Fried Haitian green plantain is a staple in my Haitian culture. It is one of my favorite side dishes to eat. It is great when paired with Haitian piklez, chicken, rice, fish, I mean the list can go on. However, sometimes I’ll eat it alone because it is that good.
Why green plantain and not yellow?
I love both plantains, but green plantains are what Haitians typically eat. Yellow plantains are good, but it’s very different from green plantains. Yellow plantains are on the sweeter side, while green plantains are not. Yellow plantains in my opinion are easy to make and don’t require that much work, but with Green plantains, there is a step by step technique to making them perfect.
Fried Haitian Green Plantain Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Green plantain
- ⅔ cup Canola Oil
- 1 cup Water
- ½ tsp Salt
- Non-stick Pan
- 2 Small Plates for Mashing
Instructions
- Step 1: Peel the skin off. I usually run it through cold water and create a few slices with a knife to easily remove it.
- Step 2: Cut your plantains into a few small pieces.
- Step 3: In a nonstick pan add your oil and place your plantains in the pan. Make sure they are not touching.
- Step 4: On medium-low heat, let it fry on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure it looks cooked, not raw. If it's not cooked let it fry longer.
- Step 5: Remove each plantain from the pan and place it on a paper towel.
- Step 6: Grab your 2 plates and place each plantain on the back of your plate and mash it with the back of the other plate. You must do this immediately after frying so it can mash easily.
- Step 7: Once you mashed each plantain. Add 1 cup of water and salt in a bowl, and dip your plantain in your salt water.
- Step 8: Place a few plantains in the pan without touching, and let it fry on medium-low heat. I flip it over a few times while frying. I let it cook for 5 – 6 minutes on each side, which is a total of 10 minutes to fry.
- Step 9: Make sure your plantain is hard and golden brown on both sides. If not, let it fry for a few more minutes on low heat.
- Step 10: If you have more plantains to fry, repeat the steps above. When you’re done place plantain on a paper towel and let it drain any excess oil.
Fried Haitian Green Plantain
Haitian plantains MUST be crispy. If it’s not, I don’t want it lol. However, to achieve crispy plantain you have to take your time and allow it to fry on low heat so it can cook all the way through. We also cook it twice. Once when it’s chopped up and then fry it again when it’s flattened and dipped in saltwater.
If you carefully follow my steps, your plantains should come out crispy. Enjoy it with a side of your favorite dish or you can eat it alone.
Check out my Amazon store to shop for many of the products I use for my American and Caribbean dishes.