West African Fried Plantains
Fried Plantains are a delicious snack or side dish to your African cooking. They are crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. They are a tasty snack that can be made in a few minutes. Enjoy fried plantains by themselves right after frying or as a side to Jollof rice.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
What are Plantains?
Plantains are a cooking banana. They are generally longer and more starchy than regular bananas and have a firmer texture.
Their muted banana flavor and starchiness allows them to be used in a variety of ways, such as boiling, frying, mashing, or inside of baked goods.
If you are not a fan of the taste of bananas you might like the taste of plantains better!
Plantains can be eaten ripe or unripe and are popular in the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, and Southeast Asia.
How to Pick a Ripe Plantain for Frying?
The best plantains for frying are the ones that are yellow but almost completely black or have a whole bunch of spots.
Unripe plantains are a muted green color, with no spots, and are very hard to the touch.
Look for plantains that are black or have many spots and are very soft when gently pressed.
How To Make Fried West African Plantains
Making fried plantains is very easy!
- First, cut the ends off the plantains. Make a shallow cut in the skin lengthwise, and peel off the skin.
- Cut the plantains diagonally. I find that it looks nice this way, and provides more surface area for the plantains to get crispy.
- Fry the plantains in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil/ghee in a cast-iron skillet until both sides are nicely golden brown and crispy! I love to use cast iron skillets for almost all my cooking. I link the one I love to use!
- You might have to fry the plantains in batches, just place the cooked ones on a paper towel-lined plate while you are frying the rest!
- They are best served hot, Enjoy!
Looking For More Recipes?
If you love this recipe, leave a review and a ⭐️ 5-star rating or 📌 save it to Pinterest for later. Subscribe to The Midwest Kitchen Blog’s Newsletter for more recipes like this delivered straight to your inbox! Visit our sister site for more delicious recipes at Matcha and Kale.
West African Fried Plantains
Equipment
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Large Cast – iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 ripe plantains
- 2 – 3 tbsp vegetable oil/ ghee
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the ripe plantains. Then make a shallow slit in the skin down the length of the plantain.
- Cut the plantain on a diagonal in 1/2 inch chunks.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet with 2 – 3 tbsp of vegetable oil/ ghee.
- Fry the plantains on both sides until golden brown, 3 – 5 minutes per side.
- Place them on a paper towel. Enjoy!
