This smash burger jibarito is insanely delicious! I somehow managed to recreate the viral smash burger taco and make it even better! Instead of using a flour tortilla I used tostones. The result is a sandwich that gives jibarito, smash burger and big mac all in one! It’s mind-blowing!
A classic jibarito sandwich is made with fried green plantains (tostones) instead of bread and typically includes meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and garlic aioli or mayo-ketchup.
In my recipe, I air-fry the tostones and share the ultimate hack to retain their moisture and also keep them from becoming too dry in the air fryer. SAVE this recipe for later!
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.
How to make a jibarito sandwich?
To make a jibarito sandwich, 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: curlsnpearlsss 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.
Now let’s get into the burgers! I used ground beef with 20% fat. Form small burger sliders about the size of the tostones. Then sprinkle them with some Adobo. That’s all they really need.
Cook on a hot pan for a couple of minutes, smashing them down with a spatula to keep them thin. Flip over and top with cheese. Once the cheese is melty, remove from heat, place on the tostones and add your favorite toppings!
How to make mac sauce?
There are so many variations of the mac sauce recipe and tons of controversy as well! Many people will say there is no ketchup in mac sauce. Others will have their own option about the ingredients. People will argue about this topic until they are blue in the face.
I have always made my mac sauce this way and I think it is PERFECT! I combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle brine, finely diced onions, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Then mix everything until well combined. Pure perfection, trust me.
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Smash Burger Jibarito
Ingredients
Tostones
- 2 green plantains
- 4 cups water
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp avocado oil
Burger
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tbsp adobo Healthy Rican
- 1 tsp sazon Healthy Rican
Toppings
- 2 lettuce leaves
- 1 tomato thinly sliced
- 2 pickles sliced
- 1 onion diced
Mac sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp pickle brine
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion finely diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Tostones
- 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.
Burgers
- Form small burger sliders about the size of the tostones.
- Sprinkle the meat with a little adobo.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Cook burgers for a couple of minutes on each side, smashing them down with a spatula to keep them thin. The meat will cook through quickly.
- Top with cheese and allow it to melt. Once the cheese has melted, remove from heat.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove from heat.
- Place burger patties on tostones. Add toppings of choice and a drizzle of mac sauce. Top with a toston and enjoy!
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This just replaced my Five Guys trip so delicious
Thank you for the love! That’s a huge compliment yay!
This looks so good, I have to try it! Thank you for sharing these unique recipes.
You are so welcome! I hope you enjoy this recipe!