These oven baked tostones are twice baked instead of fried, but still maintain the crispy edges and tender center you know and love. A great way to embrace your culture and heart health at the same time.
Why You’ll Love These Oven Baked Tostones
- Requires significantly less oil than fried tostones. This means you don’t have to waste as much oil as traditional recipes (a nice money saver). And swapping from frying to baking is a better option if you are concerned for your cardiovascular health.
- No frying involved. So if you are a scaredy cat like me, and don’t feel as confident as your mom’s or tias when frying, this method works just as well in my opinion. No splattering or mess required to make.
- Freeze for later! For a long time I thought these were solely a make and enjoy immediately treat. However, I have tested freezing and reheating these with success, which is a game changer when I’m feeling lazy. See recommendations below.
What Are Tostones (Twice Fried Plantains)?
Tostones are plantains that are sliced, fried, smashed, then fried again. These starchy twice fried patties have a tender center and are crispy on the outside. They defined my childhood and were probably the one thing outside of rice I ate most frequently.
Now, I’m very much a supporter of sticking to our cultural foods. However, fried is fried. And when it comes to our cardiovascular health, it is recommended to keep fried foods to a minimum (sorry to be the bearer of bad news there). With that said, I have found some ways to get around that loophole. So, instead of fried twice, they will be baked twice with all the golden crispy texture we love.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Plantains: Use the green variety not the yellow! The green variety is more starchy in flavor/texture. Look for plantains that look plump, have smooth skin, and as few dark blemishes as possible on the surface. Avoid letting them sit on your counter for too long and do NOT put them in the fridge.
- Oil: I recommend using a high heat neutral oil. My favorite is avocado oil, but canola oil is a great alternative. Either option is high heat and full of monounsaturated fats (yes, even canola oil, so choose what you like and don’t feel shamed for it because the nutrition research supports its use).
How to Make Oven Baked Tostones
Prepare Your Work Space
Set the oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Tear a separate thick strip of parchment paper, fold it over, and set it aside on a cutting board along with a flat bottom mug or plate. Alternatively, you can use a tostonera.
Peeling Plantains
- Trim off and discard the ends of the plantain. Locate the seams on the plantain, then use a paring knife to cut down along the length of 1-2 seams. You want to cut deep enough, but without slicing into the flesh of the plantain.
- Press your thumb into one of the cuts made and peel away the skin from the flesh. A fresher plantain will be easier to peel, almost like an unripe banana. As you peel the skin away, do note that the peel might snap or not come off all in one go. So keep pushing your thumb under the skin to continue peeling or use your knife to make more cuts to make peeling easier.
- Some of the peel may not come fully off. Use your paring knife to gently shave those portions off.
Preparing the Plantains
Coat the plantains in oil: Add the peeled plantains to a bowl with 1-2 tbsp of oil. Toss until completely coated.
First bake: Place the plantain pieces cut side down on a tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove then increase oven temperature to 425F.
Smash the plantains: While hot, place 1 baked plantain coin at a time between the folded parchment paper, and use the mug or plate to flatten the plantain to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Second Bake: Transfer the plantain back to the baking tray. Brush or spray each smashed plantain with oil on both sides. Bake again for 15 minutes.
Mayo Ketchup: Whisk together the mayo, ketchup, garlic, lime and paprika until smooth.
For serving: After baking place the plantains on a paper towel to blot off excess oil, then while still warm, sprinkle the plantains with a generous pinch of salt. Serve with the mayo ketchup and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Pick the right plantains. You want to pick green plantains. Not green bananas or yellow plantains. Look for plantains that look fresh, plump, have smooth skin, and few dark blemishes. These will be easier to peel.
- Work quickly and efficiently when smashing. You want the plantains to be warm after the initial bake so that they are easy to smash. As they cool, the plantains will start to dry out, which will make them harder to smash.
- Use enough oil. While we aren’t frying, you do want to make sure you properly coat your plantains with enough oil. This will help them trap moisture and properly crisp up in the oven without drying out.
- Change the bake time. Bake at a lower temperature at first to better trap moisture in your plantains, which will result in a softer tender center. You’ll then increase the temperature for the second bake to help crisp up the exterior.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! After you bake them, allow them to completely cool. Transfer them to a freezer safe bag, press as much air out of the bag then seal and freeze for up to 2 months. Whenever you want a plantain, you can place frozen in an air fryer and bake at 350F for 4-5 minutes to crisp them back up or in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
Sweet plantains or maduros would use a completely different method of preparation. The difference in traditional preparation is that these don’t get smashed between frying. Since they are much softer when fully ripe, you would just slice on a bias and fry or bake as desired. Full instructions can be found attached to this recipe here.
I have a similar recipe here if you want to make the air fryer version.
It sounds like you may not have used enough oil. Make sure that you are brushing or spraying the plantains until fully coated. This will trap the moisture in the plantain so it doesn’t dry out.
Yes! They are complex carbohydrate that are a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and B6, along with minerals like magnesium and potassium. Preparation matters, so choose to enjoy them baked or boiled when appropriate.
How to Use Tostones to Make a Meal
While I love these guys on their own, tostones can be used to build meals around. Here are some examples:
- Pair it with your favorite veggie loaded salsas if you wish to bump up your veggies and antioxidants
- Enjoy alongside a bowl of Moro (rice and pigeon peas) or this flavorful Salsa Verde White Bean Soup
- Pair it with a high protein option like this Pica Tofu or some Chipotle Agrodolce Tofu Skewers
- On a snack plate with some Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad to dip into and savor
More Plant-Based Basics Worth Trying
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Description
These oven baked tostones are twice baked instead of fried, but still maintain the crispy edges and tender center you know and love. A great way to embrace your culture and heart health at the same time.
Baked Tostones
Mayo Ketchup
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Tear a separate thick strip of parchment paper, fold it over, and set it aside on a cutting board along with a flat bottom mug or plate. Alternatively, you can use a tostonera.
- Add the peeled plantains to a bowl and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of oil. Toss the plantains, ensuring that each coin is completely coated in oil. Use more oil as needed.
- Place the plantain pieces on a baking tray cut side down and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After they come out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 425F.
- While the plantains are still hot, place 1 baked plantain coin at a time between the folded parchment paper, and use the mug or plate to press down on the plantain to flatten to about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) in thickness.
- Transfer the plantain back to the baking tray, cooked golden side up. Brush or spray each smashed plantain with oil on both sides. Make sure that each plantain is generously coated in oil so they don’t dry up in the oven. Bake again for 15 minutes.
- While that bakes, make the ketchup mayo by whisking together the mayo, ketchup, garlic, lime and paprika. Taste and adjust with added salt as desired.
- After baking, place the plantains on a paper towel to blot off excess oil, then while still warm, sprinkle the plantains with a generous pinch of salt.
Notes
Pick the right plantains. You want to pick green plantains. Not green bananas or yellow plantains. Look for plantains that look fresh, plump, have smooth skin, and few dark blemishes. These will be easier to peel.
Work quickly and efficiently when smashing. You want the plantains to be warm after the initial bake so that they are easy to smash. As they cool, the plantains will start to dry out, which will make them harder to smash.
Use enough oil. While we aren’t frying, you do want to make sure you properly coat your plantains with enough oil. This will help them trap moisture and properly crisp up in the oven without drying out.
Change the bake time. Bake at a lower temperature at first to better trap moisture in your plantains, which will result in a softer tender center. You’ll then increase the temperature for the second bake to help crisp up the exterior.
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!