Air Fryer Cuban Plantains, platanos maduros in Spanish, is a popular side dish. Sticky and sweet version, made with very ripe plantains.
Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains {Platanos Maduros}
Air Fryer Cuban Plantains {Platanos Maduros}, sometimes referred to as “Sweet Black Bananas,” have all the sweet, flavor of the fried version, but uses only a teaspoon of oil. Put away your bottle of Crisco and let your Air Fryer become your new best friend.
Anyone who knows anything about Miami, knows that there is some GOOD CUBAN FOOD all over the City! Even the mediocre places are GOOD! Platanos Maduros is sure to be served, along with your main course.
The sweet, caramelized, yummy goodness, fried perfectly in a pan of oil, yum. Plantains need no seasoning, sauce, no complication preparation. They are sweet and delicious, all onto themselves. But, think of the calories! Yikes.
Cast of Ingredients for Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains {Platanos Maduros}
Now imagine, the same deliciousness, but with only a little spray of Oil? Plantains have all the goodness within themselves. No other ingredients are involved. No standing over a vat of Oil, no involved preparation.
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Ingredients for Air Fryer Plantains
- Plantains
- Oil
Make sure to buy the Yellow Plantains and allow them to get nice and black. The photo above is the minimum of blackness you would want; a bit blacker would be even better. The natural sugar in the Plantains will caramelize during cooking and make them even sweeter.
Remove the Skin from the Plantanos
The soft spots you see above, will be the sweetest and best part of the Platanos Maduros. This will give the darker color and chewiness to the finished Plantains.
Air Fryer Plantains is a popular side dish, which is enjoyed on a regular basis, along side other Cuban dishes. Another popular Cuban side dish to try is my Pressure Cooker Cuban Yoca Con Mojo recipe. How about Air Fryer Yuca Fries with a Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce? Memories, takes me back to Florida, when my dad was alive.
Cut the Plantanos on the Diagonal
With a Sharp Knife, cut the plantains on the diagonal, about one-half inch thick. If you have never tried Air Fryer Cuban Plantains {Platanos Maduros}, you are in for a major treat! These are one of my favorite Cuban side dishes of all time.
Serve as a side dish with my Pressure Cooker Picadillo Stuffed Delicata Squash or with Grilled London Broil. They pair nicely with a Pork or Chicken and Mojo and are fabulous with my beloved, Pallomilla Steak {Bistec de Palomilla} (recipes coming soon).
Properly Seasoned Air Fryer Basket
Before using your Air Fryer, make sure you read my short article on how to Properly Prepare the Air Fryer for use. This method will considerably cut down on sticking issues.
Make sure NEVER to use Pam when you season your Air Fryer Basket. It will leave behind a coating, that is impossible to remove. Coconut Oil, Crisco, Canola Oil, all work well.
Place Platanos in Air Fryer Basket
Place the Plantains into your Air Fryer Basket and give them a good spray, on both sides. Using my Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking, I find that I can spray, as much as I need, on one “charge.”
I’ve gone through all kinds of Oil Misters and I am here to tell you, you need this Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking in your life. It is pricy, but, it works really well. One charge of the lid and bam, spray, spray, spray. No clogging and perfect, easy spray of oil, right where you want it.
Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains
This Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains {Platanos Maduros} is one of the easiest recipes ever. There is no learning curve, no list of ingredients. Simple and sweet. Enjoy!
More Cuban Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Lechón Asado {Cuban Pork with Mojo}
- Pasta de Bocaditos Jamón Low Carb Cuban Ham Spread/Dip
- Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava}
- Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans {Frijoles Negros}
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Ultrean 8.5 Quart Air Fryer
- J.A. Henckels 8 Inch Chef’s Knife
- Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains {Platanos Maduros}
Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- 2 Yellow Plantanos (plantains should be very ripe and the peel should be mostly black, but not solid black)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Remove peel from plantains and discard.
- Cut plantains on the diagonal, into 1/2" thick slices.
- Use oil mister or a rag with oil and grease bottom of air fryer basket.
- Place plantains into greased air fryer basket.
- Spray plantains well using oil mister. (If you do not have an oil mister, dip plantains into a bowl of oil and then place into air fryer basket)
- Cook at 380 degrees for 5 minutes on each side, spraying each side with oil after flipping plantains over.
- Increase temperature to 400 degrees and cook for another 3 minutes on each side, spraying oil each time the plantains are flipped.
Notes
PIN this Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains!
Air Fryer Cuban Sweet Plantains {Platanos Maduros}
What an awesome recipe! To the point, accessible and successful! My mother is Liberian and I grew up eating plantains a variety of ways (boiled, fried; the greener and ripe; as a bread), but have always loved having them fried, though have become more health-conscious recently.
I’ve used this recipe with my InstantPot Air Fryer lid and always get great results.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you so much, Che. Jill
Tried this out tonight and it turned out great. Thank you so much!
Que porqueria de receta nunca dio el tiempo que se necesita para cocinar los plátanos maduros CUBANOS por que solo en cuba se come plátano maduro. Eso era lo que necesitaba saver
Scroll to the recipe card to see the time. 😉
Look delicious, there are ignorant people who do not know how to read recipes. God bless you for sharing.
To Anita: senora lea bien la receta y tenga un poco de educacion !
Se ve que no saber leer engles. El tiempo si esta. Si solo se come en Cuba porque lo cocinaste.
Neither link to the oil mister that you recommend is working. Can you give the specific brand and model? Thanks!
Hi Lisa. I have made the correction. So sorry about that. Here is the link for the oil mister: Oil Mister. Let me know how your plantains turn out. Jill
I will be anxious to try this recipe. Looking forward to your Bistec Palomilla recipe, hopefully coming soon!
I am a Cubanito also… I am very impressed how these turned out. I like them better than pan fried, much less oily. Thanks.
Muchos gracias, Roy! I am so glad you enjoyed my recipe. Jill
These are amazing and super easy! My mom makes the best fried plantains but I wanted a healthier option. I honestly cannot tell the difference!! Scrumptious!
Thanks, Angela. Jill
So good! Turned out perfectly in my Dash Air Fryer. Thank you so much for the recipe – we’ll be eating these often!
It worked! Delicious. My husband had some Pam Coconut oil bottle spray. Not the aerosol can. A pump spray. I first did 380F for 5 minutes then when I flipped them I increased the temp to 400F. It looked a little dry. They tasted great. My 1 year old babies liked them. And my eldest, 11yo liked them too. They tasted really good.
Yay, wonderful news. Thank you. Yes, they will look a bit dry, but taste fabulous. Did you make the dipping sauce too? Jill
So I just tried these and they didn’t turn out at all like the picture. They were dried out, like burnt chips. Ha ha.
Any ideas?
Sounds like you cooked them too long. JIll
How thickly did you cut Plantanos? Cut 12 mm min and the ripper it is the rounder the edges get when you cut from softness. Reduces the burn around it.
Thank you so much for posting recipes without an incessantly long introduction. I actually liked reading yours instead of trying to skip past it. You have a fan for life here!
Thank you so much, Robyn. I am glad you are enjoying my website. Jill
Woooweeee I just made my first batch and they are delicious.
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.
My favorite Jamaican restaurant closed a few years ago, so I haven’t had plantains in years.
Now I can make them anytime.
Thank you, Dolores. Jill
I bought the Ninja air fryer! Yum yum! Fries everything like i fried it in a pan of oil!
I just tried this recipe. It came out excellent. It’s 9:48 PM and I’m enjoying PERFECTLY FLAVORED/COOKED plantains in my kitchen?
I am a Cuban Miami girl and I had to come here to find a recipe to make air fried plantain’s thank you so much I’ll let you know how they taste I’m in the middle of making them now! You made my day this Cuban girl loves her “platanitos” ?
Anxious to hear your feedback, Ines. I love Cuban food too. After all, I grew up in Miami. Jill
aaaaah! Just as I hit ‘post’ I saw my sesame typo. Gaaargh! Sorry.
So good! Thank you for yet another delicious recipe! I can’t believe how easy this was. The hardest thing was waiting for my plantains to ripen all the way. I went to high school in Mexico City and use to have these with lime and crema. When I later tried then in a Cuban restaurant with black beans, rice and mojo sauce I was hooked. I’m so glad this version is so much healthier so I can enjoy them more often!! I’m looking forward to trying your IP seseame noodles next. I’m never ordering take out again!
Thanks, Kerrie. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 Jill
Perfect! I live in the PNW and my local Kroger store has a $1.00 discount bin of produce. Every now and then there are plantains in the bin. I scoop them up right away and make these! Goodness, they are delicious!
They were so good. I just made a few changes where I put a smidgen more olive oil on top of the plantains before finishing them off at 400F as well as lightly sprinkling monkfruit “sugar” on them.
I followed the recipe exactly, mine looked nothing like yours.. did you do anything else? I would love for them to turn out right..
Hey! Which air fryer are you using and is it worth the money? Does it breally do what it says?
Thanks
Hi Susan. I suggest the Philips Air Fryer and yes, it really does a great job. Check out my recipes and my Air Fryer Group. Jill
You gotta try try this
Hi, I have the Philips XL and I don’t think it goes to 400 ?