Tostones are hands down one of the easiest and most addictive snacks/appetizers you can make! And I think we could all use a quick and delicious snack before we get into all the fun holiday baking.
I’m still coming down from the thrill of thanksgiving cooking, that I’ve been making quick and easy meals for the past week and snacking more. And these tostones with cilantro garlic sauce are so easy and so good, they’re just the snack you need right now.
I fry the plantain slices until crispy and salt them while they’re still hot. I love having something to dip my tostones in. The dipping sauce is a must! Super garlicky, tangy from the lime juice and fresh from all of the fresh cilantro. Dream flavors! In addition, you can also repurpose any leftover sauce and use it for a chicken marinade or even a salad dressing. That’s if you love a strong garlic flavor.
Tostones are famous in most Latin countries and usually served as a side dish along with rice and beans. Not only are they delicious, they are also really easy to make. I mean cmon, they’re fried! You can’t really mess this up. You can use a tostone press, a tortilla press of even the bottle of a fry pan to smash them up.
Tostones are often served as an appetizer with a side of “mojo.” Mojo is essentially a yummy sauce that consists of garlic, oil and some citrus. Typically lime and/or orange. There are many variations of this delicious dipping sauce, and here’s mine.
cilantro garlic dipping sauce
- Garlic. A Lot of garlic!
- Cilantro
- Crushed red pepper
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Honey
- Salt & pepper
Blend all of those delicious ingredients in a good processor and you’ve got a flavorful dipping sauce. Any leftover sauce can be repurposed as a marinade or even a salad dressing. Just add a little more oil.
This sauce is exactly what these crispy-fried tostones need! They are truly delicious and incredibly addicting.
Tostones With Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Equipment
- 10-12 inch Cast-Iron Skillet
- Wire Rack
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 cups neutral oil Grape seed, vegetable or sunflower
- 2 green plantains
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Cilantro Garlic Sauce
- 1 cup cilantro
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 limes juiced about 3-4 tbs
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp koser salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
Tostones
- Heat up your skillet with oil on low-medium heat.
- While the oil is heating up, peel the plantains. Their skin is a lot thicker than a banana, so you may need to use a knife and make a slit near the stem. Cut the plantain into 1 inch slices and fry them for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove them from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Using a tostone press, a tortilla press or the bottom of a clean frypan, smash your tostones and pop them back into the oil. Fry them in batches until golden brown. About 2-3 min.
- Remove them from the oil and transfer them to a wire rack to drain the excess oil and salt them right away while they are still hot. Plate them up and serve with cilantro garlic dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Cilantro Garlic Sauce
- In a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients and pulse until all combined and the garlic is finely chopped. The sauce will be a little loose.
Notes
- If you don’t have a tostone press or a tortilla press, the bottom of a clean fry pan will work perfectly fine.
- You can also use apple cider vinegar in place fo red wine vinegar, or even white vinegar.
- This sauce is also delicious for a meat marinate or a salad dressing. For a salad dressing, you could just add a bit more oil.
- Make sure when using plantains for tostones, they are completely green and firm.
- For a vegan dipping sauce, swap out the honey for some agave or maple syrup.
