Patacones (Fried Green Plantains) (2024)

My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Appetizers and Snacks » Patacones (fried Green Plantains)

Jan 16, 2024 by Erica Dinho · 36 Comments

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Patacones also known as tostón is a popular dish in Latin America made with green plantains. Serve as a side dish or appetizer with your favorite topping sauce.

What are Patacones?

They are also known as Tostones are made with unripe green plantains. To make them you peel and cut cross-wise the plantains and fried them twice. They are popular in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. They are versatile and absolutely delicious.

How to Serve Patacones

They are served in restaurants and homes all over Colombia as a side dish for fish dishes or as an appetizer with pink sauce, guacamole, hogao (tomato and onion sauce) or ají (hot salsa).

This fried green plantain recipe is the perfect side dish for any meal. Some of my favorite main dishes to serve with Patacones are fried whole fish, fish with creole sauce and braised beef.

Ingredients you'll Need

Plantains: You need green plantains to make this recipe.

Oil: I recommend using vegetable or canola oil to fry patacones.

Salt: For extra flavor.

How to Make Patacones

Peel the plantains and cut cross-wise into ½” slices.

In a medium heavy pot, add enough oil to cover the plantain slices and heat the oil over medium high heat.

Add the plantain slices to the heated oil in a single layer. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Carefully remove the plantains with a slotted spoon, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Let the patacones cool for 3 minutes. Then, place the plantains on a piece of plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a flat pot cover, press well on the pieces of plantain, flattening them to ¼” thickness.

Dip each slice in salted water. Then using tongs add them back in the hot oil in a single layer (you may need to work in batches) and fry for an additional 3 minutes on each side. Be careful when you fry the soaked plantains, as droplets of water will cause the oil to splatter.

Remove the patacones with slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil and sprinkle with salt.

More Green Plantain Recipes

Plantain Chips (Platanitos)

Fried Green Plantain Soup (Sopa de Patacones)

Green Plantain Arepas (Arepas de Plátano)

Patacones Recipe (Fried Green Plantains)

Erica Dinho

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Colombian

Servings 8 patacones

Calories 55 kcal

Ingredients

2 Large green plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

Instructions

Peel the plantains and cut cross-wise into ½” slices
In a medium heavy pot, add enough vegetable oil to cover the plantain slices and heat the oil over medium high heat.
Add the plantain slices to the heated oil in a single layer. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Carefully remove the plantains with a slotted spoon, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Let the patacones cool for 3 minutes. Then, place the plantains on a piece of plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a flat pot cover, press well on the pieces of plantain, flattening them to ¼” thickness.
Dip each slice in salted water. Then using tongs add them back in the hot oil in a single layer (you may need to work in batches) and fry for an additional 3 minutes on each side. Be careful when you fry the soaked plantains, as droplets of water will cause the oil to splatter.
Remove the patacones with slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil, sprinkle with salt, to taste, transfer to a serving plate and serve hot with guacamole, tomato sauce or salsa.

Notes

*Use green plantains with minimal black spots for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 504IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.2mg

Keyword Latin Food, plantain recipes

Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mycolombianrecipes and tag #mycolombianrecipes!

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About Erica Dinho

My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Sapuche
March 12, 2009 at 1:49 am
This looks delicious! I've had plantains before in Asia, but they were nothing like what you share here. What kind of fish dishes does this recipe go well with? And can you get the same kinds of plantains where you live now, or are they a different variety from what you had in Colombia? I've never heard of hogao or aji, though the latter is probably familiar to me. Thanks for sharing this!
Reply
- Dave
  June 04, 2018 at 7:41 pm
  Ecuatoriano Ceviche is perfect with them!
  Reply
- Mary
  September 26, 2021 at 2:11 pm
  We had them in Panama City with grilled sea bass and a garlic and parsley olive oil and also with curried pickled vegetables, coconut rice, and another puréed vegetable sauce. They are very neutral in flavor. Delicious!
  Reply
Erica
March 13, 2009 at 11:58 am
Thank you for your comment. This recipe can be served with many kinds of seafood: fish stew, fried fish, grilled fish, shrimp in coconut sauce and many more and you can find really good plantains in the United States too.
Reply
- Slann Tonic
  July 11, 2019 at 6:00 am
  I always called patacones as flat fried bananas, since you can make it from bananas too, not necessarily plantains
  Reply
redkathy
April 08, 2009 at 8:57 am
I love plantains. This Puerto Rican woman I knew years ago introduced me to them. She prepared them a bit different that you explain here. I'm going to try this sometime.
Reply
peachkins
June 16, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I love plantains and this is an interetsing way of eating it..
Reply
roberto
July 20, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Hi, my mom dips them in salted water as well but adds minced garlic to the water..
Reply
- Erica
  July 20, 2009 at 8:13 pm
  Hi Roberto,
  Thank you very much for your comment!
  That sounds delicious.
  Reply
- Luz Adriana
  February 24, 2012 at 8:36 pm
  My mom in Medellin add garlic to the water too.
  Reply
Jackie at PhamFatale.com
July 28, 2009 at 7:07 pm
What a great, fast and easy dish? I'm replicating this dish for my next dinner party. Love the fact that you just need plantain, salt and pepper. Need to make a bunch side condiments and all is good
Reply
Jorge
March 12, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Love it is great, i remember back in Colombia ace muchos anos los patacones con chorizo huevos para el desayuno en fines de semana sabados e domingos toda la familia. Good job u r great love your recipies.
Thanks
Jorge
Reply
ace car
August 04, 2010 at 12:41 am
make sure the water for dipping the plantin is warm and salt, minced garlic and cuming for the perfect taste.
Reply
Chris
October 11, 2010 at 12:47 am
Man I am loving your site Erica, I was just explaining how to make these in another post! LOL Fried twice, OMG I can't believe I didn't think of that! I knew something i was doing was wrong but didn't know what, I only remember watching my aunt make them never realized till now she fried them twice.
Reply
Peter
November 01, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Erica,
We returned back to Sweden in september after having adopted a 4 year old girl from Cali, Colombia. We were in Colombia for six weeks and really liked the food culture and all the nice people we met. Back home we almost immidiately missed the patacones and the empanadas snacks, so we were really happy when we found your blog and all the fantastic recipies. Now we have a "colombian afterwork" every friday with patacones and aji - and our daugeter loves it!! This friday we will try the empanadas recipie for the first time - after finally finding the masarepa in our local special grocery store.
Thanks / Peter
Reply
DINA
November 29, 2011 at 11:24 am
Patacones are my favorite! I am from Colombia too, but at home my mom usually dips the slices in garlic salted water. That makes the patacones taste much better!
Reply
Wendy
August 29, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Hello:
I love your recipes, thank you. I live in AZ, my mom (colombian) lives in NY and my abuelita lives in Colombia, so I don't have anyone out here to show me the recipes I love and remember, so thank you!
I do remember my mom making patacones and instead of dipping them in salted water, she would smash them on garlic salt and fry them, it definitely avoids the oil splatter. Thank you.
Reply
Anonymous
December 05, 2014 at 10:25 pm
good
Reply
Chip
January 13, 2015 at 6:40 pm
I am from the USA but live in Barranquilla Colombia. Here the most common cooking method does not include dipping in salted water. We just do the first deep fry, flatten, second deep fry, then salt, let the excess oil get soaked up, and eat. They are delicious!
Reply
chela
February 25, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Erica. What is the purpose if dipping the Patacones in salted water? My mom makes patacones all the time but she never dips them in salted water. My mom is from Colombia. By the way I love your website.
Reply
Claudia
March 15, 2015 at 9:19 pm
I love patacones. Moreover, I love this website! I've been looking for Colombian recipes for so long. Miss my moms cooking. Your at a blessing. Thank you.
Reply
Lianna
March 16, 2015 at 1:01 pm
Hi! Very late to this party but this sounds so wonderful!
I am catering a wedding next month with "heavy apps". I these are the perfect thing to serve.
So question: How far in advance can they be made? Can they be frozen?
Thank you so much. Love your site.
Reply
Kathy
April 06, 2015 at 9:40 am
These patacones were crispy and delicious. Very easy to make.
Reply
Heather
August 16, 2015 at 11:40 pm
I started to make these after a recent trip to Colombia, but I stupidly covered the pot while I was cooling and pressing the plantains, and when I lifted the cover I wound up starting a grease fire. Word to the wise: DO NOT LEAVE THE GREASE COOKING, and DO NOT COVER! I know this may seem obvious, but I didn't know better and had a very close call.
Reply
Car
October 09, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Thank you Erika, I forgot how to do it and today I goggle your receipe. Now, I won't forget.
delicious.
Reply
Ana
November 13, 2018 at 12:38 am
I did not hear anyone mention that you can microwave the green plantain for 4 minutes to make it easier to peel. Make a cut longways before you place it in the microwave..
Peel it real quick , slice and mash..........
Reply
George Castano
November 19, 2018 at 10:27 am
Hi Erika -
Below is a step I learned from my sister Myriam which voids the double frying step and uses a lot less oil. The first step is done with the microwave.
1) Cut the end tips of the green plantain about I' from the ends.
2) Cut the skin of the green plantain about 1/4" deep lengthwise.
3) Place one plantain at a time in small brown paper bag and Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes depending on the size of the plantain.
5) Remove from the microwave with a pot holder to prevent from burning the hands.
6) After letting the plantain cool off for a few minutes remove the skin and cut cross-wise into 1/2" slices.
7) Place the plantains on a piece of plastic wrap (I use Reynolds Wax Paper instead) and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a flat pot cover, press well on the pieces of plantain, flattening them to ¼” thickness.
8) In a medium heavy pot, add enough vegetable oil to cover the plantain slices and heat the oil over medium high heat.
9) Then using tongs add them back in the hot oil in a single layer (you may need to work in batches) and fry for an additional 3 minutes on each side.
10) Remove the patacones with slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil, sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt, to taste, while still oily on both sides, transfer to a serving plate and serve hot with guacamole, tomato sauce or salsa.
Reply
- Lisa k
  November 26, 2022 at 6:47 pm
  I cut ends and wrap in a wet dish towel, microwave 5minutes, let rest 5 minutes, then peel, slice , crush & fry.
  Reply
Jacobo
June 08, 2020 at 6:00 am
Patacones is from maracaibo estado Zulia pa que sepáis that is nothing from Colombia, the original recipes is from VENEZUELA!!!!
Reply
Ines
October 05, 2020 at 12:18 pm
I wonder if they can be made in an air fryer.
Reply
- Quillero
  July 01, 2022 at 10:39 am
  
  Jacobito, porque sera que ustedes los venezolanos siempre reclaman como suyos los plato's tipicos Colombianos como la arepa y ahora los patacones? Esos son plato's de la costa norte de Colombia.No tienen mas que aportar a su "gastromania"? Estamos Felices que coman la nuestra pero, hasta ahi. Saludos papa!
  Reply
- Anonymous
  November 05, 2022 at 8:54 pm
  Yes…air drier will technically work but I do not get the golden color from traditional frying.
  Reply
VICTOR AUGUSTO.
November 18, 2022 at 2:21 pm
Make yourself....
The KiNG PATACONE 1 - Fried the slices of plantain in half an inch thick , hot oil. 2- melt a portion of panela in boil water making a heavy sirup keeper in a glass jar keep warm. 3- In a plate put a bunch of greater cheese your preference . 4- using tongs grave the hot PATACONE and dipped in the PANELA sirop inmediatily put in the greater cheese both sides. Now enjoy the best PATACONE of your life. we
Reply
Miranda Weldon
March 08, 2023 at 12:00 pm

Thanks for this recipe, we loved them! I made them for my family’s Encanto movie night. I just wrote a blog post in my family movie night series about our Encanto movie night and I shared a link to your recipe here: https://magpietayleetot.com/blogs/magpietayleetot-crafts-parties-and-more/encanto-family-movie-night
Reply