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🇵🇷 Puerto Rican
Tostones
⏱ 25 min
🍞 ~22g (3 tostones) / ~35g (5 tostones — kid's eyes bigger than stomach)
🍽 4 (3 tostones each) servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Tostones are the side dish kids ask for by name. Green plantains, smashed flat, fried twice until golden and crunchy on the outside, soft inside. Dipped in mayoketchup or just sprinkled with salt. Every Puerto Rican household has a tostonera (the wooden press) or just uses the bottom of a glass — both work.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Tostones are a real carb hit (~7g per tostón) so we're keeping portions honest at 3 per kid — let your eyes do the math, not your hand
- Green plantains have more resistant starch than ripe ones, which is gentler on glucose than something like maduros — but they still count, so dose accordingly
Ingredients
- 2 large green plantains (~85g carbs total / ~22g per serving for 3 tostones)
- 3 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp salt
- Extra salt for sprinkling
Directions
- Cut the ends off each plantain. Score the skin lengthwise in 2-3 places (just the skin, not the flesh).
- Peel off the skin (it's stubborn — work your thumb under the score lines).
- Slice plantains into 1-inch thick rounds. You should get about 6 per plantain.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet to 325°F (medium heat).
- Fry plantain rounds for 4 minutes, turning once. They should be tender but not browned. Remove to a paper towel.
- While they cool slightly, stir garlic and salt into the warm water — this is your dip.
- Smash each round flat with a tostonera or the bottom of a glass to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Dip each smashed tostón briefly in the garlic water (1-2 seconds), shake off excess.
- Crank oil to 375°F. Fry tostones a second time, 2-3 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crispy.
- Drain on paper towels, sprinkle immediately with salt.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Dash says: 3 tostones is a reasonable portion — count them out before serving so kids know what's on their plate
- Pair with a protein like pollo guisado or chuleta so the meal isn't all starch — keeps the spike gentler
- Skip the mayoketchup dip (it's surprisingly carby with the ketchup sugar) — try a simple garlic mojo or just lime juice instead