What to Eat with Fried Plantain

Jollof rice, tomato stew, fried eggs, grilled meat and garlic sauce, for sweet slices or crisp ones.

What to Eat with Fried Plantain

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  1. Jollof ricePile the plantain at the edge of the plate so it stays crisp.
  2. Spicy grilled beef skewersSlide the meat off the stick onto a pile of plantain.
  3. Garlic sauce (mojo)Dip each crisp slice, or spoon it over the plate.
  4. Tomato stewSpoon it over rice and set the plantain beside it.
  5. Fried eggsRunny yolks over sweet slices, with a pinch of salt.

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How it works

What to eat with fried plantains? They are a side dish themselves, so the answer starts with a main: rice, beans, a stew, eggs, meat or fish. These 44 ideas add dips, toppings, sweet things and drinks.

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Where it is eaten, and with what

Fried plantain is cooked wherever plantains grow. It is a snack, a starter or a side with Jollof rice, spicy barbecued meat, tomato stew or beans. In Ghana the spiced kind, kelewele, goes with red red, a stew of black-eyed peas, and with peanuts. Twice-fried green slices, called tostones or patacones, are dipped in garlic sauce in Cuba and Puerto Rico, eaten with fried pork or a spicy slaw in Haiti, and with black bean dip in Costa Rica.

Sweet or crisp

Ripe plantain fries sweet, so set it against something salty, spicy or sour. Green plantain fries crisp and is salted like a chip, so give it a dip or pile something on top.

  • One sharp thing on the plate, pickled slaw, lime or hot pepper sauce, keeps a fried meal from feeling heavy.

Questions and answers

What goes with fried plantains for breakfast?

Fried eggs, or an egg stew with tomato and peppers. Fried cheese, avocado slices, refried beans and sour cream fill the plate.

What main dish goes with fried plantains?

Jollof rice with chicken stew or fish stew, rice and black beans with roast pork, or a whole fried fish. Jerk chicken and picadillo suit sweet ripe slices.

What do you dip tostones in?

Garlic sauce (mojo), black bean dip, or mayonnaise and ketchup sauce. Guacamole, or lime wedges and salt, is simpler, and shrimp ceviche or pulled chicken turns a crisp slice into a small meal.

Can you eat fried plantain as a dessert?

Yes. In Ghana the spiced kind is also eaten alone as a dessert. Dust ripe slices with cinnamon sugar, or add vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.

What do you drink with fried plantain?

Without alcohol: an iced ginger drink, a hibiscus drink over ice, or mango juice.

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All 44 ideas

Rice and beans 6

  • Jollof rice Pile the plantain at the edge of the plate so it stays crisp.
  • Red red (stewed black-eyed peas) Scoop up the beans with a slice of plantain.
  • Refried beans Spread a little on a crisp slice, or serve the two side by side.
  • Rice and black beans Sweet plantain with savory rice and beans, a little of each on the fork.
  • Rice and pigeon peas Lay sweet ripe slices along the side of the rice.
  • White rice Plain rice lets the sweet, browned slices stand out.

Stews 7

  • Black bean soup Float a few slices on top or serve them on the side.
  • Chicken stew Chicken in a tomato sauce, with rice and plantain on the plate.
  • Fish stew The sweet slices cool a peppery sauce.
  • Peanut stew Thick and nutty, with plantain in place of bread.
  • Picadillo Ground beef with olives and raisins, salty against sweet plantain.
  • Shredded beef in tomato sauce Heap it on rice, or on top of a crisp slice.
  • Tomato stew Spoon it over rice and set the plantain beside it.

Eggs and breakfast 6

  • Avocado slices Cool and creamy with a pinch of salt.
  • Crumbled fresh white cheese Scatter it over hot slices so it softens a little.
  • Egg stew with tomato and peppers Eggs scrambled into a peppery tomato sauce, scooped up with plantain.
  • Fried cheese Fry thick slices of firm white cheese until golden on both sides.
  • Fried eggs Runny yolks over sweet slices, with a pinch of salt.
  • Sour cream A cold spoonful beside ripe, sweet slices.

Meat and fish 8

  • Fried fish A whole fried fish, a wedge of lime and a heap of crisp slices.
  • Fried pork chunks Crisp pork and crisp plantain, with something sharp between them.
  • Grilled gizzards Toss them with the plantain, peppers and onions in one pan.
  • Jerk chicken Smoky heat that sweet plantain cools down.
  • Pulled chicken Heap it on a flattened slice as a small open sandwich.
  • Roast pork Juicy slices next to sweet ripe plantain.
  • Shrimp ceviche Use the crisp slices as scoops.
  • Spicy grilled beef skewers Slide the meat off the stick onto a pile of plantain.

Dips, sauces and toppings 10

  • Black bean dip Mash the beans smooth and serve them warm.
  • Fried chili pepper and onions Cook them soft and scatter them over the top.
  • Garlic sauce (mojo) Dip each crisp slice, or spoon it over the plate.
  • Guacamole Scoop it up with a crisp slice in place of a chip.
  • Hot pepper sauce A dot on each slice is plenty.
  • Lime wedges and salt Squeeze and sprinkle while the slices are hot.
  • Mayonnaise and ketchup sauce Stir the two together and add a little garlic.
  • Roasted peanuts A handful on the side for crunch and salt.
  • Spicy pickled slaw (pikliz) Cabbage, carrot and hot pepper in vinegar, sharp against fried food.
  • Tomato and scallion sauce (hogao) Cook it down until it is soft and thick, then spoon it on.

For a sweet plate 4

  • Cinnamon sugar Dust it over ripe slices while they are warm.
  • Guava paste and cream cheese A small slice of each on top of a warm piece.
  • Sweetened condensed milk A thin drizzle, and no more.
  • Vanilla ice cream One scoop melting over hot plantain.

Drinks 3

  • Hibiscus drink Deep red, tart and served over ice.
  • Iced ginger drink Sharp and cold beside spicy plantain.
  • Mango juice Thick and sweet, so pour it over plenty of ice.