Air Fryer Plantains are the perfect easy side dish to serve with your next dinner. Enjoy air fried plantains alongside grilled meat with rice and beans, or eat them as a snack with Spicy Korean Bibimbap Sauce.
These air fryer plantains are similar to South American plantain chips like maduros in Cuba and tostones in the Dominican Republic. They're beautifully crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, with a texture somewhat similar to french fries.
Plantains are from the same botanical family as bananas, but they are more like sweet potatoes in terms of flavor and texture. They are much starchier than bananas, and although they can be sweet when fully ripe, they're usually served in savory dishes.
Air fried plantains make a great savory side dish or snack, and can be paired with many dishes like grilled jerk chicken, Treager smoked carne asada, or this creamy coconut rice recipe.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This unique treat makes a great alternative to french fries!
- Air fried plantains can be made in just 15 minutes. However, you may need to make them in a few batches, depending on the size of your plantains and air fryer.
- This air-fryer plantain recipe is gluten-free, and can be made vegan by using oil instead of ghee.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Plantains: While green plantains and black plantains have many culinary uses, I went with semi-ripe plantains for this recipe. When shopping for semi-ripe plantains, pick the ones that have begun to turn black and have some give. However, you can also use fully ripe plantains (which will be completely black) if you prefer them sweeter.
- Ghee: Use avocado oil to make this recipe vegan!
- Seasoning: Kosher salt or sea salt is a must. Optionally, consider seasoning with garlic powder, Tajin, cayenne pepper, or cajun seasoning.
🍌 How To Make Air Fryer Plantains
Step 1: Using a sharp knife, slice ends off of the plantains, then make a slit down the length. Carefully remove the peel, then slice plantains on the bias (at an angle) into ½” slices.
Step 2: Brush plantain slices on one side with ghee or a neutral oil like avocado oil. Place oiled side down into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Brush tops with more ghee or oil.
Step 3: Cover air fryer with lid and air fry at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until crispy and golden on the outside and tender in the middle. Remove from air fryer and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining plantain slices.
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🎛️ Stovetop Instructions
Step 1: After slicing the plantain, add a few tablespoons of oil to a medium skillet. Once the oil starts to shimmer, carefully place sliced plantains into the pan and fry for a few minutes on each side or until golden brown and caramelized on the outside and tender in the middle. Add more oil as needed to fry the remaining slices.
Step 2: Drain fried plantains on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
Want more plantain recipes? Try this Indian plantain stir fry, vazhakai poriyal.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve air fryer plantains with fresh lime juice, fry sauce, bibimbap sauce, Sriracha aioli, or ranch dressing. Plantains can also be served as a side dish with grilled meat, beans and rice.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Fried plantains, sometimes called maduros or tostones, are a common dish across Latin America, but they are believed to have originated in India. In fact, plantains are not native to South America, but were brought to the Caribbean from Southeast Asia by Spanish settlers during the 15th and 16th centuries.
You can air fry frozen plantains, but you may need to add a few additional minutes to the cooking time.
When frying plantains, the key is to use plantains that are ripe. The peel should be mostly black or brown although it is okay if there are some dull yellow spots.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, place in an air fryer or toaster oven at 350 degrees F until warmed throughout.
- Try not to pack too many plantain slices in the air fryer basket, as this may result in uneven cooking. If you can't fit them all in at once, make multiple batches.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Plantains
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium plantains
- 2 tablespoon ghee or avocado oil (more as needed)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice off ends of the plantains, then make a slit down the length. Carefully remove the peel, then slice plantains on the bias (at an angle) into ½” slices.
- Brush plantain slices on one side with ghee or a neutral oil like avocado oil. Place oiled side down into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Brush tops with more ghee or oil.
- Cover air fryer with lid and air fry at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until crispy and golden on the outside and tender in the middle. Remove from air fryer and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining plantain slices.
Notes
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- See post for stove-top instructions!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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- To reheat, place in air fryer or toaster oven at 350°F until warmed throughout.
-
- Try not to pack too many plantain slices in the air fryer basket, as this may result in uneven cooking. If you can't fit them all in at once, make multiple batches.
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