Chicharritas Dulces con Chile (Chile-Spiced Sweet Plantain Bites)

About This Recipe

Chicharritas — thin, crisp-fried plantain chips — are a beloved Cuban snack, usually made from green plantains and salted like potato chips. This version uses ripe, sweet plantains instead, sliced thin and fried the same way, then tossed while still hot in cinnamon sugar with a pinch of chile powder for a sweet-heat combination that plays off the plantain's natural caramelized sugars once it hits hot oil. The trick to crisp chicharritas, sweet or savory, is slicing thin and evenly (a mandoline helps enormously here) and frying in oil that's genuinely hot enough — around 175°C — so the plantain crisps quickly rather than absorbing oil and turning greasy. Because ripe plantains have more sugar than green ones, they brown faster, so this version needs closer watching than the traditional salty chip. Served warm in a paper cone or bowl, these are a street-snack-style treat — quick to make, and a genuine (if playful) extension of a real Cuban frying tradition rather than an invented gimmick.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3ripe plantains(yellow with some black spots, not fully black)
• 2 cupsneutral oil(for frying, such as canola)
• 3 tbspgranulated sugar
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 0.25 tspchile powder(such as ancho or a mild chili blend)
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the plantains

   Peel plantains and slice on a mandoline or with a sharp knife into rounds about 2mm thick — as thin and even as possible.

2. 2

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a heavy pot to a depth of about 3cm and heat to 175°C (350°F), using a thermometer to check.

3. 3

   Make the coating

   In a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, chile powder and salt.

4. 4

   Fry in batches

   Fry plantain slices in small batches, not crowding the pot, for 1.5-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp at the edges.

   Ripe plantains have more sugar than green ones and can go from golden to burnt fast — watch closely and pull them the moment they turn deep golden.

5. 5

   Drain and coat

   Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain briefly, then immediately toss the still-hot chips in the cinnamon-chile sugar so it sticks.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve warm, ideally within 20 minutes while still crisp.

Variations

• •

  Use green plantains and skip the sugar entirely for classic savory chicharritas, tossing instead in salt and a squeeze of lime.

• •

  Drizzle with a little condensed milk after coating for an extra-indulgent dessert version.

• •

  Swap chile powder for a pinch of cayenne if you want more direct heat rather than a mellow warmth.

Storage

Best eaten the same day; they lose crispness quickly. If needed, store uncovered at room temperature for a few hours and re-crisp in a 190°C oven for 3-4 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions