24 Interesting Plantain Breakfast Recipes From Around the World

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I grew up eating fried sweet plantains for breakfast as an accompaniment to my gallo pinto (Costa Rican beans and rice breakfast with Salsa Lizano). However, I did not learn until recently that plantains play an important role in breakfast meals in many different countries! Some examples of plantain breakfast recipes include Jamaican plantain porridge, Dominican mangú, and African plantain pancakes. In this post, I will show you several plantain breakfast recipes from around the world that I know you’ll enjoy 😉

More specifically, some of what you will discover below are boiled plantain breakfast recipes, fried plantain breakfast recipes, and yet others are baked plantain breakfast recipes.

Are you ready to start eating plantains for breakfast? I sure hope you are!

(There may be affiliate links in this post.  Read my disclosure policy to learn more.)

 

What Is Plantain?

Plantains are a type of cooking banana (however, do not eat these raw as they are very starchy–like a potato).

They are a major staple food in Latin America, the Caribbean, West Africa, and Central Africa.

Also, depending on the country, people either fry, bake or boil their plantains.

Lucky for us who love eating plantains, people all over the world eat plantains for any meal of the day. You can eat plantains for breakfast, lunch, dinner, as a snack, or even as a dessert!

If you’re interested in learning more about plantains, you can read more on my sweet fried plantains page.

 

Plantain Breakfast Recipes FAQs 

We’ll go into more detail later in the post, but here are just a few answers to some frequently asked questions related to plantain breakfast recipes.

 

What goes well with plantain?

• Costa Rican Gallo Pinto (Rice and Beans breakfast)
• Filipino Arroz a La Cubana (Cuban-style rice)
• Ze Ak Bannann (Haitian boiled green plantain and eggs)
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Gungo Peas Soup
• Jamaican Rice and Peas
• Curry Chicken
• Jamaican Oxtails
• Beans Curry
• Abenkwan (Palm Nut Soup)
• Coconut Shaki Soup
• Minced Meat Stew
• Beef Carrot Stew
• Fish Pepper Soup
• Catfish Pepper Soup
• Nigerian Fish Stew
• Obe Ata Dindin (Fried Pepper Stew)

Actually, plantains basically go well with any of the following types of dishes:

• Rice 
• Bean 
• Pork 
• Beef 
• Chicken 
• Fish 

 

What health benefits does plantain have?

Plantains are a kind of starchy food and they are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. More specifically, plantains are a great source of Vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant.

Green plantains (unripe plantains), specifically, are healthier for you because they don’t contain a lot of sugar as ripe or over-ripe plantains do.

 

What is the best way to serve plantains?

• Cut up into smaller slices and fried as a side.
• Boiled whole and eaten as a side.
• Chopped and boiled into stews or soups.
• Baked with honey and cinnamon.
• Twice-fried and flattened to eat as a Puerto Rican tostones snack.
• Mashed to make Dominican mangú breakfast.

 

Should plantains be soaked before cooking?

Yes. Soaking green plantains, in dishes such as Puerto Rican tostones, helps maintain the plantain’s color and texture until you’re ready to cook it.

 

Related Articles:

• Boiled Plantain Recipes From Around The World
• Sweet Fried Plantains From Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Other Countries

 

Asian Plantain Breakfast Recipes

 

Now here’s what you’ve been waiting for! Here are some breakfast recipes with plantains.

These recipes in this section are from countries in Asia.

 

1. Ginataang Bilo Bilo (Sticky Rice Balls in Coco Milk) By Foxy Folksy

If you like coconut milk, you are going to LOVE this recipe! This Filipino breakfast recipe is very filling, sweet, and so satisfying, too.

For this ginataang bilo bilo recipe, some of the main ingredients you’ll need are sweet potatoes, sweet yellow plantains (ripe plantains or saba bananas), and glutinous rice flour.

Oh, of course, you’ll need coconut cream or coconut milk, too!

SO delicious!

I SERIOUSLY recommend you take a look at the page by clicking on the link above as this dish is SO satisfying!

**And take a look at the video on the page, too!**

 

2. Pan-Roasted Ripe Plantains with Eggs: Kaai Vatiyathu By But First Chai

So, this is a pan-fried plantain breakfast recipe from India. It’s basically pan-roasted sweet plantains with eggs (or a plantain and egg stir-fry).

Sounds like a super satisfying combination, right?

The one thing you’ll love about it is it’s a SUPER easy recipe and will seriously only take you a few minutes to make! 

Check out the page above to find out how to make it!

 

3. Arroz a La Cubana By Panlasang Pinoy

Arroz a la Cubana is traditionally a dish from Spain, but Filipinos have their own version, too.

The literal English translation of this Filipino plantain breakfast dish is Cuban-style rice. In this case, plantain is used as a component of what makes up the whole breakfast dish. 

More specifically, this delicious Filipino breakfast dish consists of rice, egg, ground meat, and of course starchy cooking bananas.

Although this recipe developer advises using saging na saba (saba bananas), lots of people use plantains, too, as they serve the same purpose.

Click on the link above, or take a look at the YouTube video below by Simpol to see just how SUPER MOUTHWATERING this dish is!!

 

 

4. Plantain Stew By Chili in a Pod

You can eat this South Indian plantain stew as a breakfast meal or dessert.

Basically, you’ll be using ripe plantains and cooking them in coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom powder.

YUM!

Actually, (check this out) you’ll be frying plantains in coconut oil! Don’t you just love the taste of coconut oil? I know I sure do!

However, if you’re trying to eat healthier, keep in mind that there is some controversy regarding whether coconut oil is good or bad for you. 

According to Havard Health Publishing, coconut oil is high in saturated fat and can lead to cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes. 

Be cautious!

If this recipe still sounds good to you, check out the video on the page in the link above to view this must-try plantain breakfast recipe.

 

5. Pork Tapa with Fried Banana and Salted Egg By Panlasang Pinoy

This is another Filipino-inspired breakfast dish where plantains (or saba bananas) are used as one component of the whole meal.

This pork tapa with fried banana and salted egg dish is a very filling meal that will definitely help to kickstart your day.

In this breakfast recipe, you’ll basically start off by marinating the pork in vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt, to give this dish a nice tang. Then you’ll cook white rice and saba bananas (or plantains) to accompany the pork.

 

6. Maruya By Kawaling Pinoy

Banana fritters!

Ok, so although this is typically a Filipino snack, or dessert, a lot of people enjoy eating Maruya for breakfast.

Keep in mind that, similar to a lot of Filipino recipes, this recipe asks for saba bananas, but plantains can be used, too, since both are considered “cooking bananas”.

So, another important note is that this snack is prepared differently depending on the region in the Philippines, which the recipe developer explains more clearly in her post located in the link above.

(Basically, you can either slit, slice, or mash the saba bananas).

You have to, have to, have to check out this recipe!

Sooo mouthwatering!

 

Latin American and Caribbean Plantain Breakfast Recipes

Now for some Latin American and Caribbean breakfast ideas with plantains.

 

 

7. Mangú (Dominican Mashed Plantains) By Dominican Cooking

As mentioned in my Boiled Plantain Recipes page, Dominican mangú is a mashed plantains recipe that’s very similar to the pong plantain (pounded plantain) dish from Trinidad and mofongo from Puerto Rico.

This mashed plantain dish, in particular, is very popular in the Dominican Republic.

It’s so easy to make, too!

Making mangú basically involves boiling green plantains and then mashing them with some oil, or butter, and salt.

Seriously, that’s it!

Oh, and it’s super filling, too! You gotta see for yourself!

**Psssst. Dominicans love eating mangú with Dominican-style salami, fried eggs, and a special frying cheese  ;-)**

 

8. Jamaican Plantain Porridge By A Younique Journey

Ok, so Jamaican plantain porridge is a SUPER popular plantain breakfast. And, similar to Dominican mangú, this easy breakfast recipe is so convenient because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and it’s quick to make.

What you want to do is chop and blend the green plantains in some water, add the mixture to boiling water, stir, add coconut milk, and add seasonings.

Actually, there’s more to it than just that. You’ll have to click on the link above to find out the details 😉 

Or, you can take a look at the YouTube video below by Morris Time Cooking. 

He makes it a little differently than the Jamaican plantain porridge recipe above because, as I’m sure you’re aware, each person or each family can make any recipe a little different than someone else.

Check this Jamaican plantain porridge recipe out:

 

 

By the way, when I made this recipe for myself, I found it to be super easy to follow and it was DELICIOUS, too!

 

9. Green Plantain Empanadas with Cheese Filling By Laylita’s Recipes

So, this is a kind of empanada I wasn’t familiar with until recently.

If you don’t already know what an empanada is, it’s like a turnover pastry and it’s super common in Latin American cuisine.

In this case, this green plantain empanada with cheese (empanadas de verde con queso) recipe is one that is popular in the South American country of Ecuador.

You can either make them large enough for a meal or small enough for a snack or appetizer.

 

10. Haitian Plantain and Eggs By Jhulyland

OK, so one very common meal in Haiti is boiled plantains and scrambled eggs. This particular meal is called ze ak bannann. 

It’s a very, very, very EASY green plantain breakfast recipe. REALLY!

Of course, each family makes this dish differently, but the basic ingredients you’ll need for THIS recipe include the following:

• Green plantains
• Eggs
• Green bell pepper
• Habanero pepper
• Onions
• Salt
• Thyme
• Chicken bouillon
• Red pepper flakes
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Creole seasoning (optional)

Although there are boiled green plantains in this recipe, I would say the star of the dish is scrambled eggs.

You’ll see what I mean in the YouTube video below by Jhulyland:

 

 

11. Labouyi Bannann (Plantain Porridge) By Haitian Cooking

Ok, so here’s another Haitian plantain breakfast recipe. It’s called labouyi bannann and it’s basically a plantain porridge (very similar to Jamaican plantain porridge mentioned above).

So, instead of using oats and grains, as a lot of traditional porridge recipes do, this dish uses green plantains for a breakfast recipe.

Like the Jamaican version above, this Haitian porridge recipe is sweet and creamy.

Some of the popular ingredients to give it flavor are coconut milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. 

YUM!

Check out the link above to learn more about this Haitian breakfast green plantain porridge recipe.

 

African Plantain Breakfast Recipes

 

12. Nigerian Fried Plantain and Egg by Nene Blessing

So, this fried plantains and eggs breakfast recipe is VERY similar to the Haitian plantain and egg breakfast recipe above, except this Nigerian version, uses fried plantains instead of boiled plantains.

(Oh, and you use ripe plantains instead of green unripe plantains).

Check out the YouTube video below by Nene Blessing to find out how to make Nigerian fried plantains and eggs.

 

 

FYI, if you’re interested in using the Nigerian Maggie seasoning seen in so many African recipes, you can find it on Amazon.

Now, I’m not sure if the ones from Nigeria are the same ones I bought at Walmart and used in my Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo recipe (my aunt who taught me how to make this Costa Rican dish uses Maggie).

However, I’m thinking Nigerian Maggie seasoning is different considering the ingredient list. Hmmm.

13. Sweet Plantain Pancakes by Dream Africa

Ever made banana pancakes before? Well, these are a little similar, except instead of using bananas you will be using sweet ripe plantains.

Tafa tafa is sweet plantain pancakes that people in Africa make when plantains have become overripe.

They are super easy to make and don’t require many ingredients. You’ll basically only need sweet ripe plantains, all-purpose flour, and frying oil.

You don’t even need to add sugar because they are already super sweet!

Check out the link above by Dream Africa to learn more.

 

14. Plantain Puff Puff By Precious Core 

People normally eat puff puffs as a snack, but many people enjoy eating them for breakfast, too.

Puff puffs are a sweet plantain snack, similar to what you may call a plantain donut, that many people eat in African countries such as Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Ghana to name a few.

They actually look like little sweet plantain balls or weirdly shaped donut holes!

Here’s a list of other names for this sweet plantain treat and where they’re called by that name:

• Kala – Liberia
• Gato’ – Guinea
• Bofloto – Ivory Coast
• Legemat  – Sudan
• Mikate – Congo
• Buffloaf (or Boflot) – Ghana
• Beignet – Francophone Cameroon
• Vetkoek, Amagwinya, or Magwinya – South Africa & Zimbabwe
• Micate or Olinho – Angola
• Mandazi – Edges of Southern Southern and Eastern Africa

Keep in mind, that in this recipe, you’ll be using SUPER OVER-RIPE plantains.

You can check out a recipe for sweet plantain puff puffs or take a look at the YouTube video below by Nanaana’s Kitchen to learn more.

 

 

15. Nigerian Plantain Porridge By All Nigerian Foods

Ok, some people know this Nigerian plantain breakfast dish as unripe plantain pottage.

The basic ingredients for this plantain breakfast recipe include:

• Unripe green plantains
• Frozen mackerel fish
• Bonga fish
• Ground crayfish
• Scotch bonnet peppers
• Tomatoes
• Nigerian seasoning cubes
• Palm oil

If you’re interested in learning more, you can take a look at the video located in the link above.

 

16. Nigerian Plantain and Eggs Frittata By Nkechi Ajaeroh

Plantain and eggs frittata is a very popular dish in Nigeria.

Lucky for us, it’s not too difficult to make!

To make this ripe plantain frittata recipe, you’ll basically need to do the following:

• Chop your vegetables.
• Precook (boil) the potatoes for a few minutes to get them a little softer.
• Slice your sweet ripe plantains.
• Fry the plantains.
• Sautee the vegetables slightly (they will finish baking in the oven).
• Crack about 10 eggs and place the cracked eggs in a bowl.
• Mix in the vegetables with the eggs.
• Pour the egg and vegetable mixture into a baking dish.
• Place cooked ripe plantains on top of the egg and vegetable mixture.
• Bake in the oven.

See? Not too difficult, right?

If you want to learn more about how to make Nigerian plantain and eggs frittata breakfast, click on the link above.

 

Other Breakfast Recipes With Plantains

 

17. Plantain Muffins By Enjoy Clean Eating

So, plantain muffins are similar to banana muffins except you’re using sweet ripe plantains (yellow plantains… not black ones) instead of bananas.

This breakfast plantain recipe, in particular, is gluten-free and paleo-friendly. 

Also, here is a list of some of the main ingredients you’ll be using in this recipe:

• Ripe yellow plantain
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Eggs
• Cinnamon
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dried cranberries

Yummy, right?

 

18. Plantain Waffles By Easy GF Recipes

Now, this is a flourless and vegan sweet plantain waffle recipe. Some of the main ingredients you’ll be using are sweet ripe plantains, coconut oil, and cinnamon.

(What a great combination, right? I love cinnamon, coconut, and plantains!)

So, if you’re interested in making this easy plantain breakfast recipe, click on the link above.

Oh, and make sure to view the how-to video on the page, too!

 

Plantain Breakfast Hash Recipes

Let me tell you, there are SO many different kinds of plantain breakfast hash recipes out there from so many different parts of the world!

Check out some of the ones I found below:

19. Dominican Republic: Plantain Linguiça Breakfast Hash By Cooking with Books

20. Colombia: Sweet Plantain and Potato Hash By My Colombian Recipes

21. Mexico-Inspired: Chorizo and Ripe Plantain Hash By Laylita

22. Cuba: Pork and Plantain Cuban Breakfast Hash By Primal Palate

23. America-Inspired: Sweet Plantain Apple Bacon Breakfast Hash By Paleo Running Momma

 

24. Plantain Lasagna By Cotter Crunch

Ok, so if you’re not already aware of this, Puerto Ricans have a ripe sweet plantain dish called pastelón.

It resembles the Italian lasagna dish, except they use sliced ripe plantains instead of pasta.

And, it’s pretty yummy, too.

EXCEPT, that recipe won’t work for this post since this is supposed to be about plantain breakfast ideas.

However, I stumbled upon this pastelón-inspired breakfast plantain recipe that works well for breakfast!

Actually, it’s quite interesting. Take a look for yourself!

 

Final Thoughts On Breakfast Plantain Recipes

Well, there you have it! Plantain breakfast recipe ideas from around the world!

Do enjoy eating plantains for breakfast? How do you enjoy eating your plantains? Please let me know in the comments below!