Burgers come in all shapes and sizes, each with its own juicy flavor, but it’s safe to say the bun has been an obvious staple until the Tostone Burger was born.
Tostones are fried plantain slices popular in Latin American countries such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. They’re also known as patacones in Colombia or Ecuador and fritos verdes in the Dominican Republic.
These Tostone Burgers swooped in and changed the game in the burger world from people trying to DIY the recipe at home to it being featured in Puerto Rican restaurants across the nation.
As a Colombian who loves it when her dad brings out the plantains to make tostones, I was actually a bit skeptical about this burger.
What if the tostones make the burger too flat or too crunchy if they’re burnt?
What if they make it even harder to eat the burger if they can’t hold all the good stuff?
What if it’s just a lot of effort for something mediocre?
Despite my skepticism, I told my roommate we should give them a shot, and we found a new staple to our dinner choice list.
Making the Burger
Keeping things simple, we made beef burgers and only added mozzarella cheese, romaine lettuce, and condiments of our choice.
For all my college students who have limited kitchen supplies, all you need is some paper towels and a plate.
First, you want to fry the plantain slices you've cut up for some time so they are easy to flatten.
Simply press a slice of plantain with firm hands until you get that satisfying perfect plantain shape that makes up the bun.
After putting the flattened plantains in the oil, keep an eye on them to avoid any burning.
We did lose one plantain that accidentally broke apart, but we managed to salvage it by putting it back together with some egg coating.
Once the plantains were done, we focused on making the burgers and put some fries in the oven.
After a short wait, we had a beautiful plate of tostone burgers and fries waiting to be eaten.
Thoughts
These burgers were so easy to assemble and to hold because of the flat plantains. The burger didn't even feel flat since the beef was so thick and the plantains still had some volume.
The plantains added a whole new texture that took burgers to a completely different level. They weren't too crunchy, even if there were tiny burnt parts. It was like an extra sturdier bun that held the burger.
The salt on the plantains complimented the juicy flavor of the burger. My roommates and I were all satisfied with just one burger.
The fried plantains, I believe, make you more full because they pack much more substance in them than buns.
As if we needed more ways to upgrade a burger, and yet I am so glad we did.
Now, I'm not saying ditch the buns all together. I think buns are great, but tostones are great for something different in the kitchen when you want to spice things up.
These plantain burgers are a delicious twist to an American classic, and better yet, you get less carbs with more flavor with the bun replacement.
Treat yourself with a tostone burger that will add that Latin flavor to your dinner.