Air Fryer Plantain Cubes Recipe

If you love plantains, then this Plantain Cubes recipe is perfect for cooking your favorite fruit in the air fryer. It’s easy, quick, and almost effortless. The air fry can do most of the work with less oil!

Accordingly, you can serve this healthy recipe for breakfast, snacks, or side dishes for the best experience!

How to Make Air Fryer Plantain Cubes

Satisfy your craving for plantains by learning how to cook plantain cubes in an air fryer!

Ingredient

Plantains

Plantains are starchy, mildly sweet, and versatile fruits commonly used in African recipes. What sets these apart from bananas is that they are best consumed when cooked. 

These can also be roasted, steamed, boiled, or baked; now, you can air fry them too! As they cook, they become sweeter, and using less oil can get more nutrients from its natural health benefits. 

Plantains can help improve digestion, promote weight loss, and increase insulin sensitivity. Moreover, these fruits can boost your immunity, brain function, and energy!

My favorite plantain recipes include Roasted Plantains, Plantain Porridge, and Plantain Fufu! You can also add plantains to oatmeal, smoothies, workout snacks, desserts, and soups!

Directions

1. Use a knife to peel the plantain by cutting the ends and along the ridges.
2. Slice it into cubes for easy cooking. 
3. Grease the air fryer basket with sunflower oil.
4. Arrange the plantain cubes in a single layer in the basket and spray or brush them with sunflower oil all-over.
5. Set the air fryer at 370ºF or 200ºC for 10 minutes. 
6. After 5 minutes, shake the contents.
7. Allow to air fry for another 5 minutes for even doneness.
8. Finally, transfer the contents onto a plate or a container.
9. You can enjoy your air-fried plantain cubes!

This 20-minute air fryer plantain cubes recipe is undoubtedly one of the best ways to prepare this fruit. Sit back, relax, and let the air fry cook away!

Tips

How to Select and Store Plantains

Selection. You can buy ripe plantains or unripe ones that can ripen over time. Plantains are usually yellow, black, and soft to the touch. 

Storage. Ripe plantains are best stored in mesh bags in the fridge and used immediately. Meanwhile, unripe plantains can be left at room temperature until they ripen. 

Alternative Ways to Cook Plantains

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can try these techniques for plantain cubes. 

Pan fry

1. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium fire.
2. Cook the cubes with occasional stirring to prevent burning.
3. Remove them from heat after 3 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. 

Boil or steam

1. Heat up to 3 cups of water in a pot, and season it with salt.
2. Then, toss in the plantain cubes.
3. Let them boil for up to 10 minutes or until cooked.
4. Drain the water with a colander or strainer.

These can also be steamed over boiling water until soft and tender. 

Grill 

1. Peel the fruit and directly grill them over the fire until cooked.
2. Turn it over occasionally to avoid burning.
3. Once content with the doneness, slice them into cubes. 

Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
2. Distribute the cubes on a lined baking tray.
3. Season the slices with salt.
4. Bake them for 30 minutes, and do not forget to turn them over when needed. 

Air Fryer Plantain Cubes Variations

Plantains can be cooked in cubes, slices, or whole, as long as they fit in the air fryer. You can also Season them with salt, smoked paprika, mixed herbs, cumin, and other preferred spices. 

You can also use unripe ones. However, the unripe ones will have a slightly earthy taste. If you prefer sweet plantain cubes, then I suggest ripe ones for air frying. 

For more plantain recipes, you can try the following:

• Plantain Porridge
• Roasted Plantains
• Plantain Fufu
• Plantain Balls
• Plantain Fries
• Egg Fried Plantain
• Steamed Plantains
• Sweet Plantain Chips

Recommended Tools

• Air fryer: Cook the slices in the air fryer. 
• Knife: Peel and slice the ingredients using a knife. 
• Chopping board: Prepare the fruit on a chopping board for safe consumption. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn commission income from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

Visit my shop for more products.

How to Serve Plantain Cubes

Serve these as appetizers and snacks. You can also use them for other dishes, especially African recipes. It is safe to consume a cup of these plantain cubes every day. 

For dish pairings, the cubes go well with the following:

• High Protein Beans
• Fried Eggs
• Chicken Gizzard Stew
• Egusi Soup
• Smoked Mackerel Stew

Babies can have this fruit as early as six months of age but feed them in moderation to avoid stomach problems. There’s a Plantain Puree recipe for baby food!

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Air fryer plantain cubes are best consumed within 2 to 4 hours of cooking. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you slice the plantain into cubes?

Hold the plantain vertically and run your knife half an inch from the end. Make another incision on the fruit to create four-quarters of the fruit. Then, proceed to slice it normally into cubes. 

On the other hand, slice them in half vertically. Then, slice each half into halves. Continue slicing to create the cubes. 

What is plantain good for?

Plantains have numerous health benefits. For instance, they can help your heart, digestion, bones, immunity, and brain function! Furthermore, they keep you energized for an active lifestyle.

Can plantains help with weight loss? 

Yes, they can. Plantains can help you feel full for a longer period. Their mild sweetness also curbs your cravings for desserts. They are also rich in fiber to improve metabolism and digestion!