– vegan – gluten free – grain free – oil free –
Patacones, also called tostones, are a staple dish in many Caribbean countries like Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. I first stumbled upon patacones during my stay in Costa Rica and fell in love with them. I immediately had to make them when I returned home.
Plantains, the star of this dish, are a widely popular fruit in tropical parts of the world where they grow abundant. They are a close relative to the banana, yet more starchy and bitter when eaten raw. For that reason, plantains are normally boiled, baked or fried before eaten. You may find green (unripe) or yellow (ripe) plantains in the tropical produce section of your local grocery store. The two variations have very different tastes and textures. Green plantains have more starch that produce a more savory flavor similar to a potato. Yellow plantains have more natural sugars with a flavor and consistency resembling a banana.
What are patacones/tostones?
Patacones are traditionally made using green plantains. The process involves frying the plantains until soft, smashing them down into a flat disc shape, then frying them again. Like I do with all traditional recipes, I gave these patacones a healthy makeover that requires zero frying and zero oil.
To achieve this recipe oil-free, I highly recommend using ripe and spotty yellow plantains, which are already soft much like a banana. Though this is not customary, I find that using ripe plantains is best for oil-free patacones, which allows them to caramelize slightly in the oven. Ripe plantains provide this dish with an incredible sweet and salty combo that I am obsessed with. An added bonus is that ripe yellow plantains are significantly more nutrient-dense than unripe green plantains. They are an incredible source of B vitamins, potassium, fiber, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Overall, this meal is incredibly healthy and full of nutrients. This one meal will give you all of your daily recommended fiber!
One thing I love about these patacones is how easy and customizable they are. In this recipe, I use homemade refried beans and mango pineapple salsa. If you are making these on a time crunch, you can easily substitute with canned refried beans and store-bought pice de gallo. The plantains only require 15 minutes in the oven, making them an incredibly easy and delicious weekday meal.
Kitchen essentials:
- A flat bottomed glass cup or bowl (or parchment paper)
- A baking sheet
- A silicone mat. This isn’t required but it is highly recommended. The silicone mat prevents sticking to the baking sheet and doesn’t require flipping the plantains halfway through. The mat helps achieve crisp edges on both sides without flipping. Alternatively, you can use lightly greased parchment paper.
- A small saucepan
- A potato masher
Substitutions:
- Mango pineapple salsa: can be substituted for store-bought pico de gallo.
- Yellow onion: can be substituted for red onion or white onion.
If you liked this patacones recipe, I recommend trying out some of my other oil-free dishes:
- Potato + Veggie Enchiladas (Vegan + Oil Free)
- Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets (Oil + Flour Free)
- Oil-Free Potato Wedges – Baked + Crispy
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per container
Serving Size1 servings
Calories702.3
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
11.2g
18%
- Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
- Trans Fat 0.0g
- Cholesterol 0.0mg 0%
- Sodium 816mg 34%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Carbohydrate
148.3g
50%
- Dietary Fiber 25.4g 102%
- Sugars 58.6g
- Protein 16.7g 34%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.