Air Fryer Plantain Chips

A tasty snack or side dish, air fryer plantain chips are lightly salted, crispy and crunchy. You only need 3 simple ingredients, though if you'd like, you can experiment with different seasonings and flavors.

Jump to:

• The Ingredients
• The Method
• Leftovers and Storage
• Make it Your Own
• Serving Ideas
• Key Tips for Perfect Plantain Chips
• And if you liked this recipe...
• Recipe Card
• Comments

I was first exposed to plantain chips while on a homestay in Costa Rica. Some form of plantains (including crispy sweet plantains) was a staple at almost every meal my host cooked and plantain chips were available all over.

While I have occasionally found plantain chips in the groceries stores at home, I decided to try my hand at homemade in order to make them more accessible and without excessive oil.

And not to brag, but, they turned out fantastic! I know you'll love them and here's why:

• A Fun Alternative Potato Chips: A cousin of the banana, ripe plantains (platanos maduros) tend to sweet. However, unripe, green plantains (platanos verdes) taste quite similar to a potato. Plantain chips are typically made with green plantains and actually taste very similar to a potato chip.
• Healthier: Unlike typical chips which are deep fried, these plantain chips get crispy with a fraction of the oil thanks to the air fryer.
• So Many Ways to Eat Them: Enjoy them as a snack, a dipper for salsa or guacamole, as side dish (especially to burgers or sandwiches) and more.
• CRISPY! I think we can all agree that texture plays a big part in how delicious we perceive a food to be and these plantain chips are delectably crunchy.

So let's make some plantain chips!

The Ingredients

• Plantains- A cousin of the banana (and usually right next to them at the grocery store), unripe (green plantains) are starchy with a similar taste to potatoes. Be sure to choose a green plantain for this recipe.
• Avocado Oil- I like to use avocado oil for cooking as it has a high smoke point. Melted coconut oil or your preferred cooking oil can be used instead if needed.
• Sea Salt- A bit of salt completes the flavor of these chips. Table or kosher salt can be used instead- adjust to taste.

The Method

1. Prepare the Plantains. Peel the plantain first by slicing off the ends. Then, cut a thin slit down the length of the peeling (careful to only cut through the peeling and not into the fruit), every quarter around the fruit. You should then be able to peel off each quarter length of peeling.

Slice the plantain into ~1/16th inch (2 mm) thick rounds.

*If you have a mandolin, I recommend using that. Otherwise, you can very carefully use a sharp knife.

2. Mix. Add the plantains to a bowl along with the oil and salt. Toss to coat and then rest for 5 minutes.

Why? This resting gives the plantains a chance to "sweat" out some of their moisture in order to help ensure that they turn out crispy (I use the same trick with beet chips!).

3. Cook. Place slices of plantains in 1-2 layers (they can be slightly overlapping but not more than 2 layers- you may need to work in batches) and air fry at 325 F for 10-15 minutes.

After every 5 minutes, toss or stir to ensure they cook evenly. Be sure to keep a close eye after 10 minutes of cooking so that they don't burn.

4. Cool. After cooking, remove the plantain chips to a dish to cool for 5-10 minutes. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.

5. Enjoy!

Leftovers and Storage

To Store: Place cooled air fryer plantain chips in an airtight container or ziptop bag for up to 1 week at room temperature.

To Freeze: Freeze cooled chips for up to 3 months, removing as much air from the storage container/bag as possible.

Make it Your Own

Experiment with seasoning the plantain chips with more than just salt. Here are some ideas:

• Garlic- Add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Taco- Add 1 and ½ teaspoons of Taco Seasoning.
• Salt and Pepper- Add ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
• Cinnamon Sugar- For a sweet spin, reduce the salt to a pinch and add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.

Want to make a different shape?

• For Long Strips, rather than slicing into dollar shapes, you can use a vegetable peeler to go down the length of the plantain for strip shaped chips.

Serving Ideas

Plantains chips are great as a healthy side dish or snack. Here are some ideas of ways to use them:

• Alongside Sandwiches: Chips and sandwiches are a classic pairing and these are excellent alongside a Chimichurri Chicken Sandwich or grilled cheese.
• With Burgers: Enjoy these alongside (or even as a topping for) barbecued beef burgers.
• On Soup: Use them to replace crackers or croutons to add some crunch to the top of your bowl of soup (I especially like them with White Chicken Chili).
• As a Dipper: Use them to dip in ranch dip, salsa, guacamole and more.

Key Tips for Perfect Plantain Chips

• Don't Skip the "Sweating": Allowing the plantains to sit for 5 minutes in the salt/oil mixture eliminates some of their moisture to ensure that they get crispy.
• Work in Batches: Depending on the size of your air fryer, cook them in batches. If they are overlapping more than two uneven layers, I find that the middle layers don't get crispy enough.
• Shake Often: For most even cooking, shake or stir at least every 5 minutes.
• Keep a Close Eye: After 10 minutes of cooking, the chips can go from crisp to burnt in a hurry, so I recommend checking every minute or so after the 10 minute mark.

And if you liked this recipe...

...you might also like:

• Sautéed Green Beans
• Cajun Corn
• Roasted Carrots and Asparagus
• Crispy Baked Sweet Plantains (Plus How to Peel!)

Recipe Card