Crispy Tostones Recipe

By: Stephanie

Posted: 03/29/20 Updated: 04/17/24

These crispy tostones made with green plantains are shallow fried to golden perfection. This tostone recipe is the quick and easy appetizer you need in your life, especially when paired with a decadent garlic dipping sauce (recipe below!).

What are tostones?

Tostones are a fried dish common in Caribbean and Latin-American cuisine.

A classic tostones recipe consists of twice-fried plantains flattened thin with the bottom of a glass bottle. They come out golden brown with a super satisfying crunch. 

Tostones are a street food delicacy topped with sea salt, eaten alone or with a savory garlic dipping sauce.

Why this tostone recipe works

• My tostones recipe is made with simple, authentic ingredients that taste amazing!
• These plantains are twice-fried in canola oil for the crunchiest bite possible. 
• Creamy garlic dipping sauce adds the perfect pairing to crispy tostones. 
• This tostones recipe makes a delicious snack or side to any Caribbean-inspired meal. 
• Salty, crunchy, and flavorful – you’ll want to make this appetizer again and again!

Ingredients needed

Here’s everything you’ll need to make crispy tostones…

• Green plantains
• Canola oil
• Kosher salt
• Unsalted butter
• Garlic
• Fresh parsley

How to make crispy tostones

Learning how to make tostones is incredibly easy. Just follow my step-by-step guide along with helpful tips and your FAQs – answered!

Step 1: Prep the plantains

1. To start, cut the tips off your green plantains.
2. Next, make a cut down the skin of the plantain. The skin is thick, but be careful not to insert the knife too far and cut into the fruit. 
3. Then, using a spoon or finger, peel the skin off the plantain. It might be a little difficult to loosen it up since it’s not ripe, but using a spoon should assist in peeling. 
4. Finally, chop your peeled plantains into 1-inch pieces.
5. Repeat for all 3 plantains.

Plantain Tip:

When picking plantains, you want to choose fruit that is green because the more yellow it is, the more ripe. Yellow ripe plantains are great for making soft-cooked plantains, but the sweet flavor doesn’t lend itself well to fried tostones.

Can I substitute plantains for bananas? 

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend swapping out plantains for bananas. While bananas are usually easier to find, they’re also a lot sweeter and softer than plantains. 

An exact match, they are not. 

This would result in some pretty mushy tostones – if you can even call them that!

Step 2: Shallow frying plantains

1. Using a frying-safe skillet (cast iron, dutch oven, etc.), add a 1/2 inch of canola oil (or your preferred frying oil) and heat over medium/high heat.
2. Fry your plantains on each side for 3-4 min until slightly golden. 
3. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Frying Tip:

I don’t include an exact measurement for oil because the amount you’ll use depends on the size of your skillet. I say 1/2 inch of oil, as it should cover about half of the plantains. 

Pictured above is my 12-inch cast iron skillet for reference. Adjust your oil use accordingly.

Which kinds of oil can I use for frying plantains? 

I recommend frying your plantains in canola oil because it has a subtle flavor and a high smoking point. This is the point where oil stops simmering and begins to smoke (and burn!). 

When frying any food, plantains included, choose from oils that have the highest smoking point, like canola oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oil. 

Step 3: Pressing plantains into tostones

1. After removing the plantains from the oil, it’s time to press them (obviously my favorite part – see smashed potatoes for more smashing fun).
2. You’ll be using the oil again, so you can temporarily lower the heat or keep it on if you’re flattening while the other plantains are still cooking. (I’m not so great at multitasking, so I lowered it). Just remember to bring it back up to temperature before the second cook.
3. If you have a tortilla/tostone maker, you can use one of those, but I just used the top of my salt jar (true MacGyver over here…). You just want a flat surface to press them down.
4. Once your plantains are flat, we are going to crisp them up just a little bit more. Add them back to the oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side. 
5. When done, place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle kosher salt on them.

Step 4: Make a garlic sauce for tostones

1. Next, we are going to make a garlic dipping sauce. Simply add 3 tbsp of butter, 4 cloves of grated garlic (or use a garlic press), kosher salt, and freshly chopped parsley to a mixing bowl.
2. Mix until well combined. You might scare some vampires away, but it goes so well with the tostones!

How to serve crispy tostones

Serve these crispy tostones HOT with a side of creamy garlic dipping sauce for a satisfying snack.

You can also enjoy them with a classic mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. 

Tostones also make a tasty appetizer or side dish along with Caribbean-inspired foods, including seafood, grilled meats, beans, and rice. Try them with my okra fried rice or jerk chicken skewers for a complete meal. 

How to store tostones

Tostones will always be best enjoyed the day-of because this is when they’re the most crispy. You can, however, store tostones for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. 

Just let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container. 

Alternatively, you can add cooled tostones to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. 

When you’re ready to eat them, simply heat the tostones in an oven or air fryer for a few minutes at 350°F until they’re warmed through. Adjust this cooking time for frozen tostones. 

While they won’t be as perfectly crispy as day-of tostones, they’ll still be absolutely delicious!

Love this easy appetizer? Try out these other recipes:

• Prosciutto Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños
• Blistered Shishito Peppers with Soy Garlic Sauce
• Baked Coconut Shrimp
• Au Gratin Potato Stacks
• Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Made this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @girlwiththeironcast or hashtag #girlwiththeironcast so I can see your creations!

4.67 from 15 votes

Crispy Tostones

These homemade crispy tostones with garlic butter dipping sauce are the best snack or appetizer! So easy to make and so delicious! 

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

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4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 green plantains (peeled and chopped into 1-in slices)
• ▢ Canola oil (or choice of frying oil, enough for 1/2 inch coverage in skillet (about 2 cups, depends on skillet size))
• ▢ Kosher salt

Garlic Dipping Sauce

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (grated or pressed)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
• ▢ Kosher salt (to taste)

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Instructions

Prep the plantains:

• Cut the stems off the end and carefully slice down the skin. Using a spoon or your finger, peel the plantain from it's skin and cut into 1-inch slices.
• In a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, fill with frying oil about 1/2 inch (quantity will vary depending on skillet size). Heat over medium/high heat, when oil is hot and shimmering, place plantain cut side down and fry for 3-4 minutes till golden. Flip and repeat on the other flat end. Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all plantains have been done. Lower the heat to low.
• Using a plate or a flat surface item, carefully press plantain until it flattens. Once you have pressed all the plantains, bring the heat back up to medium/high. Add the pressed plantains back into the oil and cook for 1 minute on each side until crisp. Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Sprinkle kosher salt on top once on paper towel.
  

Garlic Dipping Sauce

• Add butter and garlic ingredients to a small skillet or small pot over medium heat cook stirring for 3-4 minutes or until butter has melted and garlic is fragrant. Pour into a bowl, add parsley and kosher salt to taste.
• Serve tostones warm with garlic butter sauce on the side

Notes

• Plantain skin is tough, use care when cutting through the skin, but not to cut through the plantain inside. Use a spoon when peeling the plantain to help loosen the skin

Nutrition Information

Calories: 309kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 50g (17%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 11g (17%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 30mg (10%), Sodium: 5mg, Potassium: 600mg (17%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 434IU (9%), Vitamin C: 29mg (35%), Calcium: 13mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Author: Stephanie