Mofongo Recipe

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Eat It With More Puerto-Rican-Inspired Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

What is Mofongo?

Mofongo is a flavorful Puerto Rican dish, but it’s safe to say it has its roots in Africa, where mashed plantains are regularly served in most homes. I think that’s why it sits so well with me. Mofongo combines unripe mashed plantains with garlic and crackling pork rinds or chicharrones and a shrimp sauce that is the bomb. 💥 It can be a side or a main dish.

Recipe Ingredients

Shrimp – The flavor base for the special sauce you’ll douse your plantain domes with. You could replace it with crab or lobster meat for a special occasion.
Herbs and Spices – Paprika, cumin, and fresh cilantro complement the main ingredients and bring this recipe to life.
Garlic – This potent herb adds a blast of flavor and aroma to this savory dish.
Bacon – Salty, fatty bacon adds a mountain of flavor to the already tasty plantains in this recipe.
Plantains – Green, mashed plantains make the foundation of mofongo, which is served in delicious little rounded domes. I’ve had this dish with yuca instead, and it’s also fantastic.
Chicharron – Fried pork skin is another big flavor player in this recipe and a traditional mofongo ingredient.

How to Make Mofongo

Make the Shrimp Sauce

1. Season the Shrimp – Lightly season shrimp with Creole spice. Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a skillet, then sauté the shrimp for about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Sautee the Veggies – Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, followed by onions, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, and paprika. Stir for about a minute or until fragrant.
3. The Pepper and Liquid – Add the bell pepper and chicken broth or water.
4. Simmer – Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Cook the Shrimp – Toss in shrimp; continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes more. Adjust for salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Fry the Plantains

6. Slice the Plantain – Cut each plantain into about 4-5 thick slices.
7. Soak the slices in salted water for about 15-30 minutes, then remove and dry with a paper towel.
8. Heat the Oil – Pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan until it is at least 1-inch deep. Heat on medium heat until the oil reaches 375℉/190℃.
9. Fry – Gently place the plantains into the oil. Fry them in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
10. Brown Them – Fry for 3-4 minutes until lightly brown on each side.
11. Drain – Use a large, slotted spoon or a similar utensil to remove the plantains from the oil. Then drain them on a paper towel.

Make the Mofongo

12. Cook the Bacon – In a small saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of oil, followed by garlic, bacon, and salt. Sauté for about a minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
13. Start to Mash – Place about a ½ teaspoon or more of the garlic, oil, and bacon mixture into a mortar and give it a smash with a pestle.
14. Add the chicharrones and some salt if necessary. Then, one by one, start adding and smashing the fried plantains with the other ingredients. Once all the ingredients have just come together, and the mortar is nearly full, the mofongo is ready. Don’t overdo it!
15. Add Shrimp Sauce – Run a knife or spatula between the mofongo and the mortar walls and place shrimp sauce in the middle.
16. Serve right out of the mortar or turn the mortar upside down on a serving plate and bang lightly so you get a nice mofongo dome.
17. Repeat the same process with the remaining garlic, bacon, oil, and plantains.

Recipe Variations

1. Roasted plantains will give you a slight taste twist, not to mention that it’s probably healthier than fried, too.
2. Mashed yuca or cassava is also a delicious variation.

Tips and Tricks

1. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a food processor instead. The texture will be slightly different, but the taste will be the same. To use a food processor, process all the bacon, garlic, oil, chicharrones, and plantains at once. Add salt to taste. Add a little bit of warm water or chicken stock to hold it together. Then form balls or use a small condiment bowl as a mold and serve. 👌
2. You may leave out the chicharrones if you can’t find a good store that makes them near you.
3. You can also use a potato masher and a regular bowl if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.
4. Add more chicken stock if you want your mashed plantain mixture a little bit loose.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Like most foods with fried ingredients, mofongo is best served immediately. All my favorite restaurants make this dish fresh to order since plantains brown quickly once sliced and peeled, and assembled mofongo doesn’t stick together well after it’s cooled. Honestly, after some experimentation, I can tell you it doesn’t reheat well either. So, for the best results with this recipe, make mofongo fresh and serve it as soon as you assemble it.

FAQs

What to Eat with Mofongo

Mofongo can be served as a side dish (often with pernil) or as the main course. It also goes great with arroz con pollo and other rice dishes. I’ve even seen people make extra small mofongo balls and drop them into soups or stews. Sounds good to me!

More Puerto-Rican-Inspired Recipes to Try

1. Arroz con Gandules
2. Jibarito (plantain and steak sandwich)
3. Arroz con Leche
4. Coquito
5. Tostones

Conclusion

If you are looking for a special treat that gives off some solid home-cooking vibes, mofongo is where it’s at. Give it a try, and let me know how impressed your guests are in the comments section. 🙌

Watch How to Make It

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This post was first published in August 2014 and has been updated with new photos.