These fried sweet plantains (Plantanos Maduros) are a delicious dessert or side dish to many Latin inspired meals. Crispy caramelized sweet plantains complement savory dishes like Cuban black beans or enchiladas.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Budget friendly and full of potassium and fiber, pan fried plantains are a taste of the Caribbean that you're whole family will love.
Fried sweet plantains pair well with Cuban, South American, Mexican, Filipino, African, and Caribbean cuisines. These caramelized sweet plantains are easily prepared in about 10 minutes.
What Are Sweet Fried Plantains?
Sweet fried plantains (Platanos Maduros) are ripe plantains that are pan fried into a delectable dessert. Caramelized sweet plantains are perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or sprinkle of cinnamon!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- What Are Sweet Fried Plantains?
- Ingredients
- How to Cook Sweet Plantains
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
Ingredients
Look for bright yellow plantains, with as few bruises as possible. There will be dark marks on the outside peel, which is normal, but try to avoid obvious damaged plantains.
- Ripe Yellow Plantains - They get sweeter as they get darker. Look for yellow with some black on the peel.
- Vegetable Oil - For shallow frying.
- Salt - For seasoning
- Cinnamon - Optional, for garnish.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Cook Sweet Plantains
These pan fried sweet plantains recipe is easy to make! Just follow along with the guided recipe below for the step-by-step process for making caramelized sweet plantains.
How to Peel Plantains
- The easiest way to peel yellow plantains is to cut the ends off and use a sharp knife to run a slit down the curved back. Then, slip your thumb between the plantain fruit and the peel and ease the peel off.
- Ease the peel off around any blemishes, and later you can use a paring knife to remove the stuck spots.
Prepare for frying
- For this easy sweet yellow plantain recipe, you want to slice on a diagonal, about ½" to ⅜" thick. They will be a pale butter yellow before cooking.
Cooking Shallow Pan Fried Plantains
- Heat the oil to on a medium high burner. Use enough vegetable oil in your skillet to prevent sticking. Add enough slices of plantain so that they are a single layer. They do not need to be covered in oil, just enough to fry golden on both sides.
- Fry the plantains for 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip each one and cook another 2 minutes or so, until golden brown on both sides.
- Once fully cooked, the fried sweet plantains will take on a brighter, vibrant shade of yellow. Transfer to a plate with paper towels and let cool. Sprinkle with salt and serve as a side. You can also eat sweet plantains with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream for dessert!
Serving Suggestions
Serve these sweet fried plantains as a side dish to our savory Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans, Cuban Chicken Fricassee, or our Cuban Chicken Soup. They are the perfect bit of sweet.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Fried sweet plantains make a wonderful dessert sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with vanilla ice cream. These sweet, golden, crispy fried yellow plantains are also called Maduros.
If you like our Fried Sweet Yellow Plantains, you may also want to try out our Cuban Fried Plantains (Tostones) which are more like a thick potato chip.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making fried sweet plantains (Platanos Maduros).
Storage
Store leftover fried sweet plantains (Platanos Maduros) in a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Tips for Success
- Keep the plantain slices a single layer in your skillet while cooking, so that they don't stick together.
- Transfer to a dish, not a paper towel, as they will be sticky and caramelized.
- Don't deep fry or cover in oil, as they will absorb oil and get soggy.
- Watch your temperatures so you do not scorch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! How to freeze plantains: store in covered freezer safe containers for up to three months in the freezer.
Maduros are caramelized sweet plantains, that are often eaten like a dessert or with cinnamon. Tostones are pan fried plantains that are unripe, or green and go great with Mojo Garlic sauce. Tostones are cut into thick chunks, pan fried, then smashed so they 'bloom' like a flower.
Plantains are related to the banana family, and look a lot like a banana. When green and unripe they're starchy, with a texture similar to potatoes. Yellow plantains are high in sugar and quickly fry up to crispy caramelized plantain desserts.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Sweet Fried Plantains (Platanos Maduros)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large plantains ripe yellow
- ¼ cup vegetable oil for shallow frying
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional, to taste
Instructions
- Begin by cutting the top and end off of each plantain.4 large plantains
- Next, run your knife down the length of the back of each plantain. Slip your thumb between the flesh and the peel. Ease the peel off, going slow around any blemishes. Don't worry if the peel sticks in a few places. You can trim those off later with a paring knife.
- Slice each plantain into ¼" diagonal slices.
- Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet. Medium is usually hot enough to cook golden brown and not scorch the plantains. If using a temperature gauge, heat to 325 F.¼ cup vegetable oil
- Fry a single layer of the plantains for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Watch carefully, as they can get over browned or scorched quickly. You want them crispy and caramelized.
- Season with salt, or sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.½ teaspoon salt to taste, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Notes
- Only fill your skillet with a single layer so they don't stick together while cooking.
- Only use as much vegetable oil as needed to not have the plantains stick to the pan.
- Transfer to a dish after frying, not a paper towel, as they will be sticky from the caramelized surface.
- Watch your cooking temperatures so they do not scorch.
Dahn says
Looks delish!! These would make such a great side dish with some rice and beans.