Traditional Plantain Mofongo

By Hector Rodriguez

Updated 11/11/19

Traditional Puerto Rican mofongo

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 5 mins
  • Yield: 4 mofongos (4 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
1120 Calories
116g Fat
9g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 mofongos (4 servings)
Amount per serving
Calories 1120
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 116g 149%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 37mg 12%
Sodium 85mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Protein 13g
Calcium 62mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This traditional mofongo recipe is made from fried green (unripe) plantains mashed together with garlic and crackling pork rinds, also known as chicharrón.

Plantain mofongo is thought to originate from Puerto Rico, and there are similar mashed plantain dishes from the other Spanish-speaking islands. Cuba has fufu de plátano and The Dominican Republic has mangú. The dish most likely has its origin in African cuisine. Enslaved people brought a dish called foo foo or fufu with them, which is made in the same manner from various mashed starchy vegetables such as yams, cassava, and plantains.

Mofongo is traditionally mashed in a mortar and pestle, but you can use a potato masher if you don't have one.

1:05

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 3 plantains (green, unripe)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 6 ounces pork rinds (cracklings, crushed)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for traditional mofongo
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to 350 F.

    Two inches of oil in a frying pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. While the oil is heating up, peel the plantain and cut into 1-inch rounds.

    Chopped plantain
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Fry the plantains until golden and tender. This will take approximately 4 to 6 minutes.

    Plantains frying in a pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Remove cooked plantains from the fryer and allow to drain on paper towels.

    Fried plantain drying on a paper towel
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Put the garlic paste in a mixing bowl or mortar and add fried plantains. Mash until thoroughly blended.

    Garlic paste in mortar
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Add the pork rinds. Continue to mash and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

    Pork rinds added to mashed plantain and garlic paste
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Shape the mofongo into 4 balls and serve hot.

    Shape into four balls
    The Spruce Eats/Ulyana Verbytska

Half-Dome Shape

  1. Alternatively, using a small condiment bowl as a mold, push a portion of mofongo down to the bottom of the bowl.

    Mushed mofongo in a bowl
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. With the back of a spoon, smooth over and level off the mix.

    Flattened mushed mofongo in a bowl
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. Then use the spoon to scrape around the bowl and remove the mash in a half-dome shape.

    Half dome-shaped mofongo
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Serve and enjoy!