Plantain Chips

Plantain Chips are delicious, and super easy to make at home!  No more store bought chips!  Make these at home for a quick, easy healthy snack for the whole family.  Or serve at your next chips and dip gathering! 

Chances are if you ever have had Plantain Chips, they were store bought.  Maybe you have even wondered how are they made.

On the other hand, if you have never tasted a plantain chip, then you could possibly be really missing out!

Either way, I’m excited to show you how simple it is to make plantain chips at home.

Making “platano” chips at home is super easy!  And I promise you, they will taste so much better than the store bought kind!

Buy a few green plantains and you’ll be well on your way to making a quick and healthy snack.

In our home in Puerto Rico, we have several plantain trees planted in the backyard that luckily year after year  produce clusters of plantains.  Love it when I go back home to visit family and friends and I’m welcomed with a newly batch of plantains!

What are Plantains?

First let’s talk a little bit about plantains….

• Plantains are grown around the globe in such places as Africa, Egypt, Caribbean, South America, Central America, South East Asia and even California.
• In Spanish speaking countries, plantains are known as “platanos,” amongst other names.
• Now, although plantains look a lot like bananas, they certainly are not bananas!  They do however come from the same family of plants and are considered a fruit as well.
• Plantains are much larger, with thicker skin, starchy and unlike bananas, cannot be eaten raw.
• When a plantain is unripe, the skin will be green.
• However, as a plantain ripens, it turns from green to yellow.  When fully ripe, it has dark brownnish spots.
• Unlike bananas that are usually eaten when ripe, plantains can be eaten in all stages.
• Lastly, when a plantain is completely brown or black, it will soon spoil.  So buy them and use them in yummy dishes.

Bonus:  I will leave you with some additional delicious dish ideas to make with plantains at the end of this post!

What You’ll Need to Make these Yummy Chips

• 2 Green Plantains
• salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Dipping Sauces for Chips

A dipping sauce is totally optional but I absolutely love my plantain chips with a dipping sauce.

For this batch, I made a MayoKetchup Dip and a Garlic, Scallion and Olive Oil Dip.  YUM!

MayoKetchup

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt to taste

Garlic Scallion Aioli Dip

• 3 tbsp light olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 scallion

For more delicious dips, you will also love these:

Avocado Cilantro Sauce

Super Easy Jalapeño Salsa

Habanero Tomatillo Salsa (for a fiery kick!)

Avocado Salsa Verde

How to Make Plantain Chips

Begin with making your dips first.

Start with the garlic.

You can use a mortar and pestle to crush garlic finely for both sauces or simply mince garlic with a knife.

MayoKetchup Dip

Once garlic is finely crushed or minced, add ketchup, mayonnaise and the garlic to a bowl.

1. Mix ingredients well.
2. Add salt to taste.
3. Taste sauce, if you feel it needs a little more mayonnaise or ketchup.  Add very little at a time until it’s to your liking.
4. Set dip aside.

Garlic Scallion Aioli

1. Rinse and slice scallion into small thin slivers.
2. In a bowl, mix oil, garlic and scallions.
3. Set aside.

Now Unto the Plantains (How to Peel and Cut Plantains)

1. Using a knife, cut the ends of the plantains.
2. Gently score the plantains lengthwise with the knife and cut through the skin without cutting into the flesh.
3. Gently pry the skin with your finger tip at one end and running it down the banana to peel skin.

1. For slicing the plantains, you can simply use a knife and carefully slice plantains into very thin slices.  (You can also use a mandolin or a 4 sided grater that has one side to cut slices.)
2. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil to a skillet or pan.
3. Heat oil over medium heat for a few minutes.
4. Oil will be ready when you add a plantain slice to the skillet and it bubbles around it.  (Look at picture below)
5. Carefully add enough plantain chips to fill skillet but do not overcrowd skillet either.
6. Cook until almost golden brown on one side.  (Be careful these cook super fast and will burn if you are not paying attention)
7. Using a spatula or large metal spoon, flip chips over and cook on the other side until almost golden brown.
8. Drain chips on paper towels.
9. Sprinkle with salt.

• Chips are ready.
• Serve the plantain chips with the dips.

If you would like to make an even healthier version you can make plantain paleo chips.

To Make Paleo Chips

To make a paleo plantain chips recipe

• 2 plantains
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cut ends off of plantains, peel skin and thinly slice.
4. Then in a bowl, toss chips with olive oil or avocado oil.
5. Lay plantain slices in a single layer on baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
6. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges of chips are nice and crisp.
7. Once chips are done, remove them from the oven.  Allow chips to cool off completely.

You Can Also Serve Plantain Chips to Dip in:

Ceviche Verde/Green Ceviche

Seafood Guacamole

The Best Roasted Poblano Bean Dip

Garlic and Mushroom Queso Fundido Dip

Tilapia Ceviche

Chips and Dip

Plantain Dishes

Wonderfully, plantains can be used in whatever stage they’re in to make many delicious dishes!

Here are some ideas you are sure to love.

Mofongo con Camarones (Green garlic plantain mash filled with plump succulent shrimps in a salsa criolla sauce.  One of the most delicious dishes you will ever eat!)

Bolon de Verde (Small plantain balls made with green plantains and stuffed with cheese.  Excellent for breakfast, snack or party dish)

Platanos Fritos (Fried sweet plantains made with ripe plantains.  Makes the perfect side to any Hispanic meal or excellent as a snack)

Canoas de Platano (Sweet Plantains stuffed with a savory ground meat picadillo and topped with cheese.  Perfect for dinner, lunch or even breakfast.)

Garlic Tostones (Fried garlic plantains made with green platanos.  A staple in most Puerto Rican dishes because it makes the perfect side.)

Pastelón (Sometimes considered to be the Puerto Rican lasagna.  Layers of ripe plantains filled with a delicious picadillo and topped with cheese.  Perfect for dinner, a gathering with friends or the holidays)

Here you have a few delicious ideas to try.  All are delicious yummy plantain recipes.