Amarillos (plátano maduro frito)
Slices of ripe plantain fried until the edges caramelize and the inside turns soft. They are the sweet counterpoint to rice and beans and to almost any stewed meat. Order them instead of tostones when you want something gentler.
Example
Stewed chicken with rice, beans and sweet plantains is what an ordinary weekday lunch looks like on the island.
Best tours and tickets
Curated from Viator. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
San Juan Guided Turtle Snorkel Tour and Complimentary Videos
★★★★★ 4.9 · 19,065 reviews
From $39View tour
Top Rated El Yunque Rainforest & Waterslide - SmallGroup Tour
★★★★★ 4.9 · 16,786 reviews
From $45View tour
Luquillo Beach Horse Ride from Carabalí Rainforest Adventure Park
★★★★★ 4.9 · 6,194 reviews
From $164View tour
Related terms
Food
Tostones
Green plantain slices fried once, flattened and fried again until crisp. They are the default side with almost any...
Food
Piononó
A strip of ripe plantain coiled into a ring, filled with seasoned ground beef, battered and fried. It comes out sweet...
Food
Arroz con gandules
The national dish of Puerto Rico: rice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, annatto and often pork. It shows up at every...
Food
Mofongo
The signature dish of Puerto Rican cooking, made from fried green plantain mashed in a wooden mortar with garlic, oil...
Frequently asked questions
Are sweet plantains a dessert?
No. They are sweet but they arrive as a side on the main plate, next to the rice and the meat.
Are they the same as Mexican platano macho?
Same fruit at a riper stage. The cut and the frying point differ, and here they go almost to caramel.
