15-Minute Pan-Fried Sweet Plantains (Maduros) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between fried plantains and maduros? ›

You'll still be getting a similar plantain flavor in both, but the caramelization that happens to the fried sugars in maduros is going to set it apart. As you may imagine, this has an impact on how the dishes are served.

Ideal for dipping, they are both a common side dish and a ubiquitous snack food throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. But since the unripe plantains don't taste like much on their own, soaking the slices in salt water will help draw out their subtle flavors.

The Ripening Process. It takes about 10 days for a green plantain to be fully ripe and ready for sweet plantains. If you need to ripen a plantain quicker, you can either place them in a brown paper bag for a few days OR you can place them in the oven, unpeeled, at 300ºF for 20 minutes.

Sweet plantains are made from ripe green plantains and they turn yellow when ripe. Tostones are twice-fried, crispy, and salty while sweet plantains are sweet and tender. Both are delicious! The darker the skin, the sweeter the plantains will be.

While they taste absolutely amazing, fried plantains aren't exactly a healthy choice if fried in an unhealthy oil. It's better to think of plantains as a starchy vegetable or a substitute for potatoes. Their texture and mild flavor really shines when baked or grilled.

Fried plantains—a traditional sweet in Mexico—are served as a dessert drizzled with crema, ice cream or chocolate sauce in restaurants, and as a popular street snack liberally doused with sweetened condensed milk.

The fruit needs only a few minutes on each side until the outside hits an appealing golden-brown color. Anything darker and the result will be too dry; anything less, and the plantains will remain hard.

The keys to successful fried plantains are choosing ripe fruit and using the right pan, oil, and heat. A ripe plantain's skin should be almost black or, in some cases, have a dull yellow color with patches of black. In addition to being sweeter, the ripe fruit peels easily and cooks in no time.

The plantain is a starchy cousin of the banana, and all that added starch means it almost always needs to be cooked before it can be eaten.

Making sure blood sugar levels don't go too low or too high is an important goal if you're living with type 2 diabetes. Foods like plantains that digest slowly have a low glycemic index (GI). A GI under 55 is considered low. Plantains have a GI in the 40s, making them a good food choice if you have diabetes.

How black should plantains be for maduros? ›

You'll know your plantains are ready for this dish when they are more black than yellow and a tiny bit soft to the touch. They don't have to be fully black, but the more the better. Sometimes you can buy them already ripe; if not, you'll have to buy them in advance and let them ripen at home.

Plantains are a carb-rich food and a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain antioxidants that fight free radicals. With good levels of vitamin C, they can also support immune function. Likewise, their vitamin B6 content may reduce cardiovascular risk and improve mood.

Bananas and plantains have very similar nutrition profiles. Both are good sources of several vitamins, including potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. They're also good sources of fiber. Bananas do have more sugar, though, and plantains have more starch.

The big picture. Plantains provide us with plenty of energy, fiber, and important nutrients like potassium. They can help support gut health, heart health, and they can even fit in a diabetes-friendly diet!

Tostones (also known as Patacones) are slices of unripe, green plantains that have been fried, smashed, and fried again until crisp.

Maduros are simply ripened plantains, or platanos fried in a preferably flavorless oil until they are crisped on both sides, and have browned due to the caramelization of the natural sugars produced by the fruit.

Typically, plantain chips are a great source of fibre and other nutrients like potassium and sodium, and provide more vitamins A and C than potato chips. Purely Plantain Chips provide 12 percent of your daily vitamin A recommendation and 16 percent of your suggested vitamin C!