Make healthy plantains in your waffle iron. It’s so, so easy, y’all!
Lately, I’ve been having a lot of fun making non-waffles in my waffle iron, and this healthy fried plantains recipe is definitely going to be a regular menu item at our house!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m not a fan of deep frying. Not because deep fried food is unhealthy. I’ll be the first to order tater tots of of a menu. What I dislike about deep frying is the cleanup. I’m lazy, and all of that oil is a hot mess when the cooking is done.
Making fried plantains in the waffle iron instead is easier, healthier, and requires virtually no cleanup. Hayy!
This recipe is super simple and a perfect accompaniment to some simple vegan tostadas or your favorite beans and rice recipe. They also make a great snack!
These waffle iron plantains are a healthy spin on maduros, which means you’re looking for very ripe, sweet plantains. A little brown is better than a little green. The softer your plantain, the sweeter the resulting maduros will be. The plantain pictured here worked fine, but it would have been even better if I’d been patient and waited for that green at the top to go yellow:
The recipe below was inspired by this post, which didn’t contain specific cooking instructions. What it did contain was pictures of tiny maduros waffles that blew my little mind.
Healthy Fried Plantains Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet plantain - as ripe as possible
- oil of your choice - I use olive oil or something neutral like sunflower.
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron to medium high.
- Peel your plantain and slice it into approximately 1" rounds.
- Lightly grease your waffle iron. Arrange the rounds on your waffle iron, and close the lid, pressing down gently (It won’t close all the way, and that’s okay!). You may need to do a few rounds of cooking, so don’t worry if they don’t all fit into your waffle iron on the first go.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the outsides of the plantains turn nice and brown.
Andrea
April 7, 2015 at 5:01 pmFun idea, and one I will consider. The last non-waffle waffle I tried (can’t remember what it was) stuck badly and required mind-numbing cleanup. This little plantains look so cute, though, that I’m tempted to try again!
Becky Striepe
April 7, 2015 at 6:27 pmOoh if your iron tends to stick, my advice would be to only press it down lightly – don’t try to close it all the way. Mine stuck a little, but a gentle nudge with a butter knife popped them right off.
Andrea
April 8, 2015 at 7:44 pmI remember now. It was waffled tofu.
Becky Striepe
April 8, 2015 at 9:07 pmWell now that’s on my to do list!
Cadry
April 7, 2015 at 11:09 amFun idea! I love plantains so much, and this preparation method couldn’t be simpler.
Becky Striepe
April 7, 2015 at 11:13 amThank you, Cadry! I am a little bit obsessed with this waffle iron!