This Patacones Recipe yields a platter of deliciously crispy fried green plantains with two dips: Colombian Hogao and Colombian Garlic Sauce for the perfect snack!
Patacones Recipe
I’m snacking on the platter you’re looking at right now and loading each Patacon with dollops of Hogao and Garlic Sauce and, you guys, they’re the perfect flavor-packed bite that hits all the notes: savory-sweet, tangy, and garlicky!
I’ll add more topping/dip ideas below but there’s just something about Patacones with Hogao with all those jammy caramelized onions, tomatoes and cumin and a drizzle of garlic sauce that really hits the spot!
These Patacones are:
- Deliciously crispy!
- Quick and easy to make.
- Paired with 2 dips that will take classic Patacones to a whole new level of flavor!
- Perfect as an appetizer, breakfast, side or snack!
- Ready in 20 minutes!
- Naturally Gluten-Free.
Patacones Ingredients
Green Plantains. For Patacones, always stick to green plantains that look as green as they can get hehe! When they start turning yellow, they become softer and sweeter and won’t give you a savory crisp bite! When they’re completely yellow, you can still use them but to make Fried Sweet Plantains!
Oil or lard. You guys, the best Patacones are fried in hot lard hehe but I know it’s not very commonly used so use vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil if you don’t want to use lard!
Salt, for some extra flavor!
For the Hogao: green onions, white onion, garlic, tomatoes, and cumin.
For the Garlic Sauce: mayonnaise, garlic, salt and I like a sprinkle MSG in simple sauces but you can leave it out.
How to make Patacones
STEP ONE: Make the Hogao and Garlic sauce or any dip of your choice. I like making Hogao and my favorite Garlic Sauce which takes 1 minute.
STEP TWO: Heat the oil or lard. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil or lard and allow to heat until hot. When you add the plantain, it should immediately sizzle around the plantain. While the oil heats, peel and cut the plantains.
STEP THREE: Peel the plantains. Peel the plantains under running tap water (the water will keep the sticky texture of the plantain off your hands, nails, and knife so you won’t have to scrub much when cleaning up).
STEP FOUR: Cut the plantains. Chop the two ends off each plantain, make an incision on the plantain peel from top to bottom and peel then cut the plantains into 1/2-inch (about 1.5 cm) parts. One large plantain usually yields about 12 patacones!
STEP FIVE: Fry the plantains. Add the plantain cut-side down into the oil and fry until it turns bright yellow, about 1-2 minutes (do not fry until golden or brown), then flip and fry until bright yellow again and remove from the oil (do not turn off the heat).
STEP SIX: Mash the plantains. Using the back of a 1 cup measuring cup or the back of a plate, mash the plantain until about 1/4-inch (about 1/2 cm) thick.
STEP SEVEN: Fry again. Add the mashed plantains back into the oil in batches and fry until golden, about 1-2 minutes, flip and fry until golden again then remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with two layers of paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Sprinkle with salt when they’re still hot. Enjoy warm with Hogao, Colombian Garlic Sauce or Guacamole, Colombian Green Sauce (cilantro + garlic), or just cheese!
Best Patacones Toppings
- Cheese (try costeño cheese or feta cheese).
- Garlic Sauce (Salsa de Ajo, the one in the picture).
- Hogao (the jammy onion and tomato dip in the picture!).
- Colombian Salsa Verde.
- Colombian Suero (this is a tangy dip made from milk, you can also make it spicy!).
- Guacamole (I like this 4-Ingredient Guacamole!).
- Shredded beef (I like the shredded beef from this recipe here because it’s juicy and flavorful!).
- Pink sauce.
- Fried egg with a jammy yolk (with cheese and a cup of coffee!).
- Tuna like a tuna melt-like tuna dip!
Expert Tips from my Kitchen
- Some people like to dip their Patacones in salted water infused with garlic before frying them the second time, I’m not a fan of this salting method because you have to wait for the Patacones to dry or the water will make the hot oil splash everywhere! You could pat them dry but that absorbs most of the salt + garlic!
- Make sure the plantains are very green, if they turn a bit yellow the plantain will be softer and sweeter which isn’t ideal for Patacones but if your plantains have turned a bit yellow and you’re not sure about the texture, wait until they become ripe (yellow with dark spots) and make some Fried Sweet Plantains instead!
- Fry the plantains until bright yellow but not golden or brown, when they over-fry they can become crunchy and too hard to mash!
- When mashing, if the patacones fall apart/crumble… you might have undercooked them! If the center is raw, it won’t mash!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when you fry the plantains or the oil temperature will drop and the plantains will absorb too much oil turning mushy!
- Sprinkle the salt when they’re still hot or it won’t melt!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Storing Instructions: Patacones are best eaten as they’re made when they’re warm and crispy but you can store and re-crisp if you have lots of leftovers that you want to enjoy later!
Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat Patacones is to air-fry them! Air-fry leftover Patacones at 350F (180C) for 5 minutes or until they’re warm and crispy!
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Best Colombian Patacones Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘!
More recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Colombian Empanadas
- Colombian Bunuelos
- Colombian Hot Dogs
- … or check out all my Colombian Recipes!
Patacones Recipe
Ingredients
For The Patacones
- 2 large green plantains
- Oil or lard (for frying)
- Salt
For The Dips
- 1 batch Hogao
- 1 batch Colombian Garlic Sauce (Salsa de Ajo)
Instructions
- Make the Hogao and Garlic sauce or any dip of your choice. I like making Hogao and my favorite Garlic Sauce which takes 1 minute.
- Heat the oil or lard. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil or lard and allow to heat until hot. When you add the plantain, it should immediately sizzle around the plantain. While the oil heats, peel and cut the plantains.
- Peel the plantains. Peel the plantains under running tap water (the water will keep the sticky texture of the plantain off your hands, nails, and knife so you won't have to scrub much when cleaning up).
- Cut the plantains. Chop the two ends off each plantain, make an incision on the plantain peel from top to bottom and peel then cut the plantains into 1/2-inch (about 1.5 cm) parts. One large plantain usually yields about 12 Patacones!
- Fry the plantains. Add the plantain cut-side down into the oil and fry until it turns bright yellow, about 1-2 minutes (do not fry until golden or brown), then flip and fry until bright yellow again and remove from the oil (do not turn off the heat).
- Mash the plantains. Using the back of a 1 cup measuring cup or the back of a plate, mash the plantain until about 1/4-inch (about 1/2 cm) thick.
- Fry again. Add the mashed plantains back into the oil in batches and fry until golden, about 1-2 minutes, flip and fry until golden again then remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with two layers of paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Sprinkle with salt when they're still hot. Enjoy warm with Hogao, Garlic Sauce or Guacamole, Cilantro Sauce, or just cheese!
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