Plantains, a universal ingredient that is present in bountiful Asian, Latin American, Carribean, and African dishes. Most people mistake plantains for bananas as they look very similar to each other, but actually have differentiating factors.

Plantains are known to be “larger bananas” but it doesn’t function the same as bananas. With bananas, you can peel and eat directly, but plantains cannot be eaten raw and must be cooked before they can be enjoyed. Over the years, plantains have been creatively incorporated into different types of dishes in various forms.

From savory to sweet dishes, this fruit is pretty versatile. It can be mashed, fried, or boiled to serve with meat or simply by itself. You can sprinkle salt on it and enjoy it like chips or cover it in brown sugar to caramelize and soothe your sweet tooth. For this Caramelized Plantain Tacos with Pecan-Honey Butter recipe, we’re going the savory route and adding an array of sweet and spicy flavors to balance each other out.

RECIPE Ingredients: 

• 6 small flour or corn tortillas
• Spicy Mustard
  • ¼ cup Sriracha
  • ½ cup mustard
• Plantains
  • 1 large ripe plantain
  • 1.5 tbsp of pecans
  • 1 tbsp of honey
  • 4 tbsp of butter, salted
• Toppings
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Sliced radishes
  • Black beans
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Lime juice

• Tortillas
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Melt the butter and brush each side of the tortilla with melted butter. Set remaining butter to the side.
  • Bake for about 5-7 minutes
• Plantains
  • Ground pecans in a food processor or place in a sandwich bag and crush. Add crushed pecans and honey to the melted 3 tbsp of butter.
  • Add pecan/honey/butter mixture to a skillet or pan and bring to medium heat. Add plantains and cook until it absorbs the honey butter.
• The Taco
  • Build your tacos with plantains, toppings of your choice*, and enjoy!

* We chose toppings that have a crunch to them to counteract the softness of the plantains and tortillas!