Baked Patacones with Mojo Sauce, a baked version of classic fried Colombian patacones, or smashed plantains (or sometimes called tostones), served with spicy mojo herb sauce. Delicioso!
Prep oven + cut plantains: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Slice plantains into 1 inch (2.5 cm) sections. Place in a bowl and toss with oil, salt, and pepper.
Smash + bake plantains: Using a smooth-bottomed bowl or glass, smash each plantain (see photo above for example). Place smashed plantains on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, then flip and bake about 5 minutes more (don't burn!).
Make plantains crispier: If you'd like the patacones to be a bit crispier, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and heat them until they start to harden, about 3 minutes each side. Serve immediately with mojo sauce.
Mojo Sauce
Chop sauce ingredients: Place chopped garlic, cilantro, chopped green onions, and 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor and pulse until chopped but not blended.
Add oil + spices: Add the rest of the olive oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, oregano, lime juice, and lime zest. Pulse until integrated, but not smooth (about 5-6 pulses).
Notes
Recommended tools:cookie sheets, lodge cast iron skillet, little sauce ramekins
Recipe notes: For crispier baked plantains, you can bake for longer to achieve the desired crispy texture that you'd like, but we have found that baking can sometimes make them harder by drying them out. That's why if you're looking for a really crispy outside, then we suggest the final step of cooking them in a pan for a few minutes to get the crispy outsides while still having a soft inside.
Leftovers + storage: Patacones can be kept in a airtight dish in the refrigerator for up to a week, but will soften over time. Heat over a pan to make them crispy again. Mojo sauce can be kept in refrigerator for 4-5 days and used over meats, vegetables, and in soups.
Nutrition notes: Nutrition information was calculated with the additional mojo dipping sauce. This recipe uses only plant-based and gluten-free ingredients.