Crispy fried tostones with cilantro garlic sauce are the ultimate snack. They are so easy to make and so flavorful! Super garlicky, fresh and so addictive!
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Caribbean, Latin American
Keyword Cilantro, Plantains, Tostones, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 5 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Author Leona G.
Equipment
10-12 inch Cast-Iron Skillet
Wire Rack
Food processor or blender
Ingredients
1 ½-2cupsneutral oilGrape seed, vegetable or sunflower
2green plantains
1tspkosher salt
Cilantro Garlic Sauce
1cupcilantro
4-6clovesgarlic
2tbsolive oil
1tbsred wine vinegar
2limes juicedabout 3-4 tbs
1tspcrushed red pepper
1tsphoney
½tspkoser salt
½tsppepper
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.