Air Fryer Plantain Chips

These Air Fryer Plantain Chips, also known as Papita in Haiti are perfect for when you need a crunchy gluten-free snack.

For everyone who likes snacking on savory and salty treats, there’s nothing better than these air fryer plantain chips. 

Ranging from the crispy crunch to salty flavor, this is a gluten-free snack and is actually a delicious option for people who like paleo-friendly food. 

These chips are prepared with green plantains and be made in the air fryer or deep fried. 

Like many of our Haitian recipes, plantains are very popular in Haiti. They are also native to tropical areas in the Caribbean and warm climates in West Africa.

If you are not familiar with plantains, they resemble bananas. They are also a fruit, but they are treated like a starchy vegetable. 

You may use the green plantains, green-yellow plantains, or the sweet yellow plantains to prepare these chips. Either way you make them, you’ll love this snack. 

Plantain – Green & Yellow Plantain

Also known as chicharritas and chifles, as stated above, the plantain chips can be made from green-yellow plantains, green plantains, or simply by using the yellow plantains. The plantains are thinly sliced with a mandoline or sharp knife. 

Traditionally, these slices are deep-fried to make them golden and crispy. You can also bake them, and of course, a healthier version is to prepare them in the air fryer. 

With this method, the plantain is cut into thin slices and is cooked in the air fryer to make them crunchy with little oil.

These chips are widely consumed as a snack in Africa, but their popularity in the Caribbean is unmatched. 

How To Cut Plantain Chips 

Before cutting your plantains, we recommend that you peel it first. 

When peeling your plantains, they can be a little sticky to peel; especially the green plantains. The skin tend to be tough and stick to the “meat” a little more. 

To make peeling easy, let the plantains soak in water for 15-30 minutes. We highly recommend that you use a sharp knife to slice and peel the plantains. 

Once you’ve peeled your fruit, use a knife to cut the plantain into chips or use a mandoline for an even consistency. 

At this point you may arrange the plantain slices on a baking sheet. 

Before baking (if desired) be sure to preheat the air fryer (temperature listed in the recipe card) or the oven to 345 degrees. 

How To Make Homemade Plantain Chips

As stated, these starch vegetables are as delicious as any potato or sweet potato. Similar to a potato, plantains must be cooked to eat them. The traditional plantain chips are loaded with calories and fats since they are fried. 

Though the focus is to air fryer these plantains, here are a few more ways to make this delicious snack and enjoy your homemade plantain chips. 

Oven Baked Version

First, peel and cut the plantain in half with a sharp knife. Cutting it in half will make it easy for you to slice the fruit. 

Place the plantain pieces in warm water to keep them from turning brown as you work with the other plantain slices. 

Once you’ve slice the plantains in either lengthwise or in circles, place them in a bowl and toss them with olive oil and salt. 

You may use olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil. 

In a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay the plantains in a single layer. Bake the chips for 15-20 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired crispiness at 350 degrees. They should be golden and crisp. 

 Deep Fried Version

Add 4 cups of either vegetable oil or canola oil in the deep fryer. Bring the oil to temperature at 350 degrees. 

After you’ve seasoned your plantains with salt and the oil of your choice. In small batches, deep fry them until golden brown. 

Place the golden pieces in a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat the steps with the remaining chips. 

Are Plantain Chips Healthy

The air fryer version is a much healthier option because there is little to no oil involved. If you air fryer the plantain slices with no oil, they are able to retain the minerals, fibers, and vitamins. 

Air frying them also will result in less sodium than other processed chips. 

Traditionally, plantain chips have a dry texture with a crisp crunch, but the condition is to air-fry them properly to ensure they are fully cooked. 

The plantain snacks can be easily made from four basic ingredients include plantain slices, salt, oil (very little to air fryer or bake), and you may also spray coconut oil, if desired. 

When air fried, this snack is apt for parties, lunch boxes, and parties; and since they aren’t fried, there is no guilt involved. 

Can You Eat Plantain Chips On Keto Diet?

Unfortunately, plantains contain a high quantity of carbs. Therefor it is not keto friendly. 

How To Store Your Chips?

The chips will last for two to three days in the airtight containers. Honestly, they cannot be stored any longer because they will lose the crisp and crunch. 

In fact, we suggest that you use paper towel layers to store them as these towels will absorb the moisture and keep the chips healthy and crispy. 

Still, even if the chips lose the crispiness, you can heat them up at 300-degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes!

Our Tips & Recommendation

Which Plantains To Use: This is really your preference. We love to use the green plantains as the chips are crispier. However, you may also use the yellow or the green-yellow plantains. If your plantains are black, we recommend not using it to prepare chips as it will be too mushy, but use it to prepare plantain cake/bread. 

How To Cut: After peeling your plantain, we highly recommend that you use a sharp knife or a mandoline to cut and slice the plantain. 

Which Oil To Use: You may use canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil to deep fry the chips. When air frying or baking, we recommend that you use olive oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil/spray.

What To Pair With Your Homemade Chips?

The homemade plantain chips are delicious and mouth-watering on their own. However, if you want to serve them in a better way, you can opt for the white bean dip with cilantro and avocado, cinnamon peanut butter dip, roasted sweet potato hummus, Cowboy Caviar, or with roasted jalapeno queso! 

Here Are A Few More Plantain Recipes You’ll Love

If you loved these chips, we recommend trying these plantain recipes next. 

Plantain Bread

How To Boil Plantains 

Plantain Balls

Labouyi Bannann (Plantain Porridge)

Air Fryer Bannann Peze (Air Fryer Fried Plantains)

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