Season 01 - Lunch / S01L03
Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains) with Garlic Shrimp
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 20 minutes
Story
As a kid, Don Luis would sit at his abuela’s kitchen table, watching her fry plantains until they turned golden and crispy. 🍌✨ She’d always let him smash the tostones, laughing as he tried to press them down without making a mess.
Don Luis tips
- Hard green plantains: if the skin gives when squeezed, they're too ripe for tostones.
- Double fry is the rule: first at 325°F to cook through, smash, then at 375°F to crisp. Skip a step and they're not tostones.
- Smash with a tostonera, the bottom of a glass, or a mortar plate — anything flat and firm. Thinner = crispier.
- Flake salt the moment they come out of the oil — it sticks better hot.
Ingredients
- For the Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains) 🍌🔥
- 2 large green plantains (unripe) 🍌
- 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying) 🫒🔥
- 1 tsp salt 🧂
- 0.5 cup warm water 💧
- 1 garlic clove, minced (for optional garlic salt water dip) 🧄
- For the Garlic Shrimp 🦐
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 🦐
- 3 tbsp butter 🧈
- 1 tbsp olive oil 🫒
- 5 garlic cloves, minced 🧄
- 1 tsp paprika 🌶️
- 0.5 tsp cumin 🌿
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (Don Luis’s special touch) 🌶️🔥
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat) 🌶️
- Juice of 1 lime 🍋
- 0.25 cup white wine (or chicken broth) 🍷🍗
- 0.25 cup chopped cilantro 🌿
- 0.5 tsp salt 🧂
- 0.25 tsp black pepper 🧂
Instructions
- 11️⃣ Prepare the Tostones 🍌🔥
- 2Peel and slice the plantains into 1-inch thick rounds. 🔪
- 3Heat vegetable oil 🫒 in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot (about 350°F/175°C).
- 4First Fry: Fry the plantain slices for 3 minutes per side, until lightly golden but still soft inside. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
- 5Smash the Plantains: Using a tostonera (or the bottom of a plate/glass), gently flatten each fried plantain to about ¼-inch thickness. 🏺
- 6Second Fry: Dip each smashed plantain into the garlic salt water (optional), then fry again until golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt 🧂.
- 72️⃣ Cook the Garlic Shrimp 🦐🔥
- 8In a large skillet, heat butter 🧈 and olive oil 🫒 over medium heat.
- 9Add minced garlic 🧄 and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- 10Stir in paprika 🌶️, smoked paprika 🌶️🔥, cumin 🌿, and red pepper flakes 🌶️.
- 11Add the shrimp 🦐, season with salt 🧂 and black pepper 🧂, and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque.
- 12Pour in white wine 🍷 (or chicken broth 🍗) and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- 13Stir in lime juice 🍋 and cilantro 🌿, then remove from heat.
- 143️⃣ Serve & Enjoy! 🍽️
- 15Arrange the crispy tostones 🍌 on a serving plate.
- 16Spoon the garlic shrimp 🦐 over the tostones or serve on the side.
- 17Garnish with extra cilantro 🌿 and a squeeze of lime 🍋.
- 18Serve with a side of garlic mojo sauce 🏺 or mayoketchup for dipping!
- 19Don Luis’ Special Twist
- 20Adding smoked paprika to the shrimp gives it an irresistible depth of flavor.
- 21The garlic salt water dip before the second fry enhances the tostones’ crispiness and flavor.
- 22Serve with a cold glass of tamarind juice 🍹 or a fresh passion fruit refresco 🏺 to balance the bold flavors!
Frequently asked questions
- Green vs. yellow vs. semi-ripe plantain?
- Green for tostones, semi-ripe for mofongo, yellow for maduros. The skin tells you: hard and green = tostón, yellow with spots = maduro, transitioning = semi-ripe.
- What oil should I use?
- Vegetable, canola, or corn — they take the heat without taking over the flavor. Olive oil burns and turns bitter.
- Garlic mojo or cilantro sauce?
- Both work. Mojo: smashed garlic + salt + olive oil + lime juice. Cilantro sauce: cilantro + garlic + lime + oil, all blended.
- Garlic shrimp in oil or butter?
- Butter for flavor, olive oil so it doesn't burn. Half and half — best of both.
About the narrator
Don Luis · A character for three generations
Don Luis is the brand character and narrator for this catalog: a warm voice for Puerto Rican family recipes tested by the real creator behind the brand. The project carries three generations of flavor and writes each recipe step by step so any kid can follow it.
Read our mission →