Tostones and Mojo Sauce

10 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Tostones are twice-fried plantains popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. I am serving them with mojo sauce, a citrusy, herby dipping sauce that pairs perfectly well with these crispy plantains. Tostones go by different names all over Latin America and the Caribbean. In Nicaragua, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, they are referred to as tostones, but in Cuba, they are called tachinos, in the Dominican Republic, frito verde, bannann peze in Haiti or patacones in Colombia, to name a few. I like mine thinner and crispier by squishing them a bit harder, making them flatter, but if you have a little lighter touch when pressing them, you can have tostones that are thicker and soft on the inside and still perfectly crispy on the outside. Try these today because they are so delicious and fun to make.

Ingredients

Tostones

3 green plantains
1–2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Sea salt, to taste

Mojo Sauce

1 orange, juiced
3 limes, juiced
1 jalapeño, stem removed, split lengthwise
2 garlic cloves
1 small bunch cilantro sprigs
1 small bunch parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

Mojo

1 Steps

Step 1

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth with specs of herbs. Cover and let sit until ready to serve with tostones.

Tostones

4 Steps

Step 1

Peel the plantains by making a vertical cut through the skin and peeling it back with your hands or the edge of a spoon.
Step 2

Cut the plantains into 1-inch thick pieces. Heat a layer of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Step 3

Fry the plantains in batches turning both sides of the small plantain pieces until golden light brown. When the plantains are starting to turn light golden brown, remove from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Smash each piece with a glass cup, or a small wooden cutting board. This should give you a flat shape with uneven edges. If you have a tortilla press you can use this to smash your tostones as well. Return to the frying pan and fry for an additional 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer back to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
Step 4

Serve with Mojo sauce and enjoy.