Tostones are crispy fried green plantains with an irresistible taste and crave-worthy crunch. Eating a tostone is like grabbing the first chip from a bag, you can’t have just one. Tostones are a staple in Caribbean cuisine, especially Cuban food. They’re typically served as a side, making them the perfect companion for Latin dishes like arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) or ceviche.
Tostones are a simple pleasure. You don’t need much to make them shine, just a sprinkle of salt as a finishing touch. This recipe only calls for only three ingredients: plantains, vegetable oil, and salt. It’s truly that simple.
These Crispy Cuban Tostones are twice-fried to get that signature crispy crunch. Plantains are cut up then fried first, smashed, and fried again until golden brown. One plantain will yield about three to four medium-sized tostones. You should account for 2-4 tostones per person. This recipe yields about 16 tostones from 4 plantains.
Crispy Cuban Tostones
Ingredients
- 4 unripe green plantains
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat about 2 cups vegetable oil over high heat in a pot. The oil should cover the bottom of the pot. You can use a skillet but a pot or saucepan prevents oil from splashing everywhere.
- While the oil heats up, peel 4 unripe green plantains and cut them into three to four even-sized pieces. For a tutorial on how to peel plantains, refer to the full blog post.
- Test the temperature of the oil with one plantain piece to make sure it’s hot enough. If the oil is ready, it will bubble and begin frying the plantain.
- Add all the plantains to the oil and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. If the oil doesn't completely cover the plantains, flip them occasionally to cook all sides. While the plantains cook, line a plate with paper towels.
- Once the plantains are golden transfer them to a cutting board. Smash the plantains with the bottom of a jar, cup, or plate. You may need to use a butter knife or spatula to carefully scrape each tostone off the bottom of whatever you smashed them with.
- Working in batches, add the smashed plantains back to the oil to fry for a second time for about 1 minute on each side.
- Take the crispy tostones out once they’re golden brown and transfer them to the paper-towel-lined plate.
- Immediately season with kosher salt and serve.
What’s a plantain?
Plantains are a versatile fruit that are often cooked like a vegetable in the Caribbean. Although they look like bananas, plantains aren’t as sweet, have a thicker skin, and have a higher starch content.
The ripeness of a plantain matters because it affects the flavor. Tostones are made with unripe green plantains. Other plantain dishes like maduros (fried sweet plantains) are made with yellow (to sometimes almost black) ripened plantains.
Peeling your plantain
Plantains have thicker skin than a banana, making it a bit of a challenge to peel. Here is a YouTube video from Chef Zee Cooks that demonstrates a simple way to take the peel off. In this method, you make slits in the skin and then peel the entire skin off at once. I like to make slits and then cut the plantain into smaller pieces before peeling.
For a flawless tostone, you’ll want to get as much of the peel off as possible. The peel is technically edible but when it’s fried it will turn a dark brown color, which takes away from the gorgeous golden color of your tostones. After you’ve peeled your plantain, cut it into even pieces and cut or scrap off any additional skin.
Smashing your tostones
Tostones are fried first, then smashed and fried again until golden and crispy. You can smash your plantains with the bottom of a jar, cup, or a small plate. Some people use a tostonera or plantain press to easily smash them. I personally use the bottom of a ramekin or cup. My Cuban grandmother smashes them with her hands between a paper towel — she’s a pro. All to say, you don’t need any fancy equipment to make delicious Crispy Cuban Tostones at home. The thinner you get your tostones to be, the crispier they will become so don’t be shy when smashing.
Serving tostones
Serve Tostones right after frying to maximize flavor and crispiness. They should be the last thing you make before sitting down for dinner. You can prep them in advance by frying and smashing the plantains ahead of time and doing the second fry right before it’s time to eat. You can also freeze smashed tostones and fry them when you’re ready for a meal.
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