Air Fryer Tostones Recipe

Tostones are green plantains that have been fried until they are soft, then mashed and refried. They’re a great snack commonly served as an appetizer or accompaniment to a heavier meal. The plantains used for this recipe should be very firm and underripe. Traditionally tostones are pan-fried, but air frying them cuts down the fat and mess but still leaves them crispy. Store any leftovers for 24 hours and reheat them to 350°F in an oven until warmed.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Soaking: 20 mins
Total time: 65 ins
Servings: 20 tostones

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the tostones:

• 3 medium green plantains
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil (vegetable, peanut, or coconut oil)
• Coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. Prepare dipping sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic powder. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can do this up to 48 hours in advance.
2. Peel and cut the plantains: Remove the ends of the green plantains with a sharp knife. Score the plantain down its back side and use the fleshy part of your thumbs to push the peel up and away from the plantain.
3. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F.
4. Soak the plantains: Combine 4 cups of cold water and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Slice the plantain into 1 1/2-inch-thick chunks and soak them in water for 20 minutes. (Soaking the plantains prevents browning and keeps the air-fried plantains from drying out while cooking.
5. Dry then par-fry the plantains: Remove the plantains from the water and dry each one thoroughly. Toss the plantain slices in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Make sure each plantain is coated in a thin layer of the oil.
   Transfer the plantains to your air fryer’s basket. Organize in a single layer, leaving a 1/2 inch of space on all sides of the slices to allow the air to circulate properly. Fry until the plantain offers no resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife. This can take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes per side.
6. Mash the plantains: Increase the air fryer’s temperature to 400°F. Carefully remove the plantain slices from the basket and smash each one in a tostonera or place your soft plantain between a piece of parchment paper (or a brown paper bag) and smash it with a coffee mug. The plantain should be a flat 1/4-inch thick disc that holds together.
7. Air fry the smashed plantains: Return the smashed plantains to the air fryer basket (you may have to work in batches depending on the size of your basket).
   Brush a light layer of oil onto the top side of the tostones and fry for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip the tostones and brush once more with a light layer of oil, then fry for the final time for 4 minutes instead of 3 minutes.
8. Season the tostones: Immediately after removing them from the air fryer. Serve the tostones with the mayo-ketch sauce while still hot.

Source: Simply Recipes