Stuffed Plantains With Ground Turkey
Sweet plantains are a staple in Latin American cuisine. They are typically fried but I have a few good tricks to ensure you can bake them and come out with the same exact result. This is a fun recipe where we stuff them with ground beef and make a wholesome meal with some lean protein and delicious carbs!In order to pick a good plantain, you need to find one that is super yellow with some dark spots. If you can only find green ones, you can expect for it to not be ready for several days and up to a week. It must be a deep yellow and not have any green tint on it at all. This is important!You can stuff these with your favorite Latin ground beef recipe. I am including a simple turkey one below.
Ingredients
- 4 Plantains see notes above on ensuring you pick the right one
- 1 lb Ground Turkey 90/10
- 1 White Onion, Diced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- .5 cup Cut up vegetables of choice I like peas, corn, carrots. Sometimes I used charred corn which is fun. You can also add black beans for more protein.
- Pepper to taste
- .5 cup Chicken or Beef Broth Water is fine too
- Queso Blanco You can find this at most grocery stores or a Latin supermarket. I like the brand Tropical or El Latino. This is not the same thing as Queso Fresco.
- Cilantro, lightly chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Let's start by cooking the turkey. On a pan over medium heat, add some olive oil and your turkey. You are going to brown it and crumble it with a wooden spoon as you go. Cook for 5-7 minutes until browned.
- Remove turkey from pan. Add your garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add your onion and cook until translucent-about 7 minutes. Add your tomato paste and combine well.
- Add your beef back into the pan. Add cumin, salt, pepper and oregano. Add your broth or water here. Start with 1/4 cup and turn heat down to simmer. Your meat should not be dry so be sure to keep it moist with your liquid. You want to see juice on the bottom of the pan but you dont want it to be too liquidy like a sauce or anything.
Plantains
- While your turkey is finishing up, lets get the plantains ready. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray or oil.
- Cut off the top of the plantain. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain only as deep as the peel. Remove the peel by pulling it back.
- Place the plantains on a greased baking tray and lightly spray them with cooking oil. Bake for about 15 minutes, turn, and bake on the other side for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
- Once they are done cooking, you are going to use a small sharp knife to cut a slit longwise. The plantain will be hot so you can use tongs to hold onto t. You want to cut into it deep enough to add your meat but you dont want to pierce the bottom of the plantain. You are just creating a pocket.
- Open up the plantain and stuff with your meat. Top with pieces of your queso blanco. Add back to the oven for 5 minutes.
- Top with chopped cilantro and enjoy