Fried Sweet Plantains

The fried plantains arranged on a white plate with parsley as a garnish on the left side.

These fried sweet plantains, or maduros in Spanish, are plantains in a ripe state that are sliced and fried until they’re tender in the middle and crispy and caramelized around the edges.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Cuban

Keyword plantains

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 155kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 Ripe Plantain peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces sliced at a slight diagonal angle
1½ cup Oil or enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet with ½ inch of oil. Use a neutral (flavorless) variety with a high smoke point

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat (we used a 10 inch skillet). Don’t let the oil get too hot. We want it to bubble gently around the pieces. Use a test piece to make sure the oil is hot enough.
Carefully place the sliced plantain pieces in the oil. You should be able to fit about 6-8 pieces depending on the size of your skillet. Do not overcrowd the pan, fry in batches if necessary.
Fry the plantains for 2-3 minutes.
Carefully flip each one and cook another 2 minutes or so, until golden brown on both sides.
Flip again if necessary and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once they start to brown and caramelize it will happen really quickly, so keep an eye on them.
Remove the plantains from the skillet using tongs or a slotted spoon to allow as much oil to drain as possible and place on a plate or platter for serving.

Video

Notes

If you’re frying more than one plantain let the oil cool down a little bit between batches. If the oil is too hot the outside will brown too quickly and could burn.

Any leftover plantains can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for a day or two. They reheat really well in the microwave; just give them about 30 seconds on high heat.

Nutrition