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Caribbean

Puerto Rican Mashed Plantain with Garlic Pork

Puerto Rican mofongo made with fried green plantains, garlic, and crisp pork.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Puerto Rican Mashed Plantain with Garlic Pork

40 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

No inactive time is counted; mash the plantains while hot, so prepare the garlic pork before frying them.

Method

  1. Season the Pork Belly with 0.25 tsp Salt and cook it in a dry pan over medium heat until crisp and browned.

  2. Remove the crisp Pork Belly and keep 1 tbsp of its rendered fat in the pan.

  3. Add Garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, then mix in Lemon Juice, Chicken Stock, Ground Black Pepper, and the remaining Salt.

    30 sec

  4. Heat Cooking Oil in a deep pan and fry the Green Plantain rounds for 6 to 8 minutes, until cooked through but not hard.

    6–8 min

  5. Drain the fried Green Plantain and mash it while hot with the garlic-stock mixture.

  6. Fold in most of the crisp Pork Belly, shape the mixture into two mounds, and top with the remaining Pork Belly.

How to tell it's done

The mofongo should be firm enough to hold shape but still moist, with crisp pork pieces throughout.

Getting it right

Tip

Mash the plantains while they are hot; once they cool, they become firm and harder to shape.

What to serve it with

Serve with a small bowl of warm chicken stock or a simple tomato-garlic sauce.

Common mistakes

The mofongo turns dry and crumbly.
Mash the plantains while they are hot and add warm stock a little at a time. Cold plantains firm up quickly and resist smoothing.

Substitutions

  • Pork Belly — Use crisp cooked bacon-style pork only if Pork Belly is unavailable.
  • Chicken Stock — Use Water for a lighter version, but the mofongo will taste less savory.

Storing and reheating

Mofongo is best eaten right after mashing. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days and reheat covered with a splash of warm stock; freezing is not recommended because the plantain texture turns dry.