Tostones with Avocado Cream Sauce

If you happen to be Latino(a) chances are you are eating tostones a few times per week. Tostones are fried green plantains. A food so nice they fry it twice!

Plantains are the nutritional staple of most of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It's a subsistence crop that grows all year round. They can be eaten green or ripe. Tostones are made with green plantains. When I was growing up, they were one of the few food items I ate. Yes, I was a picky eater.

What are tostones?

The taste? Starchy. The texture? Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. You fry them once, smash them flat and fry them again. Now, depending on where you are from, you might dip them, eat them plain, or just salted. In the Caribbean it's common to eat them with mojo (pronounced moho). Yes, in Spanish the j has an h sound. Mojo is a citrus sauce made with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. In Panama where I'm from, children and adults like to eat them salted with ketchup.

Step by step photos

1. Probably the hardest thing is peeling the plantain. The skin is a bit thick, so you need to be careful. For starters you want to slice about 1 ½ " off each end.
2. Next, using a sharp paring knife score all the way down the length of the plantain just through the skin. Do this in two or three different spots down the length of the green plantain.
3. Get your thumbnail under the skin and pry it up to reveal the inside of the plantain.
4. Cut all the peeled plantain into 1" pieces.
5. Heat enough oil on medium heat to cover the pieces. CAREFULLY remove them from the pan when golden brown and place them on a plate with some paper towels to soak up excess oil.
6. On a cutting board place the fried plantain and smash down to ½" thickness. I like to use the bottom of a water glass. You can also cover them with plastic wrap once they are cooled to smash them down with a glass or kitchen mallet. Tip: If they do not smash easily you need to fry them a bit longer until the middle is soft.  (Recipe variation for garlic tostones: After frying once and smashing, prepare a large baking dish or plate with  about ¼ inch of room temperature water with 2 cloves of pressed/minced garlic. Stir the garlic into the water.  Place the smashed tostones in the water and garlic. Soak them for 2-3 minutes and pat them dry on a paper towel before frying the second time in step 7 .)
7. Fry them once again a second time and watch the edges until they turn golden brown.
8. They are done when the edges are golden brown and crispy. 

How to make avocado cream sauce step by step

1. Gather all the ingredients: 2 ripe avocados, 1 garlic clove minced, ½ tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped, ¼ tsp chili powder, ¼ cup sour cream.
2. Place all the ingredients into a mini food processor.
3. Blend until it has a very smooth texture.
4. Dip your crispy tostones in the avocado cream sauce and enjoy! ¡Buen provecho!

Frequently asked questions

• Can I freeze the tostones? Yes, you can freeze batches of tostones after you fry them the first time and smash them. Place the smashed fried tostones in a container with wax paper between layers.  You can take them out to thaw, pat them dry and fry them a second time and serve.
• Can I use yellow plantains to make tostones? No, once they have turned from green to yellow they will be way too soft. Ripe plaintains loose their starchy flavor and begin to turn soft and sweet.
• Can I make tostones in an air fryer? Yes, preheat the air fryer to 400°F and spray the peeled pieces with olive oil or canola oil. Air fry for 5 minutes at 400°F. Remove them, smash them down, spray with oil on top and fry in single layers for 4 minutes on one side. Flip them over with tongs, spray the other side and fry for another 4-5 minutes until crispy.
• How do I reheat them? Place the tostones on a baking tray in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. You can also place them on foil in a toaster oven on the pull out rack and use the toast function of the toaster oven. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3 minutes.

By the way, in Panama for some reason, they call tostones "patacones". Why? I am not really sure, but all my Latin American friends find this rather amusing.

Easy Shrimp Mofongo - Mashed and fried plantains mixed with chicharones and served with a tomatoey stew with buttery shrimp. 

Jibarito - A Chicago-style sandwich inspired by the flavors of Puerto Rico. The outside is made from fried plantain planks making it breadless. 

Ropa Vieja - Literally translates to "old clothes" this is a Latin American stewed beef recipe that works well over rice or in tacos. 

Smokey Chicken Tinga - Smokey pulled chicken that you can make in the crockpot and enjoy with tacos, in empanadas, or over rice. 

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Tostones with Avocado Cream Sauce Recipe Card

Fried green plantains paired with avocado cream sauce makes a perfect appetizer or side dish. Tostones are a favorite Caribbean and Latin American dish.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Latin American

Keyword: tapas

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Ingredients

Tostones:

• 2 green plantains
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• vegetable oil for frying

Avocado Cream Sauce:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper fresh
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ cup sour cream

Instructions

Make the Avocado Cream Sauce:

• Dice avocados, place them in the food processor with all the ingredients. Process on high. The consistency should be creamy. Chill in the refrigerator.

Make the Tostones:

• Slice off about 1.5" inches off the ends of the plantain.
• Score down the length of the plantain skin with a paring knife. Do this in two or three separate spots. Get your thumbnail under the skin to remove it.
• Cut 1" pieces. Fry in enough vegetable oil, to cover the pieces, until they begin to turn golden.
• Remove and drain on paper towel.
• Using the bottom of a glass press down unit they are about ½ inch thick, and sprinkle with salt. Fry again until golden brown.
• Serve immediately with the avocado cream sauce.

Air fryer method:

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
• Spray the plantain slices with olive or canola oil spray.
• Air fry for 5 minutes at 400°F then remove and smash flat to about ½ inch.
• Spray the tops of the smashed plantain and fry in single layers for 5 minutes at 400°F.
• Flip over the plantains, spray with oil and fry again for 4-5 minutes at 400°F until crispy.

Notes

Garlic Tostones Variation: Prepare a large baking dish or plate with  about ¼ inch of room temperature water with 2 cloves of pressed/minced garlic. Stir the garlic into the water.  Place the smashed tostones in the water and garlic mixture just after you smash them. Soak them for 2-3 minutes and pat them dry on a paper towel.  Fry them the second time until golden brown for crispy garlic tostones.

Frequently asked questions:

• Can I freeze the tostones? Yes, you can freeze batches of tostones after you fry them the first time and smash them. Place the smashed fried tostones in a container with wax paper between layers.  You can take them out to thaw, pat them dry and fry them a second time and serve.
• Can I use yellow plantains to make tostones? No, once they have turned from green to yellow they will be way too soft. Ripe plaintains loose their starchy flavor and begin to turn soft and sweet.
• Can I make tostones in an air fryer? Yes, preheat the air fryer to 400°F and spray the peeled pieces with olive oil or canola oil. Air fry for 5 minutes at 400°F. Remove them, smash them down, spray with oil on top and fry in single layers for 4 minutes on one side. Flip them over with tongs, spray the other side and fry for another 4-5 minutes until crispy.
• How do I reheat them? Place the tostones on a baking tray in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. You can also place them on foil in a toaster oven on the pull out rack and use the toast function of the toaster oven. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 598mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 865IU | Vitamin C: 18.6mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.7mg