Escabeche de Guineos or Guineitos en Escabeche (Pickled Green Bananas) is a popular Puerto Rican side dish—vibrant, tangy, and a holiday favorite. Easy, quick, and delicious! Elevate your celebrations with this zesty, flavorful side dish!
Escabeche de Guineos or Guineitos en Escabeche is known for its unique blend of tangy flavors. The harmony of pickled bananas with aromatic spices creates a festive, palate-pleasing taste—making it a distinctive and delightful addition to any holiday spread.
In sync with holiday classics such as Arroz con Gandules (Pigeon Peas and Rice), Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad), Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad), and Arroz con Gandules Apastelado, this dish earns its spot on the festive table. Moreover, it’s an ideal choice for catering to a holiday crowd!
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What is Escabeche?
Escabeche, a culinary tradition spanning the globe, and is a time-honored method of pickling or marinating food. Widely embraced in Latin Culture, the Caribbean, and Spain, this effortlessly transformative technique adds a burst of flavor to proteins such as seafood, chicken, fish as well as root vegetables.
Is Escabeche Served Hot or Cold?
After marinating for a few hours, or preferably overnight, escabeche is typically served chilled or at room temperature.
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Minimal Ingredients: Crafting this delectably tangy side doesn’t require a lengthy list. With just a handful of elements, this dish effortlessly comes together in a snap!
- Flavor Fusion: Escabeche offers a flavorful blend of tangy, and savory notes, creating a unique and irresistible taste.
- Versatility: Whether it’s pickled bananas, chicken, or fish, escabeche adapts well to various proteins, allowing for a diverse and customizable culinary experience and is delicious with any kind of root vegetables.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Just like ensalada de pasta fría (cold pasta salad), this recipe is perfect for marinating overnight. It becomes a time-saving solution, allowing flavors to deepen and intensify, while also enabling you to prep a dish ahead of time for a holiday feast.
- Festive Appeal: Perfect for holidays and special occasions, escabeche adds a touch of celebration to your table, making it an ideal dish for gatherings and feasts.
- Crowd-Pleasing Ease: Effortlessly prepared yet impressively flavorful, escabeche caters to a broad audience, making it a go-to recipe for pleasing family and friends alike.
Ingredients
- Green Cooking Bananas – Green cooking bananas are not the same as green plantains but instead are bananas that haven’t been gassed. Tip: Preserve banana freshness by refrigerating for extended unripened duration. Expect black spots on the skin due to refrigeration, which is normal.
- Vinegar – Vinegar adds the delicious tangy and zesty flavor that is essential to making an escabeche dish.
- Oil – You can use olive oil, canola or vegetable oil.
- Onions – White or red onions work best for this recipe.
- Olives – Use pimiento stuffed olives and keep whole or cut in half.
- Garlic – Use whole garlic finely minced or garlic puree. Note: I used garlic puree for this recipe.
- Salt and Pepper – Use salt and pepper to taste.
- Bay Leaves – Use whole bay leaves.
- Pimiento Morrones (Roasted Red Peppers) – Roasted peppers add such a delicious flavor to this dish.
- Lemon or Lime – Do not skimp out on adding this citrus as it finishes the dish perfectly.
*See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.*
Substitutions and Variations
What if I Can’t Find Green Bananas?
- Unless you live in a Hispanic area, finding green cooking bananas in your local supermarket, may be a little challenging. Otherwise look to a specialty Latin or Asian market near you. Alternatively, use 3 green plantains, cook whole and chop instead of slicing.
Can I Use Regular Oil?
- Use olive oil, canola or vegetable oil.
What About Using Whole Peppercorns Instead of Ground Pepper?
- Traditionally, this recipe uses whole peppercorns but using crushed peppercorns or ground pepper is an easier bite!
Can I Use Apple Cider or Wine Vinegar?
- Absolutely! Apple cider and wine vinegar are delicious options!
Instructions
Step 1: Rinse the bananas under cool water. Place them on a cutting board and cut the ends. Using a paring knife, carefully make a slit through the skin down the bananas. (Avoid cutting through the banana flesh).
Step 2: Add 6 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add a teaspoon or two of salt to season the water plus a splash of vinegar. Add the bananas and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
Note: As the bananas cook the peels will turn dark brown to black, this is normal.
Step 3: When the bananas are fork tender, remove from the pot and allow to cool for a few minutes before peeling the skins. Cut the bananas into slices.
Step 4: Once all the bananas have been sliced, add them to a mixing bowl.
Step 5: Prepare the escabeche sauce by adding the oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and bay leaves. Cook onions until softened.
Step 6: Add the roasted peppers, vinegar, olives, garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7: Pour the escabeche sauce over the bananas.
Step 8: Stir well to combine. Taste for salt, add more if needed. Sprinkle a splash of more lime or lemon juice if desired. Place the prepared bananas in the refrigerator for 8 hours or preferably overnight to blend and meld flavors.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Do Not Over Cook – Do not overcook the green bananas or they will get too soft and become somewhat mushy.
- Oil – If you do not have olive oil for the escabeche sauce, use corn or vegetable oil.
- Marinating Escabeche de Guineos – For the best flavor allow the guinetios en escabeche to marinate for at least 8 hours but preferably overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Yes and No. Green bananas in the supermarket have already been gassed, meaning they have been introduced to ethylene gas to force ripen them. You must use green cooking bananas that haven’t been gassed, usually found in a local Spanish or Asian market. If you cannot find them, use very green plantains in their place.
This dish is perfect to prepare in advance, especially since it benefits from a longer marinade time.
Store in a container or pot covered.
Other Popular Holiday Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Escabeche de Guineos
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green cooking bananas
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil can also use vegetable or corn oil
- 1 red or white onion sliced
- 4 tablespoon pimiento stuffed olives keep whole or cut in half
- 3 teaspoon garlic puree or 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup pimiento morrones (roasted red peppers) cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice plus a little extra for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the bananas under cool water. Place them on a cutting board and cut the ends. Using a paring knife, carefully make a slit through the skin down the bananas. (Avoid cutting through the banana flesh).
- Add 6 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add a teaspoon or two of salt to season the water plus a splash of vinegar. Add the bananas and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.Note: As the bananas cook the peels will turn dark brown to black, this is normal.
- When the bananas are fork tender, remove from the pot and allow to cool for a few minutes before peeling the skins. Cut the bananas into slices.
- Once all the bananas have been sliced, add them to a mixing bowl.
Making the Escabeche Sauce
- Add the oil to a small saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and bay leaves. Cook the onions until softened.
- Add the roasted peppers, vinegar, olives, garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the escabeche sauce over the bananas.
- Stir well to combine. Taste for salt, add more if needed. Sprinkle a splash of more lime or lemon juice if desired.
- Place the prepared bananas in the refrigerator for 8 hours or preferably overnight to blend and meld flavors.
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