Name: Air Fryer Plantains
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 green plantain; 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil; ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste); ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste); 1 ripe avocado; ½ tomato (diced); ½ small onion (diced); ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste); ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

Move over, chips and guac! These crispy air fryer plantains with avocado dip are a delicious savory snack that comes together in 20 minutes or less.

From Latin American restaurants to your local grocery store, you can find plantains almost anywhere these days. And if you haven’t tried cooking with them yet, these easy and delicious air fryer plantains are the perfect place to start!

You only need four ingredients and a few minutes to prep the chips. Then, while they cook in the air fryer, whip up a batch of simple avocado dip. Together, they take plain ole chips and guac to a whole new level!

Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:

How to make the best plantains in the air fryer
How to pick and peel the right plantains
Tips for getting super crunchy air fryer plantain chips
How to modify if you want to use bananas or make sweet plantains in the air fryer

This recipe is just as great for a quick snack when the kids get home from school as it is for entertaining guests! Paired with the creamy avocado dip, these air-fried plantains are downright irresistible. You might start finding all kinds of reasons to whip up a batch!

Air Fryer I recommend: Large, easy to clean, square basket, burner on top and bottom. Click to see it.

prepared ingredients for plantain chips cooked in air fryer

How to Make Plantain Chips in the Air Fryer

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees then peel the plantain, then slice with a mandolin slicer as thin as possible.

STEP TWO: Mix the plantain slices, coconut oil, salt, and pepper, massaging the pieces to make sure they all absorb some of the coconut oil.

slice plantains as thinly as possible with mandolin slicer

STEP THREE: Lay the plantain slices in the air fryer in a single layer, working in batches to prevent overcrowding.

STEP FOUR: Cook at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

STEP FIVE: Repeat until all slices have been cooked.

STEP SIX: While your plantains are in the air fryer, peel the avocado and remove the pit. Mash your avocado in a small bowl.

STEP SEVEN: Dice the tomato and onion, then add them to the mashed avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

mix mashed avocado, tomato, and onion for avocado dip

STEP EIGHT: Let the chips cool for a few minutes, then serve with your avocado dip.

What Kind of Plantain Do I Need for This Recipe?

Like bananas, plantains change from green to yellow as they go from unripe to ripe. For this recipe, we need the plantain to be firm, so we want to choose a green one. A yellow one simply won’t give us good, crunchy chips like air fryer green plantains will.

How to Peel a Green Plantain

Green plantains have thick, tougher peels. If you try to peel it like a banana, you risk leaving a lot of the pith, which won’t break down while cooking. Thankfully, there’s an easier way!

To remove the peel, first cut off the ends of the plantain. Next, make an incision into the peel lengthwise without cutting into the plantain. From there, you should be able to slide a knife underneath the peel and pull it right off.

Tips for Crunchy Air Fryer Plantain Chips

Take the time to rub the coconut oil into each slice to really help them crisp up in the air fryer.

Make sure all the slices are in a single layer in the air fryer basket so the air can properly circulate around each one. If you overcrowd the basket, they won’t fry as well. I usually cook in 2 to 3 batches.

Use a mandoline to cut even, very thin slices. I use this mandoline.

If you have a few extra minutes, soak the plantain slices in 2 cups of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat them dry before cooking in the air fryer and be amazed by how crispy they turn out!

Use a silicone liner to help keep the plantain chips from sticking. These are the silicone liners I use and recommend.

Can I Use Bananas Instead?

You bet! I find the same process and temperature work just fine if you use bananas instead of plantains.

However, the bananas are more likely to stick to the basket, so you’ll definitely want to use a silicone liner or parchment paper. Also, be sure you’re choosing bananas that have some firmness. If they’re soft and ripe, they will mush into the mandoline.

And if you love bananas, try out our air fryer banana bread, 4-ingredient banana bread and banana blueberry oatmeal muffins recipes!

close up of a plantain chip cooked in air fryer

Can I Make Sweet Plantains in the Air Fryer?

Yes! All you need is a simple ingredient swap. Just switch out the salt and pepper for ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice and ⅛ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, then follow the rest of the recipe like usual. These air fryer sweet plantains taste amazing!

Can I Cook Frozen Plantains in the Air Fryer?

Want to whip up some frozen Goya Tostones with the air fryer? It’s so easy!

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Spritz the frozen tostones with some oil.
Lay the frozen tostones in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Cook for 8 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Other Air Fryer Appetizer and Snack Recipes You’ll Love:

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