How Do Plantain Chips Taste?

Plantains are essentially large, angular bananas; the primary difference is that plantains have a high starch content, which means they are best eaten cooked, as opposed to bananas, which are smaller, sweeter, and typically eaten raw.

Plantain chips are thinly sliced plantains that have been mildly salted and cooked in oil. They make a tasty snack, and if you haven’t tried them yet, you’re losing out. So how do plantain chips taste?

Plantains have a texture comparable to potato chips with a faint sweetness to them, making it difficult to describe their flavor to those who have never had them.

What Do Plantain Chips Taste Like?

The flavor and sweetness of the chips are determined by how ripe the plantains used for them are.

Green plantain chips are crisper but less sweet than matured plantains, which are sweeter but less firm; depending on how ripe the plantains are, they may also be caramelized.

Plantains chips are not only a tasty snack on their own, but they also pair well with sandwiches.

They go well with dipping sauces and pretty much everything you’d serve with potato chips. It’s worth noting that plantains are high in fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin B.

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Type of Plantain For Making Plantain Chips

For cooking plantain chips, you may use either ripe or green plantains. Plantains are yellow with brown spots when they are ripe, but when they are green, they are less ripe and have a greater starch content, making them harder, crisper, and easier to slice, but they are not as tasty.

Ripe plantains, on the other hand, might be yellow or brown depending on their maturity degree. As the starch is transformed into sugar, they also become sticky and mushy. Ripe plantains may also be tough to slice but have a sweeter flavor.

Plantain chips may be prepared from yellow or brown plantains, but if you want absolutely crispy chips, try green plantains; they come out crisper with a mild taste and can be combined with any dip.

How To Make Plantain Chips

If you bought some plantains at the farmers market recently, you could turn them into wonderful chips.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. Peel the Plantain

While a plantain resembles a banana in appearance, peeling it is more difficult. Plantains have a thicker skin that requires scoring along the seams before slipping your finger beneath the peel to tear it off.

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On the internet, there are video lessons on how to peel plantains, such as the one below:

If you’ve never peeled a plantain before, use it as a guide.

2. Slice the Plantain

When you’ve peeled your plantains, slice them up. To make exceptionally crispy plantain chips, slice the plantains thinly and uniformly. The crispier the plantain slices, the narrower they are!

You may cut the plantain using a mandolin slicer to achieve exactly thin slices; it also helps you work quickly, particularly when slicing a big quantity of plantains, and assures your slices are the same thickness every time.

If you don’t have a mandolin, you may still use a sharp knife to slice carefully and meticulously. Depending on your knife abilities, a few slices may be uneven, but that’s alright! Just cook the thicker pieces for a little longer.

3. Season the Plantains

This is an optional step, and you may create plantain chips without seasoning; but, for added taste, toss the plantains with olive oil or coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt.

Some people add a sprinkle of chili powder and other savory spices for flavor; this is entirely up to you.

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4. Bake the Plantains Chips

You may choose to bake your plantain chips instead of frying them. To begin, put the plantain slices in an equal layer on a baking sheet coated with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

If your plantain slices are not uniform in thickness, some may be done before others, and you will need to remove them before baking the thicker chips for a few minutes more until crisp.

5. Fry the Plantain Slices

Fill a deep pan up to 4 inches high with cooking oil if you choose to fry your plantain chips.

Heat the oil for approximately 10 minutes on high, or until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Reduce the heat to medium and carefully drop the plantains into the oil one at a time.

Let the plantains to cook in the oil for approximately 5 minutes, stirring gently. Remove the chips and set them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil once they begin to become a golden-brown hue.

Let to cool before serving your delectable snack.

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