Canoas de platano maduro or stuffed sweet plantain canoes are sweet plantains cut and stuffed like a canoe. The stuffing is comprised of meat seasoned with sofrito giving this dish an amazing flavor of the caribbean and Puerto Rico.
Canoa (ka-no-ahhh) means canoe in Spanish. In this recipe, the platanos can be fried or baked. They are sliced in the center to form the canoe then stuffed with a filling called “picadillo.” Picadillo is a mixture of ground beef, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro (the sofrito) and seasoning. Top it all with shredded cheese for a delicious sweet and savory meal with a Caribbean flair!
This recipe is delicious and super simple to make. For added convenience, use the Instacart link below within the recipe card to check all the ingredients you need and have them delivered to your front door!
What is Maduro?
Maduro means sweet. Plátano maduro is a sweet plantain. They possess a yellow and black skin at the market. This is in contrast to the green plantain used to make tostones. When selecting the fruit you must be certain they are ripe. They should appear yellow and black as the photo illustrates and soft but not mushy to the touch. If the plantain is too yellow it will be hard and you will not have a positive result. If purchased unripened, place the fruit in a paper bag in the closet. Check every few days until ripened.
Is Canoas de Plátano Maduro spicy?
This recipe is full of bold flavors but is not spicy. We use sweet bell peppers for the sofrito which adds no heat. If you love heat as do many in our household, consider adding a chili pepper to the meat mixture, or just add some pico at the table. A mango habanero hot sauce would work great with this dish!
How do you prepare sweet plantain?
Traditionally these are fried though many will choose to bake these for a healthier diet choice. Yes, anything fried does taste better! However, because of the sweetness of the plantain and the savory flavor of the meat mixture in this recipe, we have had success baking the plantain. Baking eliminates fat and calories making this a healthy and flavorful dish. The delicious filling or picadillo adequately compensates for preparing the plantain in the oven. Use a 9×13 baking pan to bake the plantains.
Can I make these plantains in the air fryer?
Absolutley! These will work great in a air fryer. We do suggest using the newer air fryers that are larger due to the size of the plantain. These won’t fit inside most of the original air fryers with the removable basket.
Are these sweet plantains healthy?
This recipe skips the traditional double-frying for baked plantains They are then filled with a savory picadillo made with lean turkey and all of the traditional flavors you are use to. This version creates a dish bursting with Puerto Rican flavors that is healthier than the traditional manner of preparing the dish. It may not be the exact same as the classic fried version, but trust us, the flavorful picadillo paired with the sweetness of the baked plantains creates a delicious twist on this Puerto Rican favorite. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
How to Cook Canoas de Plátano Maduro
In this recipe, we cut or split a ripe plantain as illustrated in the photo above. Remove the skin and bake in the oven or cook in the air fryer. While the plantains cook, begin making the filling. The start, prepare a sofrito.” We always make extra and freeze some to use when we make Spanish food again.
Next, brown the ground turkey or chicken in a pan. Drain excess fat. Beef or plant based meat can also be used. Add seasonings and sofrito. Once the plantain is done, remove from oven and let cool so it can be handled. Split as shown above. Stuff with filling and cheese. Place back into the oven or air fryer. Heat until hot and cheese is melted. Done.
What to Serve with Canoas de Plátano Maduro
This dish will go well with Spanish, or Puerto Rican rice, sautéed vegetables, or a hearty black bean soup. Click the link below to check out our easy to make and authentic Cuban Black Bean soup. This soup is amazing and can be prepared in an hour!
Traditional Cuban Black Bean Soup
Difficulty: EasyAn authentic yet easy to make Cuban black bean soup.
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Canoas de Plátano Maduro (stuffed sweet plantain canoes)
4
servings10
minutes45
minutesDelicious sweet plantains stuffed with a bold meat filling. A simple and healthy meal with some Puerto Rican flair.
Ingredients
4 ripe sweet plantains (see note)
1 packet Sazón with coriander & annato
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red pepper
1 medium finely diced onion
2 large garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup tomato sauce plus 2 Tbs
1/3 cup water
3 Tbs cilantro chopped
1 tsp oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
Avocado oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Cut (click to see knife options) the ends off each of the plantains. Score the skin being careful not to go too deep. Peel the skins back and remove. Rub each plantain with avocado oil. Wrap each plantain in foil paper and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Open foil. Loosen plantains if sticking. Place back in oven for another 10-20 minutes or until plantains are golden brown. Set aside.
- While plantains are baking, let’s cook the picadillo. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Brown the ground turkey on medium high while breaking the meat apart. Cook until no longer pink. Drain and remove any fat. Remove cooked meat and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in sauté pan on medium heat. Make the sofrito. Add onions, green pepper and red pepper and sauté for 1 minute before adding garlic and cilantro. Continue cooking until onion is translucent and peppers are soft.
- Return the cooked meat to the skillet. Add packet of Sazón, tomato sauce, water, oregano, salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully make a slit lengthwise along the inside of the plantains making sure not to go too deep or too far to the ends. Pull the slit apart to form the canoe shape. Fill each plantain with the meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Place in a 350 degree F oven and bake until cheese is melted. You can also put under the broiler to brown slightly but keep a close eye on it. You do not want the cheese to burn. You can garnish with some cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Picking the perfect sweet plantain can be very tricky. The blacker the plantain, the sweeter it will be. You do not want a plantain that is completely black as this will be too soft to handle in this recipe. You want one that does have more black spots than yellow and soft but still slightly firm to the touch. If it’s difficult to find one that fits the bill, just buy a few days before you plan to make this and put them in a brown paper bag for a few days to ripen.
- You will have enough meat mixture to make between 6-8 stuffed plantains. We like to make extra so we can have it at a later time. The meat will keep in the frig for up to a week or 3 months frozen.
- instead of baking try using an air fryer to bake your maduro.
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