TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE PLANTAIN CHIPS
- Use salt water instead of sprinkling salt directly on the plantains. This ensures that salt gets into every nook and cranny of the plantain.
- Slice the plantains using a mandoline slicer or the slicing side of a box grater. This ensures thin even slices that will cook evenly.
- Also, do not gather the sliced plantains and place into the oil all at once, I have found that doing it that way leads to several plantains sticking together. When that happens, they will turn out soft and not crunchy. So to avoid having soft ships, place your sliced plantains one after the other into the oil. It seems like a lot of work but trust me, it is worth it because by doing so you will get a whole batch of ultra crispy chips!
Ingredients
- 3 green plantains (unripe and firm to the touch)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the plantains. Cut off both tips of a plantain then cut a line across the ridges of a plantain then lift the skin from the cut portion and remove the entire skin with your hands.
- Slice the plantains into chips using a mandoline slicer, the slicing side of a box grater or just cut thinly with a knife.
- In a small bowl, mix a quarter cup of water and the salt. Set aside.
- Place oil in a deep pan up to 4 inches high. Heat the oil on high for about 10 minutes (the oil should be 350 degrees Fahrenheit hot). Turn down the heat to medium then add two tablespoons of the salt water. Add the plantains one after the other. (I added half of the plantains at this point.) Gently stir the plantains and let them fry in the oil while you stir from time to time for about 5 minutes. After that, remove the chips and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Once the chips are cold, enjoy! You can store plantain chips in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
Recipe Notes
1. You could use slightly ripe plantains to make plantain chips but please make sure the plantains are still firm to the touch. If they are not firm enough, they won’t turn out crispy.
2. Use salt water as the recipe stipulates instead of sprinkling salt directly on the plantains. This ensures that salt gets into every nook and cranny of the plantain.
3. Slice the plantains using a mandoline slicer or the slicing side of a box grater. This ensures thin even slices that will cook evenly.
4. Do not gather the sliced plantains and place into the oil all at once, I have found that doing it that way leads to several plantains sticking together. When that happens, the plantains that stuck together will turn out soft and not crunchy. So to avoid having soft chips, place your sliced plantains one after the other into the oil. It seems like a lot of work but trust me, it is worth it because by doing so you will get a whole batch of ultra crispy chips!
5. Stay far from the oil when placing the salt water in. This is because the salt water causes the oil to splatter and sometimes that could burn you. I always take a step back before placing the salt water into the hot oil.
