Breakfast doesn't have to mean eggs or pastries. I'll be the first to admit I get sick of eggs after a while, so I came up with these plantain & olive beef bowls as a filling breakfast alternative. And. It's. Amazing.
It's hard not to make an amazing meal when plantains, olives, capers and mayo are involved! If you haven't been hanging out in the paleo part of the internet very long, plantain & olive beef bowls will likely sound strange. But trust me. This makes a rockin' breakfast!
Just in time for the days to get shorter (therefore making photography harder - yay), I'm finally free of the event-planning responsibilities that were keeping me from spending time blogging, creating recipes, and practicing photography. I'm very excited to be back in the thick of hobbies that truly capture my interest.
In short, there will be a lot more going on here. And on Instagram (which I've kind of been avoiding?). That can only be a good thing, right?
Let's get back to the recipe. It's pretty straightforward, which is key for a great breakfast.
The hardest part is boiling the plantains... But don't let that spook you. It's just like boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes!
To make things easier, you can simply make Mashed Plantains in advance and use the leftovers for this recipe. I use ripe plantains for dishes like this. The sweet plantain with salty olives and capers makes a great combo.
If you're using extra-lean ground beef, the end result might be a bit dry. And that's where the mayo topping comes in! Just drizzle it on and mix everything up to keep it all from drying out.
You'll be enjoying a damn good breakfast (or lunch...or dinner!) in no time. Plus, the beef bowls reheat very well—just reserve the mayo drizzle until you're ready to eat.
On the hunt for more plantain recipes? Try these!
- Plantain Tortillas (Two Ways)
- Mashed Plantains (Sweet & Savory)
- Plantain Gnocchi with Savory Short Ribs
- 3 Ingredient Plantain Cake
- Flourless Plantain Skillet Brownie
- Flourless Plantain Empanadas
📖 Recipe

Plantain & Olive Beef Bowls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: skillet
Ingredients
- 2 green-yellow plantains (or use leftover Mashed Plantains and skip the first two steps)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ½ teaspoon paprika (omit for AIP)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (omit for AIP)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons paleo mayo
- 1 teaspoon water (optional)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Fill a large pot ¾ full with water. Slice lengthwise down the peel of each plantain and chop each plantain horizontally into 3 or 4 chunks. No need to peel it now—it's significantly easier to peel after boiling!
- Add the plantain chunks to the pot and bring the water to boiling. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the plantains can easily be pierced with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to remove the plantain. Pull the peels off and discard.
- In a large skillet, add the olive oil/ghee and brown the beef over medium heat. Add olives, capers, paprika, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, and plantains. Stir the mixture and roughly mash the plantain pieces with a fork or spatula, breaking them into smaller pieces. Turn off heat and spoon the mixture into 3-4 bowls.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, water, and parsley. Add additional water to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over beef bowls and serve.
Keywords: Plantain olive beef bowls