Fried Sweet Plantains (15 Minutes!) (2024)

There is nothing like Fried Sweet Plantains to go along with your main entrees or enjoyed as a snack. You’ll love this in-depth post to guide you through making the best fried sweet plantains, also known as Maduros. Traditionally served as a side dish throughout the Caribbean and Latin regions; fried sweet plantains have crispy edges with a tender, sweet middle! Sooo delicious…& recipe how-to video provided!

Someone sound the alarm because I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to share plantains on the site!!! Ha. A bit dramatic but it’s also real talk considering how much plantains mean to me and my stomach. Especially being West Indian and having grown up around Caribbean culture, we eat plantains like an American eats a hotdog. Nevertheless, there’s no time like the present.

Nearly all Island recipes have what I call the trinity: the main dish, some type of rice and/or cabbage, and then good ole plantains! Someone asked me once if I had a plantain recipe and I chuckled for a moment. I think I did because a recipe for them seemed silly due to their simplicity. However, after I thought about it, not everyone may know how to make them or just might need some guidance.

Fried Sweet Plantains 😛

Whew, fried sweet plantains are the perfect side dish to go right alongside nearly any meal. They’re made with only 2-ingredients and a staple among Caribbean and Latin cuisines. You’ll find them to have a crispy, golden-brown outside with a tender, sweet middle. Plus, plantains are so versatile!

⇢ More recipes: brown stew chicken, this blackened salmon w/ mango salsa, crispy chorizo empanadas, my jamaican curry chicken, creamy lemon herb butter ravioli, or my cozy, southern fried cabbage and sausage– yeeee!

Fried Sweet Plantains x Platanos Maduros

As mentioned earlier, fried sweet plantains are a major side dish among the Caribbean and Latin populations. In the Caribbean culture, we call ’em sweet plantains. In Latin culture they’re called maduros, platanos maduros, and amarillos. There’s really no difference at all, but rather how different cultures refer to them. Just a very ripe plantain that’s fried until perfection!

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Plantains– You know the saying “The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice?” Well, it’s no different when making fried sweet plantains. The darker/heavily spotted your plantains are, the sweeter they will be.
• Oil– I use vegetable oil for pan frying but any neutral oil will do the trick. Flavorless/neutral oils include canola, avocado, and grapeseed oil. While I grew up on frying them in oil, you can also fry plantains in butter as well!

What Are Sweet Plantains?

Sweet plantains are green plantains that have been transformed into a super ripe state. Just like a banana starts out fresh, think of how we use extra ripe bananas to make banana bread. The bread is more flavorful and considered top tier because of the ripeness. Plantains are no different, the ripening of the green plantain produces ultra-sweet, more flavorful plantains that are chef’s kiss.

How To Ripen Plantains, If Needed:

• Let them sit: This is my go-to method. I’ll typically buy a batch of green plantains and keep them stored on my counter at room temperature. After some time (perhaps a week or two), they’ll have ripened up nicely (deeply speckled, nearly blackity-black just how I like ’em to be).
• Paper bag: Store your plantains inside of a paper bag and loosely cover (they’ll need some humidity). Keep them stored somewhere on the kitchen counter, undisturbed. The ethylene gas that produces while the plantains are in the bag is what helps the plantains to ripen faster. The process may take anywhere from 5-10 days, just check on them every so often.
• Oven-baked: Place the plantains on a foil/parchment paper-lined baking sheet, unpeeled. Bake at 300°F for about 20-25 minutes- or until ripe.
• Uncooked rice: Gather a large bowl and bury the plantains by filling the bowl with uncooked rice. This one is another means to trap the ethylene gas within the plantains, speeding up the ripening process. This method takes a couple of days (maybe 3-5), again, checking on them often.

⇢ It’s important to note that a lot of grocery stores do sell ripe plantains that are good to go. You should find them right next to green plantains! 🙌🏾

How To Make Fried Sweet Plantains

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Prep the plantains. Slice the plantains on a bias, at an angle, about 1/2-inch thick. Set the sliced plantains aside on a plate/platter or small baking sheet.
2. Fry the plantains. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. When hot, add the plantain slices into the skillet- working in batches. Fry the plantains until golden brown and slightly crisp, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
3. Serve. Set the fried sweet plantains onto a paper towel-lined plate to sop up any excess oil. Season the plantains, if desired. Serve plantains immediately as a snack or alongside your favorite main entrees. Enjoy!

From start to finish, in 15 minutes or less; you’ll have insanely delicious fried sweet plantains to grub on as a snack or pair with a main course, boom.

Tips For The Best Fried Sweet Plantains

You may have additional questions about these fried sweet plantains. Like other BBR recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the instructions card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Use ripe plantains, y’all: This one is obvious as previously noted but saying it once more. The very best fried sweet plantains/maduros start with ripe plantains (the more they’re heavily black-spotted/dark, the better).
• Slice them on a bias: This is fancy talk for just saying slice the food at an angle. This type of cut will yield more surface area for the plantains to achieve a super crispy, caramelized texture on the outside, swoon.
• Use a non-stick pan: Ripe plantains are super delicate, tender, and soft. As such, I highly recommend pan frying your plantains in a non-stick vessel. This will ensure that they don’t end up sticking to the pan, I’d hate this for you.
• Serve, stat: Fried sweet plantains are best when served right away!
• Flavored oil? For some extra pizzazz, you can add a crushed garlic clove or two (and even a touch of minced garlic) into the frying oil. Your fried sweet plantains will have some extra oomph that’ll take them up a notch.
• Seasonings: I like to season my plantains with cajun seasoning/brown sugar, I love the savory/sweet combo. However, other great seasonings that pair well on fried sweet plantains are seasoned salt/flaky salt, adobo, and old bay.

Serving Fried Sweet Plantains: So Versatile!

Love this part…there are endless ways to serve up some plantains, peeps:

• Breakfast: I’ve had some fried sweet plantains at breakfast with a crispy fried egg and bacon/sausage and hash browns- deeelicious.
• Snack/munchie’s situation: Although they’re considered a side item, you can surely snack on them as-is (maybe seasoned?) and enjoy.
• With a main course: I’m used to having plantains alongside hearty dishes like curry goat, oxtail, brown stew chicken, jerk chicken/pork, ackee + saltfish, and more. The sweetness from the plantains pair so nicely with succulent, meat-centered recipes. In Latin culture, maduros are paired alongside staples like arroz con pollo, picadillo, ropa vieja, lechon asado, and much more!
• Lighter meal: If you’re not in the mood for serving with a main, these plantains are perfect alongside some rice, beans, and avocado/salad.
• Dessert: Yup. Plantains can even be eaten as a dessert…with ice cream, drizzled with sweetened condensed milk (platanos con lechera), with creamy pudding/rice pudding, or simply dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Storing Leftover Plantains

Keep any leftover fried sweet plantains stored inside of an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, the best ways are reheating your plantains in the oven/toaster oven or air fryer- until warmed through. These methods help to retain plantain crispiness like the day you made them. Alternatively, you can pop them in the microwave, if needed.

These Fried Sweet Plantains are such a treat, y’all. They’re a big-time love in my life and I hope you make some soon! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

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