This post is also available in: Español
Mofongo – delicious fried green plantains mashed with garlic, pork rinds, and served with a simple garlic mojo for a scrumptious Caribbean dish that will become your new favorite!
Mofongo
Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made with fried green plantains that are then mashed with garlic and mixed pork cracklins. It is then shaped into a ball or formed in a cup or ramekin to be served.
Dominicans are also known for making a fantastic mofongo recipe and it’s the flagship dish of many Dominican restaurants in New York City. Although, I do not see much difference between the Puerto Rican and Dominican Mofongo, neither in ingredients or cooking method.
I love mofongo. It’s one of those dishes that just hits you in the right spot. It is flavorful and super feeling. It’s always best to serve it alongside some type of broth or sauce to add a bit extra moisture and enhance the flavor.
There are those who would serve it with a beef or chicken stew sauce or a garlic mojo. Either way, it’s absolutely delicious.
How to Make Mofongo?
To make this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Green plantains
- Garlic
- Pork cracklins (Chicharrón)
- Salt
To make the mofongo, first, you want to peel the plantains and cut them in one-inch rounds. Fry them in vegetable oil over medium heat until cooked through and golden brown. Mash the plantains, garlic and pork cracklins together using a pilón (wooden mortar and pestle). Mash it in small batches and mix all together at the end. Add to a cup or ramekin well packed. Turn it over onto a plate and tap on the top and around the edges to release. Serve with extra pork cracklins and garlic mojo.
For this recipe, you can buy the pork cracklins already cooked as I did or make them from scratch using this recipe from Clara over at Dominican Cooking.
To make the garlic mojo, crush together garlic cloves and salt with a pilón (mortar and pestle), and put into a medium bowl. Stir in fresh bitter orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chopped cilantro. Drizzle over mofongo as desired.
Other Plantain Recipes you might like:
- Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
- Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
- Stuffed Plantain Cups (Tostones Rellenos)
- Sweet Plantains and Picadillo Casserole (Pastelon de Platano Maduro)
Mofongo
Ingredients
For the Mofongo
- 1 cup oil for frying corn, peanut or soy
- 4 green plantains peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 tbsp garlic mashed
- 1 lb pork cracklings cut into 1 inch pieces I bought mine precooked at a restaurant
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or more, to taste
For the Garlic Mojo
- 6 garlic cloves finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons bitter orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano crushed
- 1 tablespoon cilantro roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
To make the Garlic Mojo
- Crush together garlic cloves and salt with a pilón (mortar and pestle), and put into a medium bowl.
- Stir in fresh bitter orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chopped cilantro.
- Add more salt to taste, if desired.
To Make the Mofongo
- Heat oil over medium heat and fry the plantains till golden brown all over (3-5 mins). Using a pilón (wooden mortamash the plantain, garlic, and cracklins together (You might have to do it in small batches and mix in the end).
- Shape into 6 balls and place in small bowls.
- Serve garnished with the beef stock.
ANDREA says
MOFONGO. eso es una delicia, no parece tan complicado de hacer, voy a tratar de hacerlo esta semana. Un abrazo
Andrea
Blanca D says
I had never tried mofongo before but it looks so delicious! I’ll put it on my list. Thank you for the recipe.
Ana says
¡Qué delicia el mofongo! Lo comía muy seguido cuando vivía en Nueva York, pero nunca me imaginé que fuera tan fácil de hacerse. Igual y en este mes de la Herencia Hispana se los hago a mis hijos para que lo prueben.
Ana says
Sorry, in English: I loooove monfongo! I used to eat it when I lived in New York. I never imagined that it is so easy to prepare. Probably it will be a good idea to do it for Hispanic Heritage month, so my kids can try it.
Alejandra Graf says
I love platain dishes, do you know if I can prepare mofongo in a vegan version?
Vanessa says
You can definitely make it Vegan. Just prepare the mofongo as usual omitting the pork. It’ll taste just as delicious. I promise.
Valentina says
Delicious! I love all things plantain 🤗 And eating mofongo takes me directly to the DR and Puerto Rico. Thanks for the recipe!
Fabiola Acosta says
Oh Wow! Your mofongo looks delicious… thanks for the recipe and the perfect and easy way to how to make mofongo!. I love your blog.
Enri says
Your mofongo looks amazing! Even if I prefer mangú! Everything plantain has my name!
Lynne Villalba says
I had mofongo for the first time in PR and loved it!
questioning your last instruction about beef broth?
also, do you have a recipe for stuffing the mofongo with seafood?
Thanks!
Vanessa says
Hi Lynne, Mofongo is such a delicious dish. The beef both I am referring to in the instructions is the sauce that comes with stewed beef, which is usually used to drizzle over mofongo. You can also use the sauce from braised chicken. You can search the blog for the recipe. I do not have a recipe for seafood mofongo, but I will do my best to share one soon. 🙂 Thanks for your message.
Kate says
This looks so amazing! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!!
Vanessa says
It’s so good!