How To Make Plantain Chips
Published Mar 22, 2018
Updated Nov 11, 2023
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I’ve been making plantain chips at home for the longest time. It is a popular snack in my country of origin, Cameroon. Over the years, I have learned several tips so here is my guide on How To Make Plantain Chips.
Plantain chips are crunchy, and savory and can be used to dip into 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe or your favorite dipping sauce. Plantain chips have a texture similar to that of tortilla chips but with plantain flavor.
If you are interested in plantains also check out these recipes for Baked Plantains, Sweet Fried Plantains, and Twice-Fried Plantains (Tostones).
Table of Contents
Crunchy Plantain Chips
Plantain chips are my weakness! You know what? I always plan to make a big batch and keep it at home so we can have a nice snack to grab and enjoy.
But that plan never works because once I make plantain chips, it disappears fast… into our bellies! Mr. N, the girls and I share the same love for crunchy plantain chips. We even fight over it. This thing is so good!
I loved plantain chips back in the day when I would buy some from local vendors. Now, I love running into my kitchen to make some homemade plantain chips. It is easy to make and it makes such a mouth-watering snack!
These plantain chips are so crispy, plantain-y and so addictive! I think the world should be talking about the awesomeness of plantain chips!
Plantains are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and have a distinct taste. I love enjoying plantains as a side such as Baked Plantain Fries, as a complete meal with chicken known as Poulet DG (Chicken and Plantain stew) or as Plantain Puff Puff, a tasty doughnut made with ripe plantains.
Plantains are seriously yummy in every way whether you want to boil, fry, or grill them and they are loaded with nutrients!
When I want to indulge, I make plantain chips. They are crunchy and irresistible!
Ingredients Needed
You only need 3 ingredients for homemade plantain chips.
- Green plantains: The plantains should be green and firm to the touch.
- Salt: Salt brings out the flavor of the plantains.
- Oil: Any flavorless oil like vegetable oil, or canola oil would work for frying.
Steps For Making Plantain Chips
So, how do you make plantain chips? It is pretty simple.
- First, peel the plantains.
- Then slice them thinly. A mandoline slicer makes slicing the plantains a breeze and guarantees thin slices.
- Deep fry until crispy. Season them with a salt-water solution while they are frying.
- Then drain and enjoy. Place just-fried plantain chips on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. They will get even crispier as they cool.
I can barely keep my hands off homemade plantain chips. From the time I make it, it feels like I have been trapped. I keep eating and eating and eating… I only rest when it is all finished!
Homemade plantain chips are so addictive!
Expert Tips for Plantain Chips
- Use salt water instead of sprinkling salt directly on the plantains. This ensures that salt gets into every nook and cranny of the plantain. Add the salt water to the oil before adding the sliced plantains. Or add the sliced plantains to the hot oil first then add the salt water to prevent splatters,
- Slice the plantains using a mandoline slicer or the slicing side of a box grater. This ensures thin even slices that will cook evenly.
- Also, do not gather the sliced plantains and place them into the oil all at once. I have found that doing it that way leads to several plantains sticking together. When that happens, they will turn out soft and not crunchy. So to avoid having soft ships, place your sliced plantains one after the other into the oil. It seems like a lot of work but trust me, it is worth it because by doing so you will get a whole batch of ultra crispy chips!
I made a video to show you guys how to make homemade plantain chips. Watch the video below, print the recipe then go make some!
Watch How to Make Homemade Plantain Chips:
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Serve plantain chips as is or pair them with:
More Plantain Recipes
There is an abundance of plantain recipes here, from savory to sweet.
If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!
How To Make Plantain Chips
Ingredients
- 3 green plantains (unripe and firm to the touch)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the plantains. Cut off both tips of a plantain then cut a line across the ridges of a plantain then lift the skin from the cut portion and remove the entire skin with your hands.
- Slice the plantains into chips using a mandoline slicer, the slicing side of a box grater or just cut thinly with a knife.
- In a small bowl, mix a quarter cup of water and the salt. Set aside.
- Place oil in a deep pan up to 4 inches high. Heat the oil on high for about 10 minutes (the oil should be 350 degrees Fahrenheit hot). Turn down the heat to medium then add two tablespoons of the salt water. Add the plantains one after the other. (I added half of the plantains at this point.) Gently stir the plantains and let them fry in the oil while you stir from time to time for about 5 minutes. After that, remove the chips and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Once the chips are cold, enjoy! You can store plantain chips in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow really loved the recipe.. Will try it soon and will give u a feedback… Ma my question is… What if my plantain is more than four pieces… Is it the same amount of salt and water I will still use… Thank you
This is the best plantain chips recipe ever. Love it! <3
Thank you Nina!
Tried mine twice but d first became soft after some days and on d second I could not get a light colored chips instead it became brown. How do I get a bright color? Thanks
Hi, did you use unripe plantains? The plantains should be sliced thinly so they come out crispy. The oil should be hot enough but not too hot so the chips don’t burn quickly. Lastly, plantains that are starting to get ripe will easily turn brown compared to green plantains. Hope this helps.
Thumbs up for you
Thank you, Eunice!
Wow so amazing i think am in love with all u made,it awesome and am happy for u.
Thank you, Stella!
Can u also use ripe plantain
Ripe plantains won’t be crispy but if the plantains are just starting to get ripe, they might be crispy.
I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out really crispy and yummy…The salt water theory is definitely the best. Please can I use the same method for potato chips??
Hi Jane, so glad you loved it! I haven’t tried it with potato chips but I think it will work.
Really enjoyed your video and excited to try making plantain chips – what type of oil do you use? (We’re in the UK) thanks
Hi Clair, any neutral-tasting oil will work. Vegetable oil, canola oil or corn oil will work.
Thanks for your reply. I wouldn’t use canola or corn. Do you mean liquid veg oil or semi solid like palm? Have you used coconut oil?
I mean liquid vegetable oil. I haven’t tried coconut oil yet but that will work well and it’s healthier too.
Wow! That’s a very fantastic video on how to make plantain chips, this is going to increase my sales. Thank you very much♥♥♥
You are most welcome!
How long can a PLANTAIN CHIPS last without getting bad!
Wow…it came out so well when I tried ur instructions. Thanx dearie
This makes me so happy, Eunice! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
For plantain chips, do you mean soaking the plantains in the salt water or pouring the salt water directly into the hot oil? If it’s the latter does than mean while frying the plantains would absorb the salt? I would like to be clear on this. Thanks ma’am.
This is really nice, Thanks for sharing
Awwwnn..I love this..Am gonna try it..Hope it works for me.
Please let me know how it goes, dear.
Yummy..I’m gonna try this out today for lunch. Thanks to aunty precious
Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely love it! Although I hate cleaning the sticky remnants in my teeth. However I always have a glass of juice or water to rinse down the crumbs since I can’t resist these.
It is one of my favorite things in life!
That’s nice. Thanks
You are welcome, Debbie.
Always interesting info to be found on this blog. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you love it, dear.
I’ve been frying chips for…. Forever. Back in secondary school my mum will tell me to do for my brother and I. We had to take to dormitory as snacks in our trunks.
Also use but the salt water version. My mom had a permanent menu for Friday evening, chips and roasted Morocco. It’s a tradition I’ve copied and institute when my girls are home on holidays. We love chips.
I use a box grater to slice my chips. Bedrest snack ever lol
Lol! Plantain chips are unbeatable! Glad to know that you also used the salt water version. Now I have to try chips and roasted Morocco. Sounds yum.
Excellent Precious. Many thanks. I love my chips with tea, no milk. It’s ‘insanely’ addictive.
Ah soooo addictive! Thanks for the good feedback, Elliot.
Hi I wanted to find out if using the oil to fry other things like puff puff or any other thing will it be salty??
You can still use the oil – the plantains tend to absorb the salt.
What a marvelous recipe.it came out so well.
So glad to hear that, Sue!
These look so good!! I loooove plantain – I usually prefer ripe and fried plantain, but I’m also a fan of the chips. I have yet to find them in shops and they’re not sold in the street in Senegal (where I live) so I haven’t had them in a while… I can’t wait to try out your recipe! Thanks! || http://www.lorikemi.com
I love fried ripe plantains too. So good! Hope you find the recipe useful. Thanks, dear.
Hi precious,I enjoyed your video on plantain chips.
But my question is how long can it last after frying.
I mean the chips
One month in an airtight container.