Plantain Chips from The Bahamas

Plantain Chips are made by thinly slicing ripe plantains and frying them lightly in oil. They are crispy, salty and delicious!

I eat a banana on a daily basis. Actually, I can’t even remember the last day that I DIDN’T eat a banana (or at least a half of one). I love bananas– especially with peanut butter– and that will never change. But up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never given a second thought to plantains.         

Bananas vs Plantains

Now, that’s kind of funny because for all intents and purposes, plantains seeeeeem pretty much like a hard banana. Plantains tend to be the same shape as a banana, and only a little bit longer. However, that’s about where the similarities end. Plantains have thicker skins than my esteemed banana and are much tougher. As opposed to the sweet banana, which can be eaten raw, plantains need to be cooked before they are eaten. Their texture is more analogous to a potato, meaning that frying the plantain is a great method to deliver fantastic taste.

Finding Inspiration for Plantain Chips

Still, plantains seemed like too much work for something that was so unfamiliar to me. It wasn’t until I started following the wonderful Paleo Running Mama on Instagram that I begin to crave the honorable plantain. Michele shares some seemingly incredible recipes using plantains, and I can’t wait to try them! The first on my list is her Plantain, Apple, Bacon Breakfast Hash. You better believe that once I gobble all of these plantain chips up, I’m jumping right into her breakfast recipe.

Peeling the Plantain

To remove the plantain from its peel, use a sharp knife to cut two shallow, parallel lines along the plantain peel, length-wise. Remove the peel from the plantain from here.

For crispy, chip-like, fried plantains, cut the plantain into slices ⅛ of an inch in width. Fry them in the oil until brown on both sides and, once done, place on a paper towel to allow them to cool. You can cut the plantains into slices as thick as ½ of an inch. The thicker the slices, the softer the plantains will be!

Unsurprisingly given their similarity to potatoes, these fried plantains taste just like potato chips! A delicious and quick treat from The Bahamas, they’re sure to be a favorite.

If you like this recipe, make sure to also check out this other recipe I picked out for you!

• Dabo Kolo from Democratic Republic of the Congo

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