Crispy Shallow-Fried Tostones Recipe

Crispy, golden brown, and flavorful, shallow fried tostones are everything you want in a crunchy and addictive snack. Ksenia Prints, food blogger of At the Immigrant's Table remembers endlessly munching on crispy fried tostones in some of the most authentic bars of Mexico City. This snack is often served with homemade salsas or guacamole, and it gives a whole new meaning to the chips we know and love.

Made out of green unripe plantains, tostones are pieces of plantains that have been fried, flattened until they resemble little discs, and then fried a second time to lock in the ultimate crispness. The result is sprinkled with salt and served with your choice of toppings. Tostones can be vehicles for everything: juicy shredded barbacoa, cochinita pibil, or simple flavorful guacamole. They're also great just on their own.

However you eat your tostones, you're going to fall in love with the crunch and saltiness of this Mexican crisp.

Traditionally, tostones are deep-fried twice. However, we find that's a great deal more oil than is actually needed to coax the best flavor and texture out of plantains. We love shallow frying tostones in just an inch or two of oil — it's more than enough for getting the perfect crunch as you bite into one of these babies.

If you're looking for an even healthier tostones recipe, try baking tostones in the oven.

All you need to make tostones are large green plantains, vegetable oil, and sea salt. We also love to use flaky salt as a final topping for the chips.

Make sure you purchase unripe green plantains. As they ripen, plantains change color towards yellow and black, and become sweeter and mushier. Ripe plantains will not crisp up as they cook, so choose the most green plantains you can find.

Begin by preparing the plantains. Cut off both ends, then create a long vertical slit in the peel using a knife. Remove the peel and cut the plantains into ½-inch thick slices.

Next, transfer the slices to a large pan and add enough vegetable oil to cover them. Fry until the plantain slices turn golden-brown, then remove them onto a plate lined with paper towels and let them drain.

To flatten the plantain slices, place them between two pieces of parchment paper and use a kitchen mallet or press them between two cutting boards or plates. Alternatively, you can use a tortilla press to achieve a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Sprinkle the slices with sea salt.

Reheat the oil in the pan until it is hot but not smoking. Return the plantain slices to the pan and cook until both sides are browned, which should take about 3 minutes.

Transfer them to a plate covered with paper towels to drain.

The tostones are ready to eat with the dips and toppings of your choosing. If desired, sprinkle tostones with flaky sea salt before serving.

Leftover tostones will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature — though we don't you'll have any left!