Dive into the essence of Caribbean cuisine with our mouthwatering Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe! Often celebrated as the ‘unofficial’ national dish, Mofongo is a culinary masterpiece that embodies the rich flavors of Puerto Rico. Stay tuned for our next adventure featuring the official national dish, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas)!
Keep reading to learn how to prepare this Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe.
The Puerto Rican Mofongo recipe we decided to use is inspired by Executive Chef Derick Lopez of the Freakin Rican Restaurant in NYC. You can check out his Instagram here. We followed some of his videos to make this delicious dish from his homeland (Derick, you’re the man! thanks for the tips!!).
Having visited Puerto Rico multiple times, we were able to taste many local dishes. Mofongo, by far, was one of our favorites! The ingredients are simple, and the flavor? A++! There are many ways to adapt this dish to your liking, making it versatile and adaptable to different occasions.
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT MOFONGO.
A predecessor of Mofongo came from West and Central Africa and was brought to Puerto Rico with the slave trade. It is usually made from boiled or fried, pulverized, unripe green plantains, though it is not uncommon to see it made with yuca. Stuffed mofongo, called mofongo relleno, can include chicken, beef, shrimp, or vegetables, among other options. Mofongo is similar to plantain-based dishes in the Dominican Republic and Cuba’s “fufu.”
Are you ready to try This Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe? Ok, let’s start cooking!
Puerto Rican Mofongo
Ingredients
MOFONGO
- 2 green plantains
- 3 cups oil + 2 table spoons
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ tsp black pepper
MOJO SAUCE (GARLIC SAUCE)
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup garlic
- ¼ green bell pepper
- ¼ red bell pepper
- 1/4 onion
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 1/2 tbs salt
RED SAUCE WITH CHICKEN
- 1/2 onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp vinegar
- 2 chicken breasts or meat of your choice
Instructions
MOFONGO SAUCE
- Combine finely chopped garlic, peppers (green and red), oil, the lemon juice, and salt into a small saucepan. Stir occasionally. Let it cook on low for about 30-40 minutes or until garlic is brown but not burned. Let it seat while you prepare the Mofongo.
RED SAUCE
- Cook 3-4 slim slices of chicken breasts on both sides for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked thoroughly through.Slice chicken or shred chicken (your choice) and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add red/green/poblano peppers (unseeded), red onions (all chopped to your liking) into pan. Mix and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Mix as needed as to not over fry pieces.
- Mix together the tomato sauce with the peppers, onions, salt, pepper and spices. Leave to a slow simmer. Add water as needed (up to a half a cup ) for simmering. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add shredded/diced chicken to sauce. Cover and continue to simmer for about another 10-15 minutes. Place to side once completed.
MOFONGO
- In a small pan fry two pieces of garlic with out skin still on (Chef D, thanks for the tip I never tried this before and now I have found another love for garlic that I didn't know existed!). Fry garlic until browned on both sides. Once completed peel garlic from shell and place in a large mortar or a mixing bowl.
- Placed chopped pork belly (lightly salted) into fryer cook on medium to high heat. Cook until all pieces are thoroughly cooked. You have a choice here which is a preference, tender for a more fatty/meaty experience or crunchy for a more chicharron type of experience. 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat up 2-3 cups of canola oil; if you don't have it use olive oil (to add: if you use olive oil, make sure you are not overheating the oil for too long before adding the chopped plantains). The trick here is to add enough oil to cover all pieces, so they cook evenly. Cook until golden brown; chopped pieces are finished once they start rising to the top. Take out immediately so as not to overcook.Healthier alternative: Air fry, glaze chopped plantains with olive oil, and put in a preheated air fryer (400 degrees). It's less oily, fatty and will return the same results. Air fry for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping to ensure all sides are evenly cooked (looks golden brown).
- Remove and place the plantains in the mortar or a mixing bowl with the garlic. Add 2 tbsp of butter at room temperature. Alternatively, you can also use 2 tbsp of oil or vegan butter. Mash everything.Once completed, add the chopped pork belly and mix in with a spoon.
- Pat all contents into a bowl, and pat in until firm. Turn upside down and plate.
- Garnish with mojo sauce, and plate with your Chicken in red tomato sauce. The most important step is below:
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