How To Boil Plantain

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Let's boil plantain this delicious starchy fruit, that look similar to banana. It's cooked more like a vegetable. They can be boiled when they are green or unripe, yellow and ripe with or without the skin. 

Jump to:

• Buying Plantains
• What Do Plantains Taste Like
• Whole Plantains
• Plantain Without The Skin
• What To Eat With Boiled Plantains
• Step by Step Photos and Directions 
• Boiled Plantain

Caribbean, African, Central and South American cooking, love plantains, it’s a traditional ingredient used in so many dishes. 

Buying Plantains

Before buying them at the grocery store decided whether you are needing unripe or ripe plantains. Although sometimes it can be a hit or miss when it comes to what is in stock on the shelves. 

In the picture below, I was looking for both very green and yellow brown plantains and this is what was available. 

Don’t worry plantains can easily ripen on the countertop or in a paper bag, buy extra if you want sweet toward the end of the week. 

Check out this easy 1 Ingredient Plantain Tortilla Wrap Recipe !! 

Green or Unripe

Unripe plantains are very firm and start off very green and will begin to ripen to yellow. You’ll notice some parts of the fruit can be slightly green and other parts yellow with some dark spots. 

Green or slightly green plantains are starchy and firm or hard. Perfect when making savory recipes. 

Yellow Brown or Ripe

Ripe plantains are firm when they are yellow with some brown spots and will begin to darken and become softer. When they have more dark spots than yellow they have become very sweet. Perfect as a sweet addition to dishes and used in desserts.  

Be careful if the plantain is too dark all over, it might have over ripened and spoiled. 

What Do Plantains Taste Like

Plantains taste differently depending on their ripeness. Unripe or green plantain has a mild starchy flavor and is firm and similar in flavor to a potato. 

As they ripen they become softer and sweet, similar in flavor to very ripe banana or sweet potato. 

They are so filling and delicious, very budget friendly. 

Plantain must be fully cooked, and should not be eaten raw. 

Whole Plantains

Boiling a whole plantain is the easiest way to cook it. No cutting or peeling, just cover it with water and boil away. 

They do take a bit longer to cook but the natural flavor of the plantain will be encased within the protective skin. 

Remember to fully cool the plantain before peeling away the skin, to prevent a steam burn. 

Boiling With The Skin

If you choose to boil the plantain with the skin, especially if it is dark and ripe the water will get brown. 

It will be dark and murky, and the deep color of the skin will transfer into the water. If you cut the plantain into chunks and boil it with the skin, the exposed parts of the plantain will darken slightly. It will still be delicious though and the plantain does cook faster when it's cut. 

Your pot will darken as well, I used my stainless steel saucepan and cleaned it with steel wool or Brillo with no issues. 

Plantain Without The Skin

Boiling plantain without the skin is perfect if you do not want to wait for it to fully cool before serving. 

Removing the skin before boiling can be a bit tough to peel, especially when it’s green or unripe.  You can choose to peel it by hand, cut it into pieces, and remove the skin in pieces. Alternatively use a knife and cutting board to cut round the peel downward piece by piece. 

What To Eat With Boiled Plantains

Although plantain is a fruit similar to a banana, it is mostly used as a starchy vegetable in cooking applications or as a sweet side dish. 

Serve boiled plantains with stewed meat, seafood, and vegetables, beans, lentils, and it added to soups. It can also be incorporated into bread and dough for baking and frying. 

Step by Step Photos and Directions 

1. Wash or rinse the fresh plantain well.

2. Cut both ends of the plantain.

3. Cut into chunks. Keep the skin on or cut the skin off. With the knife cut around the plantain piece with small strips to remove the skin easily.

4. Place cut plantain without skin into a saucepan. Cover with water, add salt if you would like, and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until fork tender. About 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon.

6. Ready to eat. Enjoy

7. Place cut plantain with the skin into a saucepan. Cover with water and add salt if you would like. Bring to a boil and then keep on medium to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon.

8. It's ready when it's fork tender.

9. Let cool and peel the cooked skin. Ready to eat, Enjoy.