Plantain Tortillas on Stovetop or In Oven (Whole30, Vegan)

Versatile plantain tortillas can be made either on the stovetop or in the oven to add wonderful flavor to all sorts of taco creations!

Each version creates bendy, easy to prep tortillas that can be used right away or saved for later.

Plantains are so incredibly versatile - one of the reasons they a favorite of mine - so these two versions utilize both unripe, green plantains and ripe, yellow plantains.

Both of these methods do take a little prep time, but tacos with these tortillas are so freaking good...you won't regret it!

Ingredients needed for plantain tortillas

This post technically features TWO methods for making plantain tortillas - one using just ONE INGREDIENT, the other using THREE INGREDIENTS.

So think of this as a choose-your-adventure type of recipe based on the ripeness of the plantains you've got on hand.

For stovetop plantain tortillas

As mentioned, the first method uses a single ingredient:

- Plantains! Specifically, green to green-yellow (unripe) plantains.

You'll also sprinkle in some sea salt. But apparently no one ever counts salt as an ingredient. (It's just a given.)

For the oven method

Using plantains that are more ripe, you'll need a few more ingredients to bind the tortillas together and make up for the lack of starches.

- Plantains: If your plantains are fully yellow, a bit softer, or have started to brown, they're perfect for this method!

- Egg white: A single egg white becomes the binder for these tortillas.

- Ghee/butter/coconut oil: A little fat goes a long way towards keeping these tortillas pliable and bendy.

What kind of plantains should I use?

For this recipe and virtually all plantain recipes on my site, you're looking for plantain bananas.

While there are different types of plantains, you're looking for plantains that are a bit larger than the traditional bananas you see at the grocery store.

You may find smaller "finger" bananas/plantains at your store, but those aren't the ones you'll need for this recipe.

And you DEFINITELY don't want to use the weed also known as plantain (even though it is edible and has herbal benefits).

How do I know whether plantains are ripe or not?

Unlike bananas, which we typically eat when they're at a perfect yellow ripeness, plantains can be eaten from green to brown - just not raw!

- Green plantains: Not ripe yet, but used for more savory dishes (like the one ingredient plantain tortillas). These have the highest starch content, and are best partially-cooked before peeled.

- Green-yellow/Yellow plantains: Ripe, just like a banana! As plantains ripen, some of the starch converts to sugar. So they are a bit softer, a bit easier to peel, and a bit sweeter.

- Yellow-brown/Brown plantains: Overripe, but definitely still usable. While I would skip these plantain tortilla recipes, you can use overripe plantains for many baking recipes like Flourless Plantain Brownies.

How to make stovetop plantain tortillas

The first stovetop method uses just green plantains and a little salt.

Boil the plantain. First, you'll slice vertically down the peel of the plantain, then cut the plantain horizontally into 4-5 chunks. Slicing in advance like this makes it easier to peel later. Add the plantains to a pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.

Drain and let cool enough to handle. The peels should come off easily now!

Blend into a dough. Add the boiled plantain to a blender or food processor with a little salt, then blend until a dough is formed. It'll be REALLY sticky. Form into 4-5 balls.

Press into tortillas. I highly recommend using a zip-top bag, cut at the seams, to keep the tortillas from sticking. Parchment paper will not work, but a Ziploc bag works really well!

Use a tortilla press or rolling pin to form the tortillas. Either way, make sure you're using the zip-top bag to keep the tortillas from sticking.

Cook the tortillas. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the tortillas one at a time, cooking for 1-2 minutes on each side.

NOTE: If you try using plantains that have just turned yellow for the stovetop method (like I did) and you find that the dough is just tooooooo sticky and won't release well from the zip-top bag, try sprinkling the bag with arrowroot powder.

That will help prevent sticking, so you can easily peel away the tortillas. Unfortunately, they still won't make as great of tortillas as green plantains would, but they're usable! For me, they puffed up like naan bread when cooking. I might try to develop that into a different recipe!

How do you prevent the tortillas from sticking to the pan?

If you're having trouble with your tortillas sticking to the skillet, here are my top tips:

- Make sure the skillet is heated before adding the tortillas.

- Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet.

- As a last resort, add a little olive oil or coconut oil to the skillet before adding the tortillas.

How to make oven-baked plantain tortillas

In my eyes, oven-baked plantain tortillas are for those times when your plantains got a little too ripe. They're not totally green anymore and are a bit yellow instead.

The first method doesn't work as well in this situation. Instead we're going to blend with a binder and a little extra fat, then bake them.

Blend the ingredients. Add yellow plantain, egg white, and ghee/coconut oil/butter to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Make tortillas. Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use a spoon to drop about ¼ cup of plantain mixture onto the sheet, then use the back of the spoon to spread out into a circular shape. Repeat until all batter is used.

Bake tortillas. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8 minutes, and the plantain tortillas are good to go!

Yes, you can use green plantains for this method, too...I just prefer the simple plantain + salt combo in that case. The blend and bake method is my backup (since I can't always get green plantains at the one local store that carries them).

Either way, you end up with perfectly bendable tortillas. Excellent vehicles for taco cravings!

What to do with leftover tortillas

If you end up with too many tortillas, you can save them in the fridge. Just make sure you reheat them before using or they'll crack.

I typically microwave mine for about 7 seconds (but you can use a skillet to reheat them if that's your thing, too).