One of my favorite foods in the Dominican Republic were Tostones. And not just any tostones, the tostones from Giberto’s chicken stand! He used perfectly ripe plantains, fried them at the perfect temperature, mashed them to perfection and fried them again for just the right amount time…
Chicken and Tostones (Fried Plantains)
Yield – 4 servings
Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cooking Time – 8-10 hours on low
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken ($4.40) On sale last week for $.88/lb. Will use the meat for 3 different meals, so will divide cost by 3…$1.47!
- 1-2 cups water (or chicken broth)
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 plantains ($.66) Rolled back to $.33 each this week
- 1 cup white rice ($.20)
- Salt/pepper
- Ketchup ($.20)
- 2-3 cups of oil (I used canola) $1 or less depending on the oil!
Directions
- Place whole chicken in slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water or chicken broth. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Cook on low for 8 or 10 hours.
- Prepare tostones as described below.
- Peel the skin from the plantains.
- Cut the plantains into 1.5 inch chunks.
- Add plantains to hot oil (I set mine on #7 on the burner’s dial). Fry for about 5 minutes. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place back on cutting board.
- Smash plantains with potato masher or large rolling pin. Once smash, return to hot oil and fry again for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and set on paper towel to rid of excess oil.
- Bring 2.5 cups of water to boil. Add 1 cup of white rice. Return water to boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once chicken is cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes before handling. Cut off as much chicken meat as you can. Save juices and bones/carcass to make broth.
- Serve Chicken pieces with White Rice and Tostones and Ketchup.
Cost $3.58
(It really doesn’t get much cheaper than this y’all!)
Tina of Pfeiffer Photos says
I had these once–they are good! 🙂
Theo-Ann Johnson says
My dad is native Puerto Rican (and my mom lived in P.R. for a while) so we grew up eating tostones. My mom was just here visiting us and was going to make some, but because they were too ripe, she made amarillos instead. It’s pretty much the same thing except that you only fry them once and they taste sweet and salty (cuz’ you still add the salt!) I just posted a tutorial on how to make these just a few days ago on my blog. Check it out!
Teri says
How many people is this meant to feed, out of curiosity? 1 cup of rice wouldn’t go far in our house (and there’s only 2 of us)…although rice is cheap, so another cup would be like nothing 🙂
Erin says
1 cup of uncooked rice…expands to at least 2.5 cups. I’ve not measured it out, but that’d be my guess! It’s the perfect amount for our family. It’s what I always use 🙂
Poltzie says
We own land in Nicaragua and my favorite thing there is the tostones (well the people are my favorite but you get the picture)!
Thanks for the recipe, I never knew how to make them!!
Amy says
I use 2 cups of rice for my family of 8 so I don’t think 1 cup is too little. My kids are pretty little though- my 4 youngest are all 4 and under so they don’t eat much.
I’ve never tried plantains because I never knew what to do with them. May have to try some now.
Jamison says
I never knew what to do with plantains, now I do.
As a side note, the cost of the oil was not factored in this one.
Erin says
Thanks!!! Was wondering why it was so cheap! Wrote the post after I made dinner (I usually write them as I cook!). Thanks…will edit now!
MaryAnne says
zoinks! you served KETCHUP!! tsk tsk tsk….real dominican cooker here (hubs is half dominican, half irish-don’t ask LOL!)
rice–1c. raw feeds 2-3 people (adults) 2 when I make REAL GOOD beans!
tostones need to be dipped in salted water, fried, then pulled, drained, salted, smashed, then fried again, drain…tastes like a thick potato chip…we prefer meduras, but to each his own, right?
green plantains are cheap, ripe ones are more expensive.
I’d normally bypass a post like this, but I immediately noticed the ketchup and had to share 🙂
Erin says
LOL! Used the ketchup to entice the kids to eat them. They loved them!!!
Jillbert says
Those tostones look soooo good! You’ve inspired me — now I have to make them this week.
Mercedes says
I love tostones!!
Vanessa says
I live here in Dominican Republic and my husband LOVES them!!! what I do to always have some on hand or before the plantains starts to get yellow is I fry them one time, smash them and freeze them, when I need them just take them out and fried the second time, the flavor doesnt change at all!
NORA says
I LOVE THESE THINGS!!! I REMEMBER MY G-MA MAKING THEM WHEN I WAS A CHILD. SHE USE TO ALSO MAKE A DIPPING SAUCE TO GO WITH THE TOSTONES. THE ONLY THING THAT I REMEMBER IS THAT, IT HAD GARLIC AND VINEGAR IN IT. IT WAS A PERFECT TOUCH TO IT. IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE KNOWS WHAT THE NAME OF THE SAUCE IS AND HOW TO MAKE IT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I’VE TRIED MAKING IT BY MEMORY BUT, IT NEVER COMES OUT THE WAY THAT I’D REMEMBER IT.
Waleska says
mmmm…tostones. I am from Puerto Rico and this is one of my favorites !!!
You can eat tostones with this sauce: mix mayonaisse with ketchup and a mashed garlic.
You can cut the plantains chunks in diagonal, they are easier to mash.
You can mash them with the back of a small ceramic plate.
You can add salt and a tbsp. of oil to the boiling water and then add rice. This helps the rice to be fluffy,not sticky.
Buen Provecho !!!!
Hortencia says
There is a problem with your recipe. Tostones are made with GREEN PLANTAINS OR PLATANOS VERDE not PERFECTLY RIPE PLANTAINS or PLATANOS MADURO which are the sweet plantains.
“He used perfectly ripe plantains, fried them at the perfect temperature, mashed them to perfection and fried them again for just the right amount time…’
For a great primer on plantains check out: http://www.instructables.com/id/When-is-a-green-plantain-not-a-green-plantain-Whe/
I believe it’s put together by the folks of a dual purpose plantain smasher called TOSTOBUENO.