Air Fryer Tostones

I love taking common American and Caribbean fried foods and making them in my air fryer. Experimenting with air fryer recipes and discovering new ways to make old favorites healthier, without sacrificing taste, has been an amazing experience. Also try other vegan air fryer recipes, such as Air Fryer Fries, Air Fryer Cauliflower Hash Browns, and Air Fryer Peaches.

How To Use An Air Fryer?

An air fryer is similar in concept to a convection oven. It cooks your food with very hot dry air, which makes the outer surface nice and crispy, similar to pan or deep frying.

Because most air fried foods can be made with little or no oil, it can make foods that are usually filled with grease quite a lot healthier. It is also very quick, with most recipes requiring under ten minutes, and most models are very easy to clean up.

My recommendations for success in your air frying endeavors is to lightly spray foods with cooking oil spray, place in a basket well-spaced apart (so that the air that cooks the food can flow freely), and shake the basket occasionally to shift the food and allow it to be cooked evenly.

What Are Tostones?

Plantains are a common food in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine, brought to these countries by way of the West African slaves. They are a staple made in several different ways, and tostones are one of them.

In Jamaica, we make this recipe but it is called twice-fried plantains. This is because tostones are made by frying the plantain slices twice (as the name so clearly implies). The first time, thick slices of green plantains are fried lightly, then they are smashed with a heavy object, then the smashed slices are fried again until crispy.

The resulting texture is similar to a crispy but thick potato chip and is eaten with various dips in different countries, or the tostones are even eaten as a snack by themselves. Tostones are also known in a few South American countries as patacones, and modernly some restaurants even make sandwiches “con patacon” in lieu of bread.

What Is In Tostones?

• Green Plantains – These are firmer than ripe plantains, which will just turn to mush if you try to make tostones with them. Green plantains also have a mild savory flavor, versus the very sweet, almost caramel-esque flavor of ripe plantain.
• Cooking Oil – Any neutral-tasting oil of your choice. I use olive or coconut oil.
• Garlic Powder – This adds a hint of flavor that brings depth to the plantain crisps.
• Salt – Because green plantains are basically a plain-tasting starch, similar to a potato, salt is necessary so they aren’t too bland.
• Cooking Spray – Since the process of air frying isn’t like deep or pan-frying where the plantains will be in oil, they can become dry in the air fryer. Spray lightly with oil to prevent this from happening.

How To Make Tostones In Air Fryer?

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉. 
2. Wash and dry the plantains. Using a knife, cut off the ends of the plantain and score through the skin along the length of the plantain, being careful that you don’t cut the flesh. 
3. Using your fingers, peel the skin away from the flesh of the plantain. 
4. Cut the plantain into 1-inch thick chunks. 
5. Transfer the chunks into the air fryer basket, and spray them with olive oil spray.
6. Air fry for 3 minutes, turn plantain over, and air fry for 3 more minutes.

1. Meanwhile, add the oil, garlic powder, and salt to a bowl and mix. 
2. Remove the plantain chunks from the air fryer, and place them on a cutting board. Smash them with the bottom of a mason jar or a mug. 
3. Dip a pastry brush into the oil mixture, and brush both sides of the smashed plantains.
4. Return the plantain pieces to the air fryer basket.
5. Air fry for 4 minutes, flip the tostones, and air fry them for another 4 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy on the edges.

What To Serve Tostones With?

• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Beans and Rice
• Any of your other favorite dips
• Alone while warm!

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