Plantain Tortillas
Magic Plantain Tortillas – This amazing fluffy tortilla recipe is made with only two ingredients: plantains and salt! They’re naturally gluten-free, paleo, vegan, grain-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, and perfect for loading up with your favorite taco fillings.
Why We Love Magic Plantain Tortillas
These Magic Plantain Tortillas are truly little miracles. They are not low-carb because they are made entirely of plantains and a little salt. However, that also means they are completely natural, paleo diet friendly, and great for people with food allergies and intolerances. Not to mention, they are fluffy, flexible, and sturdy enough to use in enchiladas or your other favorite Mexican dishes!
My daughter Ava had some health issues this past winter and currently cannot eat dairy, gluten, or rice, so these little babies have been a lifesaver for her. They feel just like homemade wheat tortillas, and they even bubble up when cooking!
How is this possible?
Plantains are mysterious things.
When they are ripe, they are soft and sweet enough to turn into all sorts of grain free and dairy free desserts.
Yet, when plantains are green and unripened, they are starchy and not really sweet. This starchy quality makes it possible to fry them into savory chips, or even make “plantain dough” to suit many cooking and baking needs.
You can make all kinds of green plantain recipes, but this is a favorite!
Ingredients You Need
- Plantains – firm & unripened (bright green or yellow); this is crucial as the starchiness makes it possible to fry them into tortillas
- Salt – to bring out the flavor
How to Make Plantain Tortillas
- Score the plantains by cutting a long line through the peel from tip to tip. Microwave for 6-7 minutes. (The peels will turn black in the microwave.)
- Carefully remove the peels and place the plantain flesh in aย food processor. Discard the peels. Add the salt, then cover the food processor and turn on high until the plantains chop into tiny pieces and eventually form a tight dough ball. This takes a few minutes, so don’t worry if it looks like it’s not coming together.
- Once the dough has formed, press it into a rectangle and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Then, roll each piece into a ball.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and smooth it flat. Then place one plantain dough ball on the plastic and cover it with another piece of plastic. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a flat 5- to 6-inch circle. It’s okay if it’s not perfect.
- Heat a nonstick skillet (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Once hot add the plantain tortilla to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute per side, until blisters form. Continue rolling and cooking the tortillas until they are finished.
- Store the tortillas in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
Get the Complete (Printable) Plantain Tortillas Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve these warm, soft plantain tortillas as a base for your favorite tacosโthink seasoned meats, roasted veggies, black beans with a sprinkle of cotija cheese. Add a pop of freshness by topping your tacos with creamy avocado slices, a squeeze of lime, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Or for a fun twist, load them up with shredded lettuce, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream.
Craving something crispy? Lightly pan-fry the tortillas to create tostadas and pile them high with refried beans, diced tomatoes, and pickled red onions. You can even turn them into homemade chips for dipping into guacamole or your favorite salsa!
If youโre keeping things simple, roll the tortillas into wraps filled with grilled chicken, crunchy veggies, and a drizzle of chipotle mayo. And donโt forget a fresh, zesty side like a crisp cabbage slaw or a citrusy mango salsaโitโs the perfect pairing to round out this naturally gluten-free, flavorful meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
You definitely can use a tortilla press to make my Magic Plantain Tortillas! After you form your circles from the dough, cover the interior of the tortilla press with plastic wrap to ensure nothing gets stuck. If you don’t already have one, you can check out my roundup of the best tortilla presses, but my personal favorite is the Victoria 8-Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press. It’s particularly great for this recipe because it does an amazing job of pressing uniform, perfectly thin tortillas.
No, ripe plantains wonโt work for this recipe. Youโll need firm, unripened plantains (bright green or yellow) to achieve the right texture and flexibility for the tortillas.
Store any leftover tortillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply warm them on a skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable.
Absolutely! Stack the tortillas with parchment paper between each one to prevent sticking, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months, and reheat directly from frozen on a skillet or griddle.
Each healthy homemade tortilla has 54 calories. Please see the recipe card below for the full nutritional fact sheet.
Looking for More Paleo Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
Magic Plantain Tortillas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large plantains, firm & unripened (bright green or yellow)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Score the plantains by cutting a long line through the peel from tip to tip. Microwave for 6-7 minutes. (The peels with turn black in the microwave.)
- Carefully remove the peels and place the plantain flesh in a food processor. Discard the peels. Add the salt, then cover the food processor and turn on high until the plantains chop into tiny pieces and eventually form a tight ball of dough. This takes a few minutes, so don’t worry if it looks like it’s not coming together.
- Once the dough has formed, press it into a rectangle and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Then roll each piece into a ball.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and smooth it flat. Then place one plantain dough ball on the plastic and cover it with another piece of plastic. Roll the dough out into a flat 5- to 6-inch circle. It’s okay if it’s not perfect.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the plantain tortilla to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute per side, until blisters form. Continue rolling and cooking the tortillas until they are finished.
- Store the tortillas in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
Can you make the dough and refrigerate in balls, and then flatten and cook the next day..?
Hi Helen,
Yes, you can. However, the plantain dough will oxidize and brown. Therefore be sure to wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap.
I love these. They’re SO versatile – you can microwave them to soften them, then use like a regular tortilla, or you can pan fry them (with fillings) or toast them to get crispy. In fact, if you put them in a toaster oven, they will get super crisp like a cracker, although they will also curl.
Question on the Plantain tortilla recipe. What size a rectangle before cutting into 12 equal pieces? Thanks for your time……Larry
Hi Larry!
Because you are going to roll the tortilla flat, the rectangle size doesn’t really matter. It’s just to help you cut the plantain dough into equal portions. Does that make sense?
Wow. A huge hit. Really needed my ancient food processor for this. You couldnโt do it in a blender I donโt think. Coconut oil on my hands and tortilla press worked well to keep the dough from sticking. Thanks so much for this recipe!!! Itโs a keeper!ย
Easy to make, used my Kitchenaid mixer, the dough formed easily. They are quick and easy for a meal,. Thankyou
Is it really necessary to microwave or boil the plantains first?
Can this be made by putting the raw plantains in the food processor and then pan frying?
Hi Lisa,
Working with plantains can be a little tricky. Therefore, to get the right texture of “dough” you will most likely need to cook and soften the plantains first. If you try making this recipe without that step, please report back! :)
I used 1 green and 1 yellow plantain and microwaved the yellow 5 minutes and green 7 minutes. Then I peeled them and used a potato masher and mashed them until most chunks were gone. I donโt own a food processor and my vitamix isnโt the right tool. I have a tortilla press and 2 plantains made 10 street taco sized tortillas. They were such a great side for me and so much tastier than the cassava flour tortillas. I am on an AIP diet and these are cheap and deliciousโฆ 2 words I like right now.ย
Delicious. Easy. But I couldn’t roll them out to tortilla size, maybe they were too ripe? I still rolled out and made something more like an arepa. Buy it worked. Bought more plantains to try again!
This is LIFE CHANGING. I love plantains, but had no idea they could make such a malleable dough. Genius. And delicious.
These tortillas really are magic! They came out perfectly and were an immediate favorite – Definitely adding to my regular rotation of recipes!
What am I doing wrong? Followed instructions and it also almost ruined my food processor (we will see if it works) and the batter was so so sticky I could hardly get it out of the bin. Lost more than half. Also so sticky to shape. Ended up with 3 small tortillas from 2 plantains. Good taste but definitely something is wrong. Advise please! Would love to try again but would need to adapt somehow.
Hi Deborah,
It sounds like maybe your plantains were starting to ripen and sweeten… When the plantains are unripened they are very starchy, not sticky. Is that a possibility?