Air Fryer Platanos Maduros (Sweet Plantains)

Air Fryer Platanos Maduros (sweet plantains) are a healthier version of fried sweet plantain slices. It’s a delicious side dish that goes great with your favorite Caribbean or African dishes. Moreover, you can serve these air fryer plantains as a tasty snack to a hungry crowd.

*This is an update from the original article published in December 2021. I’ve streamlined it to make the instructions more concise.*

What Are Platanos Maduros?

Plátanos maduros (or maduros) are ripe, yellow plantains originating from Southeast Asia but are very prominent in West Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Unlike regular bananas, plantains are more like a starchy vegetable, similar to potatoes in texture. Plantains are a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Unlike regular bananas, plantains are most often cooked before consumption. The biggest differences between a yellow plantain and a Cavendish banana are the size and the starchier taste of the raw plantains.

What’s The Difference Between Platanos Maduros And Platanos Verdes?

Platanos maduros have a sweeter taste and a softer texture, which becomes caramelized as it cooks. Green cooking bananas, or platanos verdes, have a neutral, though slightly nutty, flavor. Green plantains taste more like potato chips or tortilla chips when fried. You’ve eaten green plantains if you’ve ever had crispy tostones (or patacones).

Both platanos are the same variety of banana. The green plantain is firm, harder to peel, and obviously has green skin. Platanos maduros are softer and easy to peel because the fruit has ripened.

Are Plantains A Fruit Or A Vegetable?

Though they are starchier than eating bananas, plantains are still a fruit. They belong to the genus Musa, which includes all bananas and plantains. 

Despite their fruity status, they’re most often enjoyed as a side dish, like a vegetable.

Why Make Them In The Air Fryer?

Usually, platanos maduros are fried in a pan of oil on the stove top. Air fryer sweet plantains have the same caramelized flavor you love in pan-fried maduros without a lot of oil.

The process is also much quicker in the air fryer than it takes to pull out a frying pan, heat up the oil, and fry them the old-school way. 

How Do I Buy Platanos Maduros?

The only ingredients for air fryer platanos maduros are yellow plantains and a little oil. How many platanos you need depends on how many people you plan to serve and how greedy they are. I usually have to make 3 for my family. 

Plantains are sold near the tropical fruits in the produce section of your grocery store. They’re also easy to find in specialty markets in areas with a large population from African and Latin American countries.

When selecting plantains for platanos maduros, you should look for plantains with bright yellow peels with a slightly orangish tinge. Black spots on your yellow plantain mean the fruit is very sweet. You can even go as far as buying a plantain with a completely black peel, though the blacker the plantain’s peel, the mushier the fruit inside tends to be. 

How Do I Peel The Plantains?

Yellow plantains are very easy to peel because their peel is pliable and releases from the fruit easily. 

Use a paring knife to cut 1/2-inch off the ends of the plantain. Next, use the tip of your knife to make a shallow slit down the back of the plantain. Peel away the skin from the fruit and continue peeling the remaining plantains this way. 

Cut the maduros about 1/2-inch thick with a sharp knife. You can use the paring knife or a chef knife for this. When cutting the platanos maduros, make an exaggerated slice on the bias. I normally get 12 slices from one large plantain. If you want more, cut them thinner, but know they’ll cook faster in the air fryer. They’ll also be more like air fryer plantain chips instead of thick.

What Kind Of Air Fryer Is Best?

I, personally, hate an Air Fryer with a basket. They cook too unevenly, and you have to worry about tossing the food too much. Instead, I prefer an air fryer with a tray. But, if you only have an air fryer basket, you must cook your platanos maduros in batches to ensure they brown evenly without breaking too much.

What Kind Of Oil Do I Need For Air Fryer Platanos Maduros?

An air fryer is a toaster oven with convection or hot air blown around in a confined space. For the air fryer to “fry” things, though, the foods in it need to have some lubricant, AKA oil. The amount of oil is much less than you’d use pan-frying them, so it’s still a much healthier option, but this isn’t a fat-free recipe.

I prefer to use an olive oil spray that’s bottled without propellants. Olive oil sprays with propellants leave behind an unappealing chemical aftertaste. You can also use your favorite non-stick cooking oils like coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil to air fry your platanos maduros. 

First, spray the pan with an even layer of olive oil spray. To accomplish this, you can also toss plantains in a large bowl with a little oil. Lay the platanos maduros onto the oiled tray, spaced evenly apart and in a single layer so the air can circulate around them, and spray them with another even layer of oil.

Can I Make These Ahead?

Only cut yellow plantains right before cooking them. Platanos cut and left out too long will oxidize and take on an unattractive brownish-grey color. It takes 5 minutes to peel and slice them, so you can do this fairly quickly. 

How Do I Keep The Platanos Maduros From Sticking?

Slide the tray into an air fryer oven, preheated to 400°F (205°C). Set the timer on the air fryer to 3 minutes. 

After 3 minutes, use a thin spatula to flip the platanos over. 

Oil your air fryer tray well to keep the platanos maduros from sticking. If the platanos are sticking to the tray, allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the countertop. After two minutes, try to slide a thin spatula under them to loosen them from the tray. Allowing the plantain slices to cool a little gives the sugar in the fruit time to harden, making it easier to slide a spatula under them without breaking them. 

Return the tray to the air fryer and cook the platanos maduros for another 4-5 minutes.

How Do I Know When The Platanos Are Done?

The platanos are done air-frying when their edges are deep brown, and the surfaces are golden brown. This may take less than 7-8 minutes, based on how ripe your plantains are.

If you had very ripe platanos, the air frying time would be less because they’re softer. Ripe plantains also contain more fructose (natural sugar), which will brown much quicker than less ripe platanos. Be sure to watch your platanos and adjust the air frying time accordingly. Also, make sure that the tray is well-oiled. Riper plantains stick to the tray because more sugar is released and caramelized during air-frying. 

How Do I Serve Them?

After removing the platanos from the air fryer, sprinkle them with sea or kosher salt. Salt brings out more of the plantain’s sweetness and bright flavor. Salting the platanos right after they come out of the air fryer also gives the salt something to stick to. 

Platanos maduros really don’t need anything else. You do want to serve them while they’re still hot or at room temperature. Cold maduros aren’t as tasty as hot ones. 

If you’re not going to serve them right away, turn the air fryer off and keep the maduros in there until you are ready. Let the air fryer cool down first, though. I leave the door open for 10 minutes, then put them in there to keep warm. You may need to spray the tray with more oil just in case they start sweating and try to stick to the pan. 

How Do You Make Conventional Platanos Maduros?

To make authentic platanos maduros:

1. Peel and slice the plantains as instructed.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (or a neutral-tasting oil) in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Add the plantain slices to the oil once it begins to shimmer in the pan. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. 
4. Fry the plantains for 2-3 minutes, then flip them using tongs or a fork.
5. Fry the plantains on the second side for another 3-4 minutes or until caramelized to your liking. 
6. Transfer the fried platanos maduros to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil and sprinkle with sea salt as desired.

This method takes more time, and there’s more oil involved, but it’s still an easy recipe. 

What Dishes Go Well With Air Fryer Platanos Maduros?

Platanos maduros are a great side dish. I make them with Chuletas Fritas, Arroz Blanco with Habichuelas Guisadas, and a garden salad. 

You can serve platanos maduros with most proteins, though. We also eat them in the morning with fried eggs, bacon or spam, and slices of toasted Pan Sobao.

Eating platanos maduros on their own is totally acceptable, too. I’ll allow it. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Platanos maduros don’t reheat well. Reheating them makes them hard and chewy. My husband begs to differ. He’ll eat them cold or reheated. He also ate MREs with dirt, so we don’t listen to him.

Store leftover platanos maduros in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 200°F (95°C) for 1 minute to warm them. If they taste “blah,” don’t blame me because I told you not to do it. Blame Hector.

Can I Freeze Air Fryer Platanos Maduros?

To freeze plantains, peel and slice them, then lay them on a silicone-lined baking mat. Freeze them, uncovered, until solid. Once frozen, transfer the platanos to a freezer storage bag and freeze them for up to two months. Freezing them like this, then packaging them, keeps them from freezing in one big clump.

I don’t recommend freezing cooked maduros for the same reason I don’t recommend reheating them. They’re just icky-tasting. But it can be done. 

To freeze platanos maduros, cook them as instructed and lay them on an oiled pan or a silicone-lined baking mat. I would re-oil the air fryer tray because the oil you put on it earlier probably won’t keep the plantains from sticking to the pan in the freezer. 

Freeze the platanos uncovered until solid, then transfer the frozen slices to a storage bag. Freeze the maduros for up to 2 months. Thaw the platanos completely in the fridge and reheat as instructed in the prior section. Or, you can reheat them from frozen. Just add another minute or two to the reheating time. 

Air Fryer Platanos Maduros are a better way to enjoy a classic side dish. Once you air fry your sweet plantains, you’ll see it’s a great way to prepare them because it uses less oil and produces some of the best results without sacrificing flavor. Tell me what you think of these air fryer maduros below, especially if this is your first time air frying them!

Air Fryer Platanos Maduros

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 16 votes

Use sweet plantains to make this easy side dish. Conventional cooking instructions are in the notes section.

Servings: 24 slices (enough for 4 side dish servings)

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Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• Air Fryer (preferably one with a tray)
• spray olive oil

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 large yellow plantains spotted with black on the peel
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt optional

Instructions 

Preheat the Air Fryer

• Set your air fryer's control knob to the "Air Fry" setting. Next, set the temperature to 400°F (205°C).

  Remove the tray (or the basket) from the air fryer and spray it with an even coating of olive oil spray. Set this aside.

Peel and Slice the Platanos Maduros

• Use a paring knife to cut 1/2-inch off of both ends of each plantain.

  Next, use the tip of your knife to make a shallow slit down the back of the plantain peel away the skin. 
• Cut the maduros about 1/2-inch thick, making an exaggerated slice on the bias. You should get about 12 slices from one large plantain.

  Lay the platanos maduros onto the oiled tray, spaced evenly apart so the air can circulate around them, and spray them with another even layer of oil.

Air Fry the Platanos

• Slide the tray into the preheated air fryer and cook them for 3 minutes. 

  After 3 minutes, use a thin spatula to flip the platanos over. 
• Return the tray to the air fryer and cook the maduros for another 4-5 minutes.

  The platanos are ready to come out of the air fryer when their edges are deep brown and the surfaces are golden brown. This may take less than the total time of 7-8 minutes based on how ripe your plantains were to start with.

Salt then Serve the Platanos Maduros While Hot

• Remove the platanos from the air fryer and immediately sprinkle them with a little sea salt.

  Serve while hot.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Use spray vegetable oil, coconut oil, or ghee instead of olive oil.
• Use liquid oil instead of spray olive oil. Just brush the tray and plantains your preferred neutral-tasting cooking oil. 
• Replace the sea salt with kosher salt or omit the salt altogether.

Tips and Techniques:

• To keep the platanos maduros from sticking to the tray, it's important to oil your air fryer tray well.
• If you started with very ripe platanos, the air frying time would be less because they're softer and they contain more fructose. As a result, they're going to brown much quicker than less ripe platanos. Keep an eye on your platanos and adjust the air frying time accordingly. 
• If you don't plan to serve the maduros right away, turn the air fryer off and allow it to cool down slightly (just open the door). Once it's warm, return the tray to the air fryer and keep the maduros in there until you are ready. 
• You can serve platanos maduros as a side dish with most proteins for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or on their own as a snack.
• Platanos maduros don't reheat well, in my opinion. So they should be eaten while warm, as reheating them makes them hard and chewy.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

• Storing cooked Platanos Maduros:
  1. Store the cooled platanos in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days.
  2. Reheat them in the air fryer at 200°F (95°C) for 1 minute to warm them up.
• To Freeze Uncooked Platanos Maduros:
  1. Peel, then slice the plantains.
  2. Lay them on a silicone-lined baking mat.
  3. Freeze the platanos, uncovered, until solid, then transfer them to a freezer storage bag and freeze them for up to two months. Freezing them like this, then packaging them, keeps them from freezing in one big clump.
  4. Thaw in the fridge before cooking or add 1-2 minutes to the air frying time.
• To Freeze Cooked Platanos Maduros (not recommended):
  1. Cook the plantains as instructed and lay them on an oiled pan or a silicone-lined baking mat.
  2. Freeze the platanos until solid, uncovered, then transfer the frozen slices to a storage bag and freeze the maduros for up to 2 months.
  3. Thaw the platanos completely in the fridge and reheat as instructed in the prior section. Or, reheat them from frozen, adding another 1-2 minutes to the reheating time. 

To Make Conventional Platanos Maduros:

1. Peel and slice the plantains as instructed.
2. Heat 1/4-inch of vegetable oil or ghee (about 1/4 cup) in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Add the plantain slices to the oil once it begins to shimmer in the pan. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. 
4. Fry the plantains for 2-3 minutes, then flip them using tongs or a fork.
5. Fry the plantains on the second side for another 3-4 minutes or until caramelized to your liking. 
6. Transfer the brown platanos maduros to a paper towel-lined plate to blot the excess oil and sprinkle with sea salt as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 49mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 168IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword air fryer, plantains, platanos

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