Rellenitos de plátano
Sweet ripe-plantain dough stuffed with cinnamon-sweetened black beans, fried and rolled in sugar.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Rellenitos are black-ripe plantains boiled soft, mashed into a dough, wrapped around a spoonful of sweetened black bean paste, then fried and rolled in sugar. Soft, sweet and faintly savoury from the beans, with a crisp skin from the oil. Each is about the size of a small egg. The plantains must be properly ripe, skins mostly black, or the dough cracks and will not hold. A spoon of flour helps on a humid day; purists manage without. This makes about a dozen and they take an hour, most of it boiling and cooling.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Plantain, very ripe, skins black4 large
- Black beans, cooked, drained (one tin rinsed)250 g
- Sugar, for the bean filling40 g
- Sugar, for rolling50 g
- Cinnamon, ground4.9 ml
- Wheat flour, only if the dough is too wet (optional)30 ml
- Neutral oil, for shallow frying, plus 1 tbsp for the beans300 ml
- Salt1.2 ml
- Water, for boiling1½ l
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Cut the ends off the plantains, slice each into three in its skin, and boil in the water for 15 minutes until a knife slides through. Drain, peel while warm and mash to a smooth paste with the salt. Let it cool until you can handle it.
25 min
Step 2
Blend or mash the beans with a splash of water. Fry the purée in a tablespoon of oil with the 40 g of sugar and cinnamon, stirring, until it is a thick paste that holds its shape, about 8 minutes. Cool.
10 min
Step 3
Work the flour into the plantain only if it sticks hopelessly to your hands. Take a golf ball of dough, flatten it in an oiled palm, add a teaspoon of beans, close the dough around it and roll into an oval. Repeat for twelve.
15 min
Tip: Oil your hands, not flour them. Flour on the outside burns in the pan.
Step 4
Heat 1 cm of oil to 170°C in a frying pan. Fry the rellenitos in batches, turning, until deep golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper.
12 min170°C
Watch: Ripe plantain burns fast because of its sugar. Keep the oil moderate.
Step 5
Roll in the remaining sugar while still hot. Serve warm, with crema if you like.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 286 kcal
- Protein
- 3.5 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 15.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.6 g
- Fibre
- 3.5 g
- Sugar
- 17.9 g
- Sodium
- 285 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.
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Nut-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
Home-cooked black beans → Tinned refried black beans
Check the label for lard if you want them vegan. Sweeten and cook down the same way.
Tips
- If the plantains are yellow rather than black, leave them in a paper bag for three more days. Underripe dough is dry and cracks.
- The bean paste must be stiff. If it is loose it leaks and the fritter splits in the oil.
History & culture
Street and market food across Guatemala, sold from cloth-lined baskets with other antojitos in the late afternoon, and a home dessert after lunch. Some people put a spoon of crema on the plate. They are eaten warm. Cold rellenitos go heavy and sad; reheat them in a dry pan.
Plantain reached Guatemala through colonial trade from Africa via the Caribbean; black beans are native and older than any written record. Sweetening the beans with sugar and cinnamon is a Guatemalan habit few neighbours share. Rellenitos appear in market descriptions from the early twentieth century and are almost certainly older.
Traditional — Many Guatemalan cooks use leftover frijoles volteados (refried black beans) and sweeten them. Cooking the beans from plain is the same thing with one more step.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Rellenitos de plátano take?
1 hr all in — 25 min prep, 35 min 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 12 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ¼ tsp.
How much sugar?
40 g (for the bean filling) of Sugar.
How much sugar?
50 g (for rolling) of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Home-cooked black beans → Tinned refried black beans. Check the label for lard if you want them vegan. Sweeten and cook down the same way.
What should I watch for?
Ripe plantain burns fast because of its sugar. Keep the oil moderate.
Any tips from this recipe?
If the plantains are yellow rather than black, leave them in a paper bag for three more days. Underripe dough is dry and cracks. The bean paste must be stiff. If it is loose it leaks and the fritter splits in the oil.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
