Stuffed Plantain Cups (Black Bean and Chorizo Filling)

Last updated on 16th November 2023

These lovely stuffed plantain cups are a perfect comfort food treat. In this easy recipe the green plantains are peeled, cut, fried, shaped into cups and fried again for a crispy, savoury dish that is stuffed with the filling prepared beforehand. I love the black turtle bean and chorizo spicy filling, but ropa vieja, picadillo or another filling you prefer will work just as well. Ideal for a starter or sharing dish, you may find yourself making this recipe with great frequency.

 

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Plantains are a staple in the Caribbean and in many tropical countries around the world. Growing up in Cuba, plantain side dishes and snacks were always a favourite of mine.

There are many ways to cook plantains, but my preference has always been to fry them. I enjoy savoury green plantains as much as I enjoy the sweet ripe ones. This recipe calls for green plantains, and in Cuba we call it tostones rellenos (stuffed twice fried plantains). Let me show you how I make it!

Jump to:

• What are stuffed plantain cups
• Why are you going to love this recipe
• Where to buy plantains
• Ingredients to make stuffed plantain cups
• How to peel plantains
• How to make stuffed plantain cups
• Top Tips and Fun Facts
• Recipe card

What are stuffed plantain cups

Stuffed plantain cups are little cup-shaped plantain chunks stuffed with meat, beans or another filling prepared beforehand.

To make plantain cups, you need green plantains. The plantain is scored on its peel lengthwise to help separate the flesh from the peel with your fingers. The plantain is then cut into chunks that are fried in hot oil until golden and soft enough to shape into cups.

Once they are all shaped, the plantain cups are fried a second time until crispy and golden brown. Then, they are stuffed with the delicious filling. You can use anything yummy you prefer but I have clear favourites that I want to show you next.

Why are you going to love this recipe

Plantains are amazing. Plantains are a versatile ingredient, so they can be a great addition to your pantry. With green plantains you can make chips, tostones (twice fried plantains), mash and of course, stuffed plantain cups. With ripe plantains you can make maduros fritos (fried plantains), more mash, desserts, and many more. In fact, you can cook with a plantain in any ripeness state (from green, to yellow, to almost black with yellow spots).

Plantains are a fruit with nutritive value. They are rich in fibre, vitamins A and C and minerals (magnesium, potassium).

A very original dish. Plantain cups are a flavourful starter dish where you can literally eat the cup that carries the succulent filling. And you did that without having corn tortillas 😉 Isn’t that very original?!

Super easy to variate recipe. This recipe allows you to be creative and try different combinations. The plantain cups will hold your favourite filling whether it is meat, beans, vegetables, seafood, cheese… the possibilities are almost endless.

My go-to fillings right now are a spicy black turtle beans and chorizo paste and ropa vieja. I also love beef picadillo, which is one of the traditional Cuban dishes to combine with fried plantains of any kind.

Where to buy plantains

In the UK, you can buy plantains in Asian, African and Latin American grocery shops.

Occasionally, you can buy them in some larger high street supermarkets as well.

Ingredients to make stuffed plantain cups

Green plantains. You will need two or three green plantains to make 8 cups. It depends on the size of the plantain. You always need to cook green plantains before consuming them. Remember, green plantains are savoury and ripe plantains are sweet when cooked.

A plantain that has just started ripening could be suitable as well to make the cups. With this change, they will taste a bit sweet, which is not bad, just different from this recipe.

Black turtle beans. Leftover Cuban Black Beans Soup, which is one of my all time favourite dishes. If you have made the recipe, you will know how hearty and flavourful are these beans. The combination of black turtle beans and chorizo is perfect to go with plantains!

Spanish chorizo. Half a Spanish mild chorizo diced very small and with the casing removed.

Chilli oil with black soybeans. This is an all-purpose condiment mostly found in Chinese dishes. A couple of teaspoons of this chilli oil is enough to add a little kick to the plantain cups filling. It is not very common to use chilli oil in Cuban cuisine, but I love the combination with the black turtle beans. Rules to be broken, right?

It is entirely up to you to use it. Instead, you could use extra virgin olive oil and swap the mild chorizo for a spicy one.

More on the chilli oil with black soybeans in this post by The Woks of Life.

Frying oil. A few cups of oil (vegetable, sunflower, etc) to fry the plantains.

How to make stuffed plantain cups

I am going to explain below how to make the plantain cups and the filling of black beans with chorizo. As you can choose whichever filling you prefer for the plantain cups, feel free to adapt the recipe. The way to fry the plantains and shape them into cups is always the same regardless of the filling.

I am showing you how to cut and peel the plantains as well. It’s a hack you will be glad to dominate.

Make the filling. Dice 100 g of Spanish mild chorizo, casing removed. To a medium non-stick pan over low-medium heat, add 2 to 3 tsp of black soybeans in chilli oil and the diced chorizo. Gently fry until the chorizo starts to brown slightly and it has rendered its oil. Then, add 300 g (1 cup) of leftover black turtle beans soup and stir. Fry everything for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. As a result, you should obtain a bean and chorizo paste with a spicy flavour from the chilli oil. Cover the filling until ready to stuff the plantain cups or reserve to reheat later when needed.

Cut the plantains. Rinse the plantains under running water. Chop their ends and score lengthwise along their peel with a paring knife. Take care not to score on the flesh of the plantain. Peel them with your hands or use a knife. Cut the plantains in pieces of 2 to 2 ½ inches long.

Fry the plantain chunks. Add two to three centimetres of oil to a deep pan and place on the hobs over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the plantain pieces in batches for 5-6 min until golden on all of their surface. Remove them from the oil and place on a surface with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.

Shape the plantain cups. Introduce the fried plantain pieces into the concave part of a hand citrus press, one at a time. Shape the plantain into a cup with the press. It is best to put a small piece of kitchen cling film between the plantain piece and the press to prevent it from getting stuck.

Fry the plantain cups. Place the plantain cups into the oil, this time over medium-high heat. Fry them in batches until totally golden brown and crispy. Take care not to burn the plantain cups and prevent the oil from getting too hot and to release smoke. Once done, place the cups over the plate with new kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and sprinkle a little salt.

Stuff the plantain cups. Take spoonfuls of the black turtle beans with chorizo filling and stuff the plantain cups to the top. Serve immediately and enjoy! Other suggested fillings for plantain cups are ropa vieja and beef picadillo. I assure that any option is delicious, and you will love your plantain cups.

Why not try combining different fillings? Half of the cups with ropa vieja and the other half with black beans and chorizo. Just like in my pictures!

Top Tips and Fun Facts

I tried the chilli oil with black soybeans (also known as preserved black beans in chilli oil) at the home of two friends in Cuba. They loved to eat their traditional black beans soup with white rice and the chilli oil. I was sceptic of its suitability for Cuban dishes but once I tried it, I totally loved it. I enjoy serving every now and then my black beans soup with a small ramekin with chilli oil.

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