Piononos Boricuas

5 from 2 votes

Puerto Rican Piononos are golden plantain cups filled with savory picadillo and topped with melted cheese. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or served with rice and beans for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings:

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Ingredients

Carne Molida (Picadillo)

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
½ green pepper rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons sofrito
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons pimiento stuffed olives cut in half
1 packet sazón with culantro and annato
4 ounces tomato sauce
half a handful of fresh cilantro rinsed and chopped
¼ teaspoon oregano
⅛ teaspoon cumin
1 capful white or red vinegar
¼ cup water
salt to taste

Plantains and Other Ingredients Needed

3 ripe plantains (yellow with a few black spots) peeled and sliced
shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
2 eggs lightly beaten
vegetable or corn oil for frying
toothpicks to hold piononos together

Instructions

Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)

In a skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat and break it apart with a spoon or spatula.
Add the peppers, onions, garlic, sazon, oregano, cumin, and vinegar. Mix well. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. If there’s too much oil in the pan, drain some out and discard.
Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, water, and cilantro. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Prepare the Plantains

Cut off the ends of each plantain.Score the plantains lengthwise with a knife, cutting through the skin but not the flesh.
Gently pry the skin at one end with your fingertip and peel the plantains.
Slice the plantains vertically into thin slices.

Fry the Plantains

Add about ½ inch of vegetable or corn oil to a skillet over medium heat.
Fry plantain slices on both sides until golden brown.
Drain fried plantains on paper towels and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Form Plantain Cups (Pinwheels)

Roll the cooled plantain slices into pinwheels and secure each with a toothpick.

Prepare Eggwash

Lightly beat two eggs and set aside.

Assemble Piononos

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Fill the center of each plantain pinwheel with the prepared carne molida filling and press lightly.
Drizzle beaten egg over each pionono to help keep the filling together. Additionally, top each pionono with cheese if desired.

Bake

Carefully transfer each pionono to a greased baking sheet or casserole using a spatula.
Bake for 15 minutes, until heated through and cheese has melted.

Serve

Remove toothpicks carefully before serving. Enjoy warm as a snack, appetizer, or alongside rice and beans.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

To Bake the Plantain Slices Instead of Frying

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the plantain slices in a single layer.
Lightly spray the tops of the plantain slices.
Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully flip each slice.
Continue baking for another 8–10 minutes, or until the plantains are tender and lightly golden.
Once baked, proceed with the recipe instructions to form, fill, and bake the piononos.

Choosing Plantains: When choosing the plantains for this recipe, it is important to use plantains that are yellow with just a few black spots and not plantains that are too ripe. Plantains that have mostly black skin will not be able to hold the beef filling. So choose plantains that are yellow with a few black spots on the skin to produce the best piononos recipe.

Nutrition