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).

Use plantain tortillas for these taco recipes
You've got to have tacos to pair with these Whole30 and vegan plantain tortillas!
I highly suggest the Maple Chipotle Chicken Tacos — the slightly sweet flavor of the plantain tortillas goes SO well with the filling!
- Maple Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Walleye Fish Tacos with Radish Slaw
- Steak Tacos with Greek Salsa (Gluten Free, Paleo)
- Steak & Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri
More plantain recipes to try
Plantains are one of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with, so I have a whole category of plantain recipes on Chelsea Joy Eats!
Be sure to try out the BEST plantain pancake recipe or try something unique with a Flourless Plantain Brownie recipe!
- Crazy Easy Pan-Fried Plantain Patties
- Grilled Fish with Fried Plantains (Aloco)
- Whole30 Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca)
- Plantain & Raisin Fritters with Date Caramel Dipping Sauce
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe

Plantain Tortillas (Two Ways)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 34 minutes
- Yield: 4-12 tortillas, depending on which method you use 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: baked, pan-fried
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Two simple methods for making flourless, gluten free plantain tortillas! The stovetop method works best with unripe (green) plantains, while the baked method works well with yellow (ripe) plantains.
Ingredients
The Stovetop Method
- 1 plantain, green
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
The Baked Method
- 2 large plantains, green or yellowed
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons ghee, melted
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
The Stovetop Method
- Cut the ends of the plantains and slice the peel vertically down the length of the plantain (this makes it easier to peel them later). Slice the plantain horizontally into 4-5 large chunks. Set a large pot of water over high heat and add plantains. Bring to a boil, cooking for about 15 minutes until the flesh of the plantains can easily be pierced with a fork.
- Drain the plantains. Remove peels (they should come off easily now) and drop into a blender with the salt. Blend on medium speed until the plantains come together in a ball of dough.
- Form the dough into 4-5 balls. The dough is very sticky! One at a time, place each dough ball between plastic (like from a zip-top bag) and roll out with a rolling pin (or press with a tortilla press).
- Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook each tortilla for 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge, reheating before use.
The Baked Method
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the ends off the plantains and slice the peel vertically down the length of the plantain (this makes it easier to peel them). Slice the plantain horizontally into 4-5 large chunks. Remove the peels. Add the plantain chunks, egg, ghee, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt to a high-speed blender. Blend, starting on low and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, drop a heaping spoonful of the batter onto the lined baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon (or your finger) to spread the batter out in a circular motion, making it as thin as you can. Repeat until the baking sheet is filled (I can usually only fit 4 or 5 tortillas per baking sheet).
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. This recipe makes about 12 tortillas. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge, reheating before use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tortillas
Keywords: Plantain Tortillas
Aïssa says
Bonjour Chelsea,
Je ne parle malheureusement pas anglais. J'habite à Bruxelles et je suis ouest-africaine. Mais je tenais à vous dire que votre blog est magnifique de bonnes idées. Toutes ces recettes sur les bananes plantains m'ont époustouflées. Bravo !
Aïssa
Olga says
Thank you so much for the recipe! I've just cooked the stovetop tortillas from 1 green plantain, and they are just perfect! I've never thought that one can really make tortillas from plantain without adding some other ingredients such as eggs, oil, or some sort of flour. I'll definitely make more and going to try empanadas based on this dough recipe.
Greetings from Germany,
Olga