Plantains are related to bananas. They’re starchy, but not as sweet as bananas, which makes them perfect for frying.
Fried foods may not seem very Paleo-friendly, but we’re not talking about using a deep-frier full of rancid vegetable oil.
By simply throwing some thinly sliced plantains on a skillet with a healthy fat of your choice, you can fry them up and enjoy a crispy snack, guilt-free.
Plantains can be a little tougher to work with when compared to bananas.
They don’t peel as easily, but you can coax them out with warm water and a sharp knife.
Once you’ve accomplished that all you have to do is slice and cook the plantains, which will take you no time at all.
Variation: Plantain Chips
Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife, or mandoline, and slice the plantains crosswise into 1/8-inch thick chips. Melt some ghee, coconut oil or your preferred choice of fat in a skillet and fry them up!
Fried Plantains
Ingredients
- 3 large green plantains
- 2 cups ghee (or coconut oil or your choice of fat)
- coarse ground sea salt, to taste
Directions
- Run each plantain under warm water before peeling. Using a sharp knife, trim the ends and slice each plantain lengthwise and use both hands to remove each peel and discard.
- Using a sharp knife, first slice each plantain in half, lengthwise. Then cut extremely thin slices, parallel with that first center cut, until you reach the end. Repeat for the second half and then repeat for each plantain. (If you're prepping ahead of time and not immediately frying the plantains, you can place them in a bowl, cover with cold water and 1 tablespoon of lime juice then drain and pat dry with paper towels before frying)
- Heat a 10.25-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add ghee and reduce heat to medium, add sliced plantains to the pan (do not overcrowd), cook plantains turning until they are crisp.
- Transfer cooked plantains to a serving platter, season with sea salt and repeat until all plantains are cooked. Serve as a side or snack. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge.
- Enjoy! :)
