Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)

Crispy golden tostones made the real Dominican way. Simple, delicious, and perfect to serve with any meal.
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Crispy Dominican tostones made from fried green plantains

Tostones are one of my favorite side dishes. This Dominican staple always tastes like home, crispy, salty, and perfect with everything from eggs, salami, to a full plate of rice and beans. I grew up watching my family make them the traditional way: slice, fry, flatten, and fry again. Now I make them the same way for my boys, using the handmade tostonera my father-in-law brought back from the Dominican Republic. They come out golden and crunchy every time, and today I am showing you exactly how to make them the simple, authentic way, plus my favorite plantain peeling hack that makes this recipe even easier.

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Recipe Highlights

  • Made with few ingredients
  • Simple and satisfying 
  • Pairs with everything
  • Budget friendly
  • Gluten free side dish

What You Will Need to Make Tostones

Dominican tostones ingredients including green plantains, canola oil, salt, and a traditional tostonera
  • Green Plantains: The greener the better
  • Salt: Enhances flavor (salt to taste), Sprinkled while hot to bring out flavor.
  • oil: Enough for frying (canola or vegetable oil work well) neutral oil does not change the plantain flavor

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Peel and Cut the Plantains (My Favorite Hack)

  1. Use a serrated butter knife to score the peel lengthwise.
  2. Slide the butter knife under the peel and lift (this helps remove the tough skin without breaking the plantain).
  3. Once the large pieces of peel are removed, use the butter knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the thin residue left behind.
  4. This prevents the plantain from developing dark marks that sometimes appear when the peel residue remains.
  5. Slice plantains into medium-thick rounds (about 1- 1 1/2 inches).
Cutting green plantain skin. Using a butter knife and a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from a green plantain for tostones

2. First Fry

  1. Heat canola oil over medium heat.
  2. (Optional) Add 1–2 whole garlic cloves to gently infuse the oil.
  3. Fry plantain slices for 3–4 minutes, until pale yellow and slightly soft.
Hot oil bubbling in a small pot on the stove, plantain chunks are frying inside

3. Flatten:

  • Remove the plantains and flatten each one using your tostonera or the bottom of a glass or cup.
Fried plantain chunk being smashed with a tostonera

4. Second Fry:

  1. Put the flattened plantains back in the hot oil and fry until crispy and golden.
  2. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels, then season immediately with salt.
Smashed plantains frying in hot oil during the second fry for tostones
Crispy tostones draining on paper towels after the second fry

Tips & Notes

  1. Use green plantains only, they fry up crisp.If you fried yellow plantains you are making maduros not tostones :).

  2. Your butter-knife and a vegetable-peeler hack makes peeling faster and cleaner.

  3. Slicing too thin makes them dry and turn into plantain chips instead of tostones. Keep them medium-thick for the best texture.

  4. The double fry is what creates the perfect crunch.

  5. The garlic-infused oil is a traditional family trick that adds subtle flavor (thanks tia Flor).

  6. Season with salt right after frying so it sticks beautifully.

Pairs Well With

  • Salami, queso frito, and eggs
  • Chicharrónes de pollo
  • Chicharrónes de cerdo
  • Arroz blanco with habichuelas
  • Pollo guisado
  • Steak or baked chicken
  • Guacamole

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Tostones are made with green plantains. Ripe or yellow plantains are sweet and soft, so they will not get crispy. If you have ripe plantains, they are better for dishes like maduros instead.
This usually happens if the plantains are too ripe or if the oil is not hot enough. Make sure you use green plantains and fry them twice. That second fry is what gives tostones their crispy texture.
Yes. Frying the plantains twice is what makes tostones crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The first fry softens them, and the second fry creates that golden crunch texture.
A neutral oil works best, such as canola or vegetable oil. These oils can handle high heat and do not change the flavor of the plantains
Place them in the oven or air fryer until they are hot and crispy again. I do not recommend reheating them in the microwave since they will lose their crunch.
Crispy Dominican tostones made from fried green plantains

Tostones (Fried Green Plantains) Recipe

Crispy golden tostones made the real Dominican way. Simple, delicious, and perfect to serve with any meal.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Equipment

  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Tostonera (alt. use a Glass Cup or a Mug)
  • Skillet or frying pan
  • Slotted spoon
  • Vegetable Peeler (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Green plantains
  • 3/4 cups Canola oil or a neutral Oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Peel the plantains by cutting off the ends, making a slit down the skin, and using a butter knife to lift the peel. Use a vegetable peeler to remove any leftover peel so the plantains stay clean and do not turn dark.
    Peeling green plantains with a knife and a vegetable peeler to male tostones
  • Slice the plantains into even pieces that are not too thick or too thin ( 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick).
    Peeled plantains being cut into chunks for frying, with the peels set aside.
  • Heat canola oil in a skillet or small pan over medium heat.
    Small pot of oil heating on a stovetop, preparing oil for frying plantains.
  • Fry the plantains until they soften and turn a light golden color.
    Hot oil bubbling in a small pot on the stove, plantain chunks are frying inside
  • Remove the plantains and flatten each one using a tostonera or the bottom of a glass or cup.
    Fried plantain chunk being smashed with a tostonera
  • Place the flattened plantains back into the hot oil and fry again until they are golden and crispy.
    Smashed plantains frying in hot oil during the second fry for tostones
  • Remove them from the oil and set them on a plate lined with paper towels so they can absorb the extra oil.
    Crispy tostones draining on paper towels after the second fry

Notes

  1. Use green plantains only for crispy tostones.
  2. You must do a second fry, which is what gives them their crunch.
  3. Season with salt while the tostones are hot, so it sticks better.
  4. Tostones are best served hot and fresh.
  5. To heat tostones, place them in the oven or air fryer until they are hot and crispy again. I do not recommend reheating them in the microwave since they will lose their crunch.

Nutrition

Serving: 149g | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.4g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 17.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 4.6g | Vitamin A: 1779IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use.

Author: Lucy
Calories: 459kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Dominican
Keyword: crispy plantains, Dominican food, easy Dominican recipes, fried plantains, tostones

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Lucy

Mom, wife, educator, and the heart behind Mom, What Did You Make? Inspired by my son’s daily question, this blog began as a way to share our favorite Dominican recipes and has grown into a space for food, family, and advocacy. Here, you’ll find recipes that honor our culture, parenting insights shaped by 15 years of teaching experience, and resources to help families feel supported and empowered.
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