They’re so easy to make, and basically the only thing you need to buy for this recipe is plantains! Here’s why I’ll always love this recipe:
- Versatile: If I want a low-key appetizer I can put them out with a bowl of mayo ketchup, but they can also be served for dinner along side some rice and beans.
- Easy: Don’t let the deep frying scare you off. It’s easier to make homemade tostones than you may think!
- Inexpensive: I typically have just about everything I need to make this tostones recipe already in my kitchen.
- Kid-approved: My kids love smashing the plantains between fries- making it a fun recipe to make together.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for tostones. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Vegetable Oil: You can also use canola oil if you want to.
- Plantains: When choosing plantains for tostones, pick the greenest ones you can. As they get riper and turn yellow and brown, they grow sweeter – you don’t want that sweetness in tostones!
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice will give you the best taste.
- Salt: You will use salt to season the fried plantains and for the flavored water mixture that we dip the plantains into before frying them a second time. If you prefer, you can also use adobo seasoning in the water mixture in place of the salt.
- Mayo: We use classic mayonnaise, but you could use light mayo if you prefer.
How to Make Tostones
Making these tostones is a pretty straightforward process. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Make The Seasoned Water: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together water, garlic, kosher salt and lime juice. Set aside.
- Heat Up the Oil: Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, in a large deep heavy bottomed pan. You want the oil to be about a third of the way up the side of the pan.
- Cook the Plantains: Fry the peeled and sliced plantains in batches. Add about a third of the plantain slices to the pan and let them cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden but still slightly pale.
- Let the Plantains Cool: Remove plantains from the oil and place them on a cookie cooling rack or a plate with a paper towel. Repeat the frying process in batches with the remaining plantain pieces.
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- Smash the Plantains: Smash each of the plantains with a tostonera, the bottom of a glass, or two plates stacked on top of each other. Do not too press too hard or they may start to break apart, but you do want to flatten them!
- Dip The Plantains: Dip the smashed plantain into your water/garlic/lime/salt mixture. Let it sit in the water for a few seconds, drain off the water mixture and add the smashed plantain back into the oil.
- Re-Fry: Fry them for about 2 minutes more on each side, or until they turn a dark golden color and they have turned crispy on the edges.
- Season and Serve: Transfer back to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the tostones with salt. Serve as desired, I recommend with some mayo-ketchup sauce to dip them into!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- How to peel plantains: Cut the ends off first, then slice the plantain lengthwise on the ridges, and peel off the skin. It’s not as easy as peeling a banana, but it’s not too bad.
- Sprinkle the salt while the tostones are hot: This will help the salt stick to the tostones so that it doesn’t fall off when you pick one up to eat it.
- Frying recommendations: The oil doesn’t have to be completely hot yet the first time you fry the plantains. You just need to get them golden on the outside while allowing them to soften in the middle, which can be achieved with warm oil. The oil should be fully hot by the time you fry them the second time, though.
- They’re not sweet: Though plantains look like bananas, tostones are not sweet. Green plantains are like a starch, which places these fried plantains on the savory end of things. If you are looking for the soft and sweet style of plantains, then you are looking for Maduros — sweet plantains.
What to Serve with Tostones
- Add Flaky Salt: This is the simplest choice, but salty tostones are so good all on their own!
- With Dip: Make your favorite dip to serve with these tostones. There are many different kinds, but the most popular dips we have tried are the classic Puerto Rican Mayo-Ketchup dip (recipe below!) and a garlic/cilantro style dip like this cilantro lime dressing.
- With Meats On Top: Tostones also make a great base to be topped with all kinds of meats, sauces and cheeses!
- Rice and Beans: A simple but totally delicious and filling dinner! You can go with arroz con gandules or arroz blanco puertorriqueño!
- Main Dish: Anything from flavorful pernil (Puerto Rican Roasted Pork), chuleta frita (Puerto Rican Fried Pork Chops), empanadillas/empanadas (like these chicken empanadas, empanadillas de pizza, or cheesy beef empanadas), mofongo, to other favorite cuchifritos.
Yield: 35 tostones
Best Tostones Recipe (Twice-Fried Plantains)
Crispy, golden & tender on the inside, this tostones recipe features twice-fried plantains served Puerto Rican style with mayo-ketchup! Perfect as an appetizer or side dish, these golden rounds will become your new go-to for when you are craving something simple yet packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Tostones
- 1 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for topping (you can also use adobo seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable oil
- 3 large, green plantains, peeled and cut into 2-inch diagonal slices
Mayo Ketchup Sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
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Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together water, garlic, kosher salt and lime juice. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, in a large deep heavy bottomed pan. You want the oil to be about a third of the way up the side of the pan.
- Fry the peeled and sliced plantains in batches. Add about a third of the plantain slices to the pan and let them cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden but still slightly pale.
- Remove plantains from the oil and place them on a cookie cooling rack or a plate with a paper towel. Repeat the frying process in batches with the remaining plantain pieces.
- Smash each of the plantains with a tostonera, the bottom of a glass, or two plates stacked on top of each other. Do not too press too hard or they may start to break apart, but you do want to flatten them!
- Dip the smashed plantain into your water/garlic/lime/salt mixture. Let it sit in the water for a few seconds, drain off the water mixture and add the smashed plantain back into the oil. Fry them for about 2 minutes more on each side, or until they turn a dark golden color and they have turned crispy on the edges.
- Transfer back to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the tostones with salt. Serve as desired, I recommend with some Mayo-Ketchup Sauce to dip them into!
- Mayo-Ketchup Sauce: Whisk together all ingredients and then serve with tostones. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Storage options:
These tostones are best enjoyed the day that they are made, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge.
To reheat and get rid of any moisture:
Air Fryer: My favorite way to reheat tostones is in the air fryer. Heat the air fryer to 350°F and place tostones in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until warm and crispy again!
Oven: Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a large baking tray with aluminum foil or spray with non-stick spray. Add the tostones to a pan in an even layer and bake for about 10 minutes, flipping them half-way through. Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 tostones, Calories: 103kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 71mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g
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This timing worked out perfectly! Thanks for the base.