Plantain Chips (Chifles) Recipe

Snack your way to a healthy diet and lifestyle with crunchy, sweet, and homemade Plantain Chips or Chifles!

Deep frying plantains truly brings out the incredible flavor and quality of plantains. Plantain Chips are some of the most popular snacks in the Caribbean and Africa. Once you make them, you’ll know why they’re such a favorite.

You can transform fresh plantains into chips that your whole family will surely love. It will make your kids feel like they’re eating chips, but in a way, they’re actually eating fruits.

With Plantain Chips, you won’t have to feel guilty about having a snack. It gives you the best flavor while keeping you healthy and fit. There’s no need to buy it in grocery stores because you can easily and quickly make it at home!

How to Make Plantain Chips

The Plantain Chips recipe is a one-ingredient dish that turns fresh plantains into a yummy and fun snack. All you have to do is slice and deep fry until you get crunchy and golden brown chips.

Here, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Plantain Chips!

Ingredient

Why should you snack with plantains?

Plantains

There is so much to love about plantains.

Even if they look like bananas, plantains are one-of-a-kind on their own. You don’t eat them raw but you can cook them in so many ways to unleash their rich flavor and tender texture.

When it comes to taste, you can expect the plantains to have a good balance of sweet and starchy flavors. Whether ripe or unripe, you can always cook something delicious with plantains.

Aside from deep frying them, you can also steam, bake, roast, air fry, stew, or even grill them. They’re not just tasty but plantains also have lots of health benefits that you can reap.

Once you learn how to cook plantains, you won’t be able to get enough of them. You can even season them for an even better flavor. In fact, here are some of the recipes that my family loves:

• Fried Plantains
• Plantain Bread
• Crispy Plantains
• Air Fried Plantains
• Plantain Porridge
• Roasted Plantains
• Plantain Fufu
• Steamed Plantains

Directions

Make the perfect Plantain Chips by following these easy steps:

1. Peel the plantain and thinly slice it with a knife or V-Blade Slicer. 
2. Pour sunflower oil into a pot. 
3. Then, slowly drop the plantain slices into the oil.
4. Toss the chips into the oil with a skimmer.
5. Fry the plantains until golden brown and crisp. 
6. Transfer to a lined tray lined.
7. Leave them to cool for extra crunchiness!

Give it a taste test, and once you’re contented with the flavor and texture, munch away on your delicious, crunchy, and Sweet Plantains Chips! 

Tips

Buying plantains

• Tampa Bay Times suggests buying plantains with yellow and black colors for ripeness.
• The plantains may also feel a bit soft.
• You can buy unripe plantains to ripen over time.

Storing plantains

• Plantains can be kept at room temperature to ripen.
• Once ripe, Food52 suggests storing plantains in the fridge.
• I also have a frozen plantains storage hack you can try.

Plantain Chips Variations

Making your own version of the Plantain Chips is always a good plan.

Before you deep fry them, you can season the plantains with sugar, salt, chili flakes, garlic powder, paprika, and so much more. Alternatively, cook them and toss them in herbs and spices for a more potent flavor.

Alternative Ways to Cook Plantain Chips

If you don’t have access to a stove or pot, then you can also air fry or bake the plantain chips.

Air fryer

1. Arrange them evenly on the air fryer.
2. Then, let them air fry at 150°C for 12 minutes.
3. Flip the chips every five minutes to cook both sides.

Oven

1. Put the plantain slices onto a lined baking tray.
2. Bake them in the preheated oven for up to 20 minutes or until the chips turn golden brown. 

Recommended Tools

• V-Blade Slicer: Get even and thinly sliced plantain slices with this tool.
• Knife: Peel and chop the plantains with a knife.
• Pot: Cook the Plantain Chips in a pot.
• Skimmer: Toss the plantain slices in the oil with a skimmer.
• Tray: Let the chips cool on a tray.

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How to Serve Plantain Chips

Whenever you’re craving for fruits or chips, grab a handful of Plantain Chips to snack on!

You can eat them as snacks, appetizers, or desserts. Sometimes, I crush them to use as a garnish for salads or sandwiches for an extra sweet flavor.

Plantain Chips taste awesome on their own, but you can also serve them with different dips and sauces. Ketchup, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, barbeque sauce, and cheese sauce are wonderful options.

Check out these drinks that go well with these chips:

• Garri Smoothie
• Sorrel Drink
• Avocado Banana Milkshake
• Chocolate Almond Milk
• Fruit Smoothie

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Place the plantain chips in a container for up to one day. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are plantain chips healthy?

Yes, they are! Compared to store-bought banana or plantain chips, these are all-natural, organic, and preservative-free.

They are packed with nutrients and minerals for your heart, immunity, bones, blood sugar, cholesterol, and energy!

What are plantain chips made of?

Plantain chips are made of ripe plantains. They are sweet and starchy, perfect for snacks. You can season the chips with salt, sugar, cinnamon, and other spices.

Are plantains and banana chips the same?

No, plantain and banana chips are not the same because plantains and bananas are different. Plantain chips are starchier than they are sweet. However, both are easy to cook, delicious, and good for you.

How to make a plantain chip?

Start by slicing ripe plantains as thinly as you can. Then, preheat the oil in a pot or deep pan. Deep fry the plantains in batches until they’re crispy, crunchy, and golden brown.