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.
Notes
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