Canoas de Plátanos Maduros (Stuffed Plantain Boats)
Sweet plantains stuffed with picadillo filling.
By: Franchesca Livraghi | @breakthrukitchen
Canoas de plátanos maduros, also known as stuffed plantain boats, are a tasty way to enjoy the perfect balance of sweet and savory. To make them, sweet plantains are fried until golden brown and shaped into boats, or canoes, then filled with delicious beef picadillo and topped with cheddar cheese!
Picking ripe plantains
Start by picking ripe plantains—the ones with yellow skin and a few black spots are perfect. They’re sweet and soft, just right for shaping into boats.
If the plantains are too green, they’ll be starchy and hard to work with, but when they’re ripe, they’re a lot easier to peel and handle, plus they have that delicious sweetness that pairs perfectly with salty fillings like picadillo.
You want them to be just tender enough that they can hold their shape after frying, so they’re perfect for making canoas. If the plantains are too ripe they will fall apart.
How to turn plantains into canoas
Making canoas de plátano is super simple. Start by peeling the plantains and slicing them lengthwise down the middle, but don’t cut all the way through. You want to create a little pocket for the filling. Then, fry them until they’re golden and tender. This makes them easy to shape into boats.
Once they’re fried, carefully mold them into boats by using a spoon to widen the slit you made earlier. At this point, the plantains are ready to be stuffed and you can set them aside while you whip up your filling.
Picadillo is the classic stuffing for plantain boats
Picadillo is the go-to filling for canoas de plátano, and it’s easy to see why. It’s hearty, flavorful, and makes each bite of your canoas super satisfying.This savory mix of ground beef cooked with peppers, onions, garlic, tomato, and a blend of Loisa’s Organic Adobo y Sazón is just what the sweet plantains need.
Some people like to throw in a handful of raisins or capers to add a little sweetness and tang, but I like to add a few sliced olives to the mix. If you want to go for a more tangy flavor, feel free to add in a spoonful of Loisa's Sofrito Rojo. Everything simmers together until it’s full of flavor and ready to stuff into your fried plantain boats.
More stuffing ideas
Even though the classic filling for stuffed plantain boats is picadillo, there are many other options that work just as well. For a lighter choice, shredded chicken with sautéed bell peppers and onions works well. A vegetarian option like black beans, corn, and melted cheese also makes a delicious combo. Some delicious seafood filling options could be camarones guisados or camarones al ajillo.
Feel free to get creative with the filling, and mix things up every time you make canoas de plátano maduro.
Add two layers of cheese to make these super cheesy
I like to add a layer of cheese before adding the picadillo filling and after as a topper. This step ensures you have a good amount of cheese to balance out the picadillo, and you get a super satisfying cheese pull!
Canoas de Plátanos Maduros (Stuffed Plantain Boats)
3
20 minutes
30 minutes
Ingredients
3 ripe plantains (yellow with some black spots)
Frying oil
1 pound ground beef
1 bell pepper, chopped
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup green olives, sliced
¼ cup raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp Loisa Organic Adobo
½ tsp Loisa Organic Sazón
¼ tsp Loisa Sal Marina
¼ tsp Loisa Organic Ground Black Pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Avocado for garnish (optional)
Directions
Peel and slice the plantains lengthwise, but not all the way through. Fry in oil until golden and tender then drain on paper towels lined plate. While the plantain is still hot, carefully use a spoon to widen the slice made before frying and shape the plantain into boats. Set aside.
Using a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic until it is minced. Set aside.
In a pan over medium heat, add ground beef, bell peppers, onion, olives, garlic, Adobo, Sazón, salt, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the meat is browned, or about 5 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce and vinegar and cook for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Optionally add capers and raisins, then set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place plantain boats on a baking sheet and fill with a layer of cheese, a layer off picadillo, and top with another layer of cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, and avocado and serve warm. ¡Buen provecho!
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Canoas de Plátanos Maduros (Stuffed Plantain Boats)
3
20 minutes
30 minutes
Ingredients
3 ripe plantains (yellow with some black spots)
Frying oil
1 pound ground beef
1 bell pepper, chopped
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup green olives, sliced
¼ cup raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp Loisa Organic Adobo
½ tsp Loisa Organic Sazón
¼ tsp Loisa Sal Marina
¼ tsp Loisa Organic Ground Black Pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Avocado for garnish (optional)
Directions
Peel and slice the plantains lengthwise, but not all the way through. Fry in oil until golden and tender then drain on paper towels lined plate. While the plantain is still hot, carefully use a spoon to widen the slice made before frying and shape the plantain into boats. Set aside.
Using a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic until it is minced. Set aside.
In a pan over medium heat, add ground beef, bell peppers, onion, olives, garlic, Adobo, Sazón, salt, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the meat is browned, or about 5 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce and vinegar and cook for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Optionally add capers and raisins, then set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place plantain boats on a baking sheet and fill with a layer of cheese, a layer off picadillo, and top with another layer of cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, and avocado and serve warm. ¡Buen provecho!