Pastelón
Pastelón de plátano maduro
Puerto Rican sweet plantain lasagne: layers of fried ripe plantain, seasoned beef picadillo and cheese, set with beaten egg.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Pastelón de plátano maduro.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Pastelón layers fried slices of ripe plantain with picadillo, minced beef cooked down with sofrito, tomato, olives and raisins, and melting cheese, then pours beaten egg over to bind it before baking. The plantains must be yellow going black, soft and sweet, because the whole dish lives on the contrast between that sweetness and the salty, briny beef. It cuts into squares like a lasagne, which is why Puerto Ricans describe it that way to anyone who has not had it. This version fries the plantain slices in a shallow pan, builds three layers in a baking dish and bakes until the egg sets and the cheese browns.
What you'll need
16 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Ingredients
- Picadillo
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Plantain, very ripe, yellow with black patches, peeled and sliced lengthways 1 cm thick5 large
- Neutral oil, for shallow frying150 ml
- Melting cheese, mozzarella or a mild melting cheese, grated250 g
- Egg, beaten with a pinch of salt4 large
- Green beans, trimmed, blanched (optional)150 g
Picadillo
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat 1 cm of oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat and fry the plantain slices in batches, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until deep gold and soft. Drain on kitchen paper.
20 min
Tip: Ripe plantain burns fast because of the sugar. Medium heat, and turn them as soon as the edges darken.
Step 2
In the same pan with a spoon of the oil, cook the onion, pepper and garlic 5 minutes. Add the beef and brown it, breaking it up. Add passata, olives, raisins, oregano, cumin, salt and coriander and simmer 15 minutes until thick and almost dry.
25 min
Step 3
Heat the oven to 180°C. Oil a 20 by 30 cm baking dish. Lay a third of the plantain slices over the base, overlapping. Spread half the picadillo over, scatter green beans if using, and a third of the cheese.
5 min180°C
Step 4
Repeat with plantain, the remaining picadillo and cheese, and finish with a final layer of plantain. Pour the beaten egg evenly over the whole dish and let it seep in for a minute. Top with the last of the cheese.
5 min
Step 5
Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the egg is set, the cheese is browned and the edges bubble. Rest 15 minutes before cutting into squares or it will slide apart.
35 min180°C
Watch: Cut it too soon and you have a very good mess rather than squares.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 991 kcal
- Protein
- 46.8 g
- Carbs
- 87.4 g
- Fat
- 53.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 15.6 g
- Fibre
- 8.8 g
- Sugar
- 38.6 g
- Sodium
- 978 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Eggs
- Gluten-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Minced beef → Minced turkey or a lentil picadillo
Turkey is common. Lentils with the same seasoning make a fair vegetarian pastelón.
Tips
- Plantains not quite ripe enough? Leave them in a paper bag for two days. Black skin is the goal.
- Some cooks mash the fried plantain into a smooth layer instead of using slices. That is more Dominican in style and also good.
- A little sazón or a splash of olive brine in the picadillo is what most Puerto Rican kitchens do.
History & culture
Pastelón is family dinner food and potluck food. It travels well, feeds a crowd, and reheats. It appears at holidays alongside pernil and on ordinary Tuesdays. Dominicans make a near-identical dish under the same name; the Puerto Rican version usually has egg poured over, the Dominican one often has more cheese and a mashed rather than sliced base.
The picadillo filling is Spanish by way of Cuba, with Moorish-era raisins and olives. Ripe plantain as a starch layer is an island habit built on the African plantain. The combination into a baked, egg-set casserole is 20th-century home cooking that appeared in Puerto Rican cookbooks by the 1950s.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Pastelón take?
1 hr 35 min all in — 35 min prep, 1 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 squares. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Oven, Baking tray, Chef's knife.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Minced beef → Minced turkey or a lentil picadillo. Turkey is common. Lentils with the same seasoning make a fair vegetarian pastelón.
What should I watch for?
Cut it too soon and you have a very good mess rather than squares.
Any tips from this recipe?
Plantains not quite ripe enough? Leave them in a paper bag for two days. Black skin is the goal. Some cooks mash the fried plantain into a smooth layer instead of using slices. That is more Dominican in style and also good. A little sazón or a splash of olive brine in the picadillo is what most Puerto Rican kitchens do.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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