How to Make Tasty Plantain Chips at Home

If you have friends over for a visit, set a plastic jar of plantain chips on the dining table, and the jar hasn’t been emptied by the time they’re ready to leave, then you know the plantain chips are subpar. Quality plantain chips don’t stay too long in the jar. The simple litmus test for plantain chips is this: the tastier and crunchier they are, the harder it is to keep your hands off them.

Plantain chips are a natural fit in many Nigerian homes. They’re handy and crunchy—perfect for keeping the mouth busy while working on a document or planning your next meal. And unlike chinchin, pies, or many snacks that require some tact to make, plantain chips follow a simple, straightforward process.

In this article, we’ll cover this simple process while pointing out a few storage tips to keep your homemade, tasty plantain chips crunchy for a long time.

Making Plantain Chips at Home

They say making food is an art. If so, making tasty plantain chips is like drawing stick figures on a plain piece of paper. You can’t mess it up. You don’t need any fancy equipment or a special recipe from your mum’s cookbook.

The outcome of your plantain chips varied with the plantains’ ripeness or softness, as well as your decision to sprinkle some pepper, salt, or sugar before frying.

Plantain Chips Ingredients

• Unripe plantains (firm and green)
• Vegetable oil
• Salt (to taste)

Cooking Method

To make the plantain chips:

• Peel the plantains by gently removing the skin, especially if you’re working with unripe plantains.
• With a knife (or mandorin slicer), cut the plantains into thin layers.
• In a bowl, sprinkle the sliced plantains and mix gently.
• Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Test the oil’s hotness with one or two slices. The oil should bubble if it’s hot enough.
• Fry in batches without overcrowding. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once golden brown, remove one or two slices to test for crispness. Then remove the entire batch and place on a paper towel (or brown paper bags) to drain.
• Let the chips cool before serving or packaging.

Tip: Flavor the vegetable oil by slicing an onion bulb into it and letting it fry for a few minutes. Onions release their natural sugars and aromatics into the oil, creating a savoury base which rubs off on the chips.

If you like spicy plantain chips, sprinkle a few tablespoons of pepper in the bowl of sliced plantains before frying. Thoroughly mix with a spatula or wooden spoon to distribute the spice without breaking the plantains.

And if you want a sweet variety, sprinkle the plantains with sugar in place of pepper before frying. The thin sugar coating will caramelize the chips without needing ripe plantains.

Want to make softer, sweeter plantain chips? With ripe plantains (yellow with black spots), you’ll get a softer, more chewy chip with natural sweetness. These need to be sliced slightly thicker or handled more gently because they’re softer and can burn quickly. Keep the oil temperature a bit lower to ensure the plantains don’t burn.

How to Store Homemade Plantain Chips

Without preservatives, homemade plantain chips can last up to two (2) weeks when stored right. Do commercially-packaged chips include preservatives? Yes, commercial snacks often include preservatives that keep them fresh for extensive periods, often for over three months. Most preservatives are safe for consumption, though research by nutrition experts suggests that consuming highly processed foods can have negative health effects.

Before storing, ensure your plantain chips are completely cool and dry. Any retained heat or moisture will cause condensation, leading to sogginess or mold.

Once dried, store the chips in airtight containers. This could be glass jars, plastic containers with a tight lid, or zip-lock bags. These options keep air and moisture out, retaining the crunchiness of your homemade chips. You should also avoid soft nylons or loose bags as they’ll let in moisture over a few days.

Keep your sealed containers in a cool, dry cupboard or pantry, away from heat, direct sunlight, or cold. Do not refrigerate; snacks like chinchin, chips, and nuts are not compatible with moisture.

You should also consider making modest batches of plantain chips, enough to last a few weeks but nothing beyond a month. If you make a large batch, divide them into smaller containers. That way, each time you open one, the rest stay untouched and sealed, keeping them fresher for longer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making Plantain Chips

With plantain chips, if you get it wrong on the first try, you won’t get it wrong the second time. It’s that easy. Here are a few mistakes to avoid so you don’t get it wrong at any time:

Using Ripe Plantains Instead of Unripe Ones

Can you process ripe plantains into plantain chips? Absolutely. Will these chips be as crunchy, sweet, and golden brown as your favorite chips? They won’t. Ripe plantains are softer and sweeter and result in chewy chips instead of crisp chips.

Want the classic crunch? Get quality, unripe plantains from PricePally or your favorite online grocery stores.

Not Heating the Oil to the Right Temperature

True, you can’t gauge the temperature of a heated oil just by staring at the oil in the pan. However, overheating the oil will brown the plantain chips too quickly while they’re undercooked inside. And underheating the oil before frying causes the chips to soak up oil, becoming soggy. 

Overcrowding the Pan

Dropping too many chips in the oil, however oil, quickly lowers its overall temperature, which has the same effect as underheating the oil. Fry your homemade chips in batches, ensuring that the chips are spread across the pan so each slice has space to crisp up.

Not Draining the Oil Completely

Skipping this step or storing the chips before they’re completely cool causes the chips to trap steam, softening them. Lay the chips on paper towels so the oil drains completely before packing them into airtight containers.

And lastly, when slicing your chips, aim for thin, uniform slices. Thick or uneven slices cook unevenly, some burning and some softening. If you don’t trust your knife-slicing skills, use a mandoline slicer to ensure consistency in thickness and eventual crunch. That’s how to make your plantain chips tasty, crunchy, and healthy.