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4.9 from 90 votes

How to Make Mofongo [Recipe + Video]

Learn how to make mofongo a very tasty plantain mash with pork and garlic mixed in that will become your new favorite.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 659 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: South American , Puerto Rican , Dominican

Ingredients

For the beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound beef bones [0.45 kg] any type would do
  • 1 tablespoon mashed garlic cloves
  • 1 red onion halved
  • 1 prig cilantro
  • 1 sprig of recao/cilantro ancho/culantro optional
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
For the Puerto Rican mofongo
  • 1 cup oil for frying (vegetable oil)
  • 4 plantain (green, unripe) peeled (how to), cut into ¾" [2 cm] slices
  • 1 pound pork cracklings (fried pork skin) minced
  • 4 garlic cloves mashed (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1½ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
For the old-style Dominican mofongo
  • 4 plantain (green, unripe) unpeeled
  • 1 pork cracklings (fried pork skin) minced
  • 4 garlic cloves mashed (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the broth
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the beef being careful that it does not burn. Add the garlic and onion and stir. Pour in 4 cups of water, and add cilantro, cilantro ancho, and oregano.Boil for an hour over low heat, topping off the water every once in a while to maintain the same level.Season with salt to taste. Sieve and remove the solids.
2. Cook the plantains
  1. For Puerto Rican-style mofongo: Heat oil in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat and fry the plantain slices till golden brown all over (3-5 mins). Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel.For old-style Dominican mofongo: Wrap the plantains in aluminum foil. Bake plantains in a preheated oven at 400ºF [200ºC] for 35 minutes, or cook in an air fryer preheated to 350ºF [175ºC].Remove the plantains from the oven and let them cool down for 5 minutes. Carefully peel them.
3. Crush plantains
  1. Using a pilón (large mortar and pestle) or potato masher, crush the garlic and salt together, add in plantains and mash, then add pork cracklings and mash and crush to combine with the plantains (You might have to divide the ingredients and do it in 6 batches to fit in your pilón). It will have a dense consistency and more or less form a ball. If you made it with roasted plantains, mix it with the olive oil, because this mofongo mix is much dry than fried mofongo.
4. Serve
  1. Shape the mixture into 6 balls and place each in a small bowl.Place the balls into the serving plates, and garnish with the broth, that you'll use to pour over and moisten the mofongo balls.

Notes

  • Add a sprinkle of black pepper to the broth, to enhance the taste.
  • If you have a deep fryer, you can use it to fry the plantains.

Nutrition Information

Calories 659kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 50g (17%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Cholesterol 54mg (18%) Sodium 912mg (38%) Potassium 921mg (26%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 23g (46%) Vitamin A 1725IU (35%) Vitamin C 30.2mg (34%) Calcium 24mg (2%) Iron 1.4mg (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 659

% Daily Value*

Calories 659kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 50g 17%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 912mg 38%
Potassium 921mg 20%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 23g 46%
Vitamin A 1725IU 35%
Vitamin C 30.2mg 34%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 1.4mg 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.