This jibarito recipe (plantain sandwich) is one worth saving! A jibarito sandwich is made with fried green plantains instead of bread and typically includes meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and garlic aioli or mayo-ketchup. Although the jibarito is usually made with steak, you can make your sandwich however you like. Some also enjoy chicken, lechon (roast pork) or ham on their jibarito. No matter what toppings you choose, I am sure you’ll agree that the jibarito is insanely delicious!
The jibarito is also a great gluten-free sandwich option! I sometimes pack jibarito ingredients in Ella’s lunchbox. If you worry about cold or soggy tostones in the lunchbox, you can also use Goya tostones chips, because they will remain crispy.
Jibarito sandwiches are made with deep-fried tostones. But in this recipe I am going to cook tostones in the air-fryer. I will also share a hack to retain their moisture and keep them from becoming too dry in the air fryer.
How to make a jibarito sandwich?
To make a jibarito sandwich or slider, you have to make tostones (or fried green plantains). You can choose to deep fry the plantains or cook in an air fryer. Deep frying will result in crispy and moist tostones. Air fried tostones will be crispy but a little more dry. To prevent this from happening, I soak the tostones in water before cooking them the second time in the air fryer. See my recipe below to see more details!
As for seasoning, I use Healthy Rican Adobo and Sazón. They are free of harmful ingredients like MSG and dyes. Use my code: madewithsazon for 10% off your order!
How you slice your plantain will also vary, depending on how big or small you want the sandwich. For a large sandwich, slice your plantain down the center, lengthwise. For sliders, cut the plantain into 2-inch rounds.
How to choose the right plantain for jibarito sandwich?
For a jibarito sandwich, you’ll want green plantains. Plantains with too many dark spots or turning black will be too ripe and also too sweet for this recipe. Also, ripe plantains are too mushy and the sandwich would fall part.
Where did the jibarito sandwich recipe come from?
The jibarito is an authentic Puerto Rican sandwich. It originated in Aguada, Puerto Rico where Jorge Muñoz and Coquí Feliciano served the sandwiches at their restaurant, Plátano Loco. The jibarito then gained much popularity in Chicago when Juan “Peter” Figueroa introduced the sandwich at Borinquen Restaurant, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Humboldt Park.
Where did the jibarito get its name?
In Puerto Rico, Jíbaro refers to people from the countryside who farm the land. The jibarito sandwich gets its name from the jíbaro people.
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Jibarito Recipe (Plantain Sandwich)
Ingredients
Steak
- 1 lb skirt steak
- 2 tsp adobo
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Plantains
- 2 green plantains
- olive oil cooking spray
- 4 cups water
- salt, to taste
Toppings
- 2 lettuce leaves
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- mayo-ketchup
Instructions
Steak
- Season skirt steak with adobo, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Grill steak over high heat until you reach desired cook. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
Plantains
- Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.
- Cut the ends off the plantain. Slice the skin from end to end. Peel the skin off and cut the plantain into 2-inch rounds.
- Place the plantain pieces in your air fryer basket and spray them with olive oil spray. Air fry for 5 minutes.
- Prepare a bowl of salted water.
- Remove the plantain pieces from the air fryer. Smash plantains to about 1/2-inch thickness using a tostonera (plantain smasher) or the bottom of a glass.
- Soak the smashed tostones in the bowl of salted water for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the tostones from the salted water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Return tostones to the air fryer in batches, cooking in a single layer each time. Spray the tops with olive oil spray and air fry for 5 minutes.
- Flip with tongs and spray the other side with olive oil spray. Air fry until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Remove tostones from air fryer and season with salt.
Assemble
- Place some steak on a piece of fried plantain, top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and mayo-ketchup. Top with another piece of fried plantain. Enjoy!
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