Twice-fried green-plantain discs — sliced thick, fried, smashed flat, refried until crisp. Colombian Caribbean and Pacific staple.
Twice-fry technique is West African — slaves brought it to the Caribbean coast, where green-plantain frying was already practiced. By the 18th century patacón was standard street food from Cartagena to Buenaventura. Also called tostón in some regions.
Pacific Coast preparation often uses chocón (a starchier plantain variety) for thicker patacones; Caribbean uses standard hartón. Cartagena's La Cevichería patacones (single 12-cm discs as ceviche boats) are credited to chef Jorge Escandón around 2008.
Pale yellow disc, 6-8 cm across, crispy edge, denser slightly chewy middle. Salt only — no sweet, never. Eat with hogao, suero costeño (coastal sour cream), or as a base for ceviche and shrimp salads.
First fry: 160°C, 4 min — just cooks the plantain through without color. Smash between two wooden boards or with the bottom of a glass to 1 cm. Second fry: 190°C, 2 min — surface caramelizes. One-fry attempts taste raw inside or burn outside.
Variations
Patacón pisao (Antioquia): hand-smashed, irregular. Patacón con todo (Cali): one giant disc topped with hogao, cheese, shredded chicken, served as a meal. Patacón con suero (Costeño): with sour-cream-and-salt dip.
On the Palate
Where Patacones sits in the Colombian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
5 steps · 22 min
- 15 min
Slice 3 green plantains into 3 cm thick rounds.
- 25 min
Fry rounds in 180 °C oil 4 min until pale gold; drain.
Watch outThis first fry only cooks the plantain through — pull it at pale gold with no browning, or the outside colors before you can smash it.
- 35 min
Smash each round flat between two boards.
- 45 min
Refry smashed plantains in 180 °C oil 3 min until crispy and dark golden.
Watch outNow push the oil hotter for the second fry so the smashed face caramelizes crisp and dark-gold — a lukewarm pot leaves them soft and greasy.
- 52 min
Sprinkle with salt; serve hot.
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