Plantain Dishes
Green or ripe, mashed, sliced, or twice-fried, the plantain is one of the most versatile staples in Latin American cooking. From Puerto Rico's garlicky mofongo to Cuba's caramelized plátanos maduros, explore five essential plantain dishes — each with a full recipe.
5 dishes, each with a recipe ↓
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The plantain shows up on tables across Latin America in almost as many forms as there are countries that grow it. Fried twice and smashed flat, it becomes tostones. Mashed with garlic and pork cracklings, it becomes Puerto Rico's mofongo. Sliced thin and caramelized in its own sugars, it becomes Cuba's plátanos maduros. Below, we spotlight one classic in full, then round up four more plantain dishes worth making at home.
Tostones
Tostones are the plantain dish most people meet first — green plantains sliced thick, fried once, smashed flat, and fried again until the outside turns shatteringly crisp while the inside stays soft. Salted and served with a garlicky dipping sauce, they are a staple side across Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, and beyond.
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See all 11 plantain dishes in our full roundup, from savory sides to sweet, caramelized classics.