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Let’s get into the sweet, sizzling soul of the islands with a recipe for sweet fried plantains, aka plátanos maduros fritos. But this time, made with the modern ease of the Instant Pot multi-cooker to fry them in half the time. It’s the same Caribbean soulful side dish, now prepared with a contemporary kitchen appliance!

Instant Pot plantains

Plantains are a delicious yet often overlooked fruit. And sweet plantains? These golden beauties are the supporting star in comfort food dishes such as pastelón. Still, they also shine on their own, next to arroz con pollo, Jamaican oxtail, or just with a café con leche and a side of nostalgia.

You can think of them like Beyoncé going solo. Still part of the group, but absolutely capable of stealing the whole show! So, yeah, sweet plantains are delicious on their own because they’ve got flavor, charm, and heritage. They bring warmth to the plate and rhythm to your fork. No entourage needed.

Ingredients

Other than water, you only need four ingredients and an Instant Pot to quickly caramelize sweet plantains to tenderness. Together they create fried banana foster’s Caribbean, chill cousin. The one who effortlessly says everything’s all good, “Irie, mon!”

Sweet plantains have a soft and silky interior, resembling the taste of caramelized bananas but with deeper, earthier, and more complex flavors.
Butter, rather than frying in oil, takes it to a rich, decadent level that hugs every slice of this caramelized treat.
Brown sugar, just a sprinkle, is like adding earrings to a fabulous outfit. Not required, because ripened plantains are already naturally sweet. But oh-so-extra!
Cinnamon is the warm hug of depth, and that nostalgic “Di food a smell good” Caribbean aroma that floats through the kitchen and pulls everyone in.

How to choose sweet plantains

Sweet plantains are slices of ripe plantains. Remember to use the kind that look like bananas gone wild! Yellow with lots of black spots or entirely black.

How to make sweet plantains in the Instant Pot

Sweet plantains in the Instant Pot? Yes, mi amor, you can do that! And you’ll still get that sticky, syrupy finish and those crispy edges of pan-fried plátanos.

You see, the Instant Pot is a multi-cooker, so we’ll use the sauté setting to quickly cook these in under 10 minutes, which is half the time it takes to fry plantains on the stove.

Skip the soak since we’re making this recipe in the Instant Pot, we can skip the classic pre-soak. This will save you time and let you get to the delicious recipe faster.
Peel the plantains and cut them. Slice them diagonally to create beautiful golden pieces that fry up perfectly.
Remove the Instant Pot lid, add the water, and turn on the sauté setting.
Then add the ingredients to sauté with the Instant Pot lid off, serve, and enjoy!

How to serve sweet plantains

Some popular accompaniments for plantains include rice and beans, chicken or beef, and fish dishes such as red snapper or tuna steaks. Cheese is also a fantastic option to enhance this delicious treat.

Additionally, you can serve plantains with various savory sauces, including garlic, curry, and soy sauce. The possibilities for pairing with sweet plantains are endless, featuring options like coconut rice and mango kabobs for an instant tropical experience!