Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish that consists of mashed plantains and pork or chicken, seasoned with garlic and spices. Find out how to make this delicious Caribbean dish that will become your new favorite!
What Is Mofongo?
Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made with fried green plantains that are then mashed with garlic and mixed pork cracklins. It is then shaped into a ball or formed in a cup or ramekin to be served.
Dominicans are also known for making a fantastic mofongo recipe and it’s the flagship dish of many Dominican restaurants in New York City. Although, I do not see much difference between the Puerto Rican and Dominican Mofongo, neither in ingredients or cooking method.
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I love mofongo. It’s one of those dishes that just hits you in the right spot. It is flavorful and super filling. It’s always best to serve it alongside some type of broth or sauce to add a bit extra moisture and enhance the flavor.
There are those who would serve it with a beef or chicken stew sauce or a garlic mojo. Either way, it’s absolutely delicious.
Be sure to check out my Tostones (Fried Green Plantains) and Maduros (Fried Yellow Sweet Plantains) recipes too!
Ingredients
For the Mofongo
- Green plantains – this is the main ingredient for the entire dish. Be sure they are green unripe plantains. Yellow plantains are sweet and soft and won’t work for this dish.
- Garlic – for flavor!
- Pork cracklings (chicharrón) – for protein and more flavor. Bacon also works very well.
- Salt
- Oil – for frying
For the Garlic Mojo
- garlic cloves
- salt
- bitter orange
- olive oil
- ground cumin
- oregano
- cilantro
- salt
How to Make Mofongo?
- Heat oil over medium heat and fry the plantains till golden brown all over (3-5 mins). Using a pilón (wooden mortar) mash the plantain, garlic, and cracklins together (You might have to do it in small batches and mix in the end).
- Shape into 6 balls and place in small bowls.
- Serve garnished with the beef stock.
To Make the Garlic Mojo
- Crush together garlic cloves and salt with a pilón (mortar and pestle), and put into a medium bowl.
- Stir in fresh bitter orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chopped cilantro.
- Add more salt to taste, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although both of these dishes use green plantains as the main ingredient, the difference is in the preparation. To make mofongo, the plantains are usually fried in oil before being mashed with pork cracklings, garlic, salt, and sometimes bacon. Mangú, on the other hand, is boiled plantains and mashed with butter or oil. Both dishes are equally delicious.
As with any plantain dish, mofongo is best if consumed right away because the plantain tends to get hard and dry as it sits. If you have any leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 – 3 days.
I don’t recommend saving and reheating this dish as it will not keep well in the fridge. However, if you absolutely want to save your leftover mofongo for later, try placing it in a pan on the stovetop or in the oven to reheat. If the plantain gets too dry (which will most likely be the case), add a bit of water or broth to help moisten it.
This dish is very filling so you want to serve it with a light side dish such as salad or avocado. Add additional pieces of pork cracklings to your plate for more protein.
Mofongo Variations
There are so many variations of this dish out there and every single one of them is delicious. One of my favorites is Camarofongo (Shrimp Mofongo), which is mofongo served with stewed shrimp over the top.
You can also make it with shredded beef (Ropa Vieja) and there are those who top the traditional mofongo with plenty of cheese.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can use a potato masher if you do not have a mortar and pestle to mash the plantain.
- For this recipe you can buy the pork cracklings already cooked or make them from scratch using this recipe from Clara over at Dominican Cooking.
- You can substitute the pork cracklings for bacon if that is what you have on hand.
Other Plantain Recipes you might like:
- Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
- Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
- Stuffed Plantain Cups (Tostones Rellenos)
- Sweet Plantains and Picadillo Casserole (Pastelon de Platano Maduro)
Mofongo Recipe
Author:Equipment
- 1 Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
For the Mofongo
- 1 cup oil for frying, corn, peanut or soy
- 4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 tablespoon garlic, mashed
- 1 pound pork cracklings cut into 1 inch pieces (I bought mine precooked at a restaurant)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
For the Garlic Mojo
- 6 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons bitter orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
To Make the Mofongo
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry the plantains for 5-8 minutes, or golden brown on all sides. Transfer the plantains to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
- Using a large pilón (mortar and pestle) mash the plantains, garlic, and pork cracklins together, until the plantains are broken down. You might have to do this in small batches.
- Pack a serving into a small bowl and turn it over onto a plate for serving. Remove the bowl.
- Serve with extra pork cracklings (chicharrón) and garlic mojo on the side.
To make the Garlic Mojo
- Crush together garlic cloves and salt with a pilón (mortar and pestle), until you obtain a smooth paste. Transfer into a medium bowl.
- Stir in fresh bitter orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chopped cilantro.
- Add more salt to taste, if desired.
Notes
- You can use a potato masher if you do not have a mortar and pestle to mash the plantain.
- For this recipe you can buy the pork cracklings already cooked or make them from scratch using this recipe from Clara over at Dominican Cooking.
- You can substitute the pork cracklings for bacon or pernil if that is what you have on hand.
Nutrition
The nutritional information of this recipe and all recipes on mydominicankitchen.com is only an estimate. The accuracy of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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WENDY ORTIZ-AHUMADA says
Good website for looking how to make foods from other countries
June says
Lovely dish thanks!!!!!
To mash everything together can one use a food processor?
Vanessa says
For the right texture, it’s best to use a pilon or you can use a potato masher.
Kim says
In NYC, we had chicken and mofongo with a reddish sauce. what is in that sauce???
Vanessa says
You probably had mofongo with pollo guisado. Here’s the recipe for the pollo guisado you can add to your mofongo: https://mydominicankitchen.com/dominican-braised-chicken-pollo-guisado/
ANDREA says
MOFONGO. eso es una delicia, no parece tan complicado de hacer, voy a tratar de hacerlo esta semana. Un abrazo
Andrea
Blanca D says
I had never tried mofongo before but it looks so delicious! I’ll put it on my list. Thank you for the recipe.
Ana says
¡Qué delicia el mofongo! Lo comía muy seguido cuando vivía en Nueva York, pero nunca me imaginé que fuera tan fácil de hacerse. Igual y en este mes de la Herencia Hispana se los hago a mis hijos para que lo prueben.
Ana says
Sorry, in English: I loooove monfongo! I used to eat it when I lived in New York. I never imagined that it is so easy to prepare. Probably it will be a good idea to do it for Hispanic Heritage month, so my kids can try it.
Alejandra Graf says
I love platain dishes, do you know if I can prepare mofongo in a vegan version?
Vanessa says
You can definitely make it Vegan. Just prepare the mofongo as usual omitting the pork. It’ll taste just as delicious. I promise.
Valentina says
Delicious! I love all things plantain 🤗 And eating mofongo takes me directly to the DR and Puerto Rico. Thanks for the recipe!
Fabiola Acosta says
Oh Wow! Your mofongo looks delicious… thanks for the recipe and the perfect and easy way to how to make mofongo!. I love your blog.
Enri says
Your mofongo looks amazing! Even if I prefer mangú! Everything plantain has my name!
Lynne Villalba says
I had mofongo for the first time in PR and loved it!
questioning your last instruction about beef broth?
also, do you have a recipe for stuffing the mofongo with seafood?
Thanks!
Vanessa says
Hi Lynne, Mofongo is such a delicious dish. The beef both I am referring to in the instructions is the sauce that comes with stewed beef, which is usually used to drizzle over mofongo. You can also use the sauce from braised chicken. You can search the blog for the recipe. I do not have a recipe for seafood mofongo, but I will do my best to share one soon. 🙂 Thanks for your message.
Kate says
This looks so amazing! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!!
Vanessa says
It’s so good!