BHA & BHT Free Whole30 Garlic-Herb Sautéed Plantains
Ripe plantains hit a magical sweet spot when they're mostly yellow with black spots — starchy enough to hold their shape in the pan but sweet enough to caramelize into something genuinely crave-worthy. Cooking them in ghee gives every golden edge a rich, nutty depth that processed oils simply can't match, and it keeps the whole dish free from the synthetic preservatives that sneak into so many packaged fats and shelf-stable cooking sprays. The garlic goes in after the plantains are already beautifully browned, so it blooms in all that fragrant, herb-flecked pan drippings without a single ingredient you'd need to second-guess. A hit of smoked paprika, fresh cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, and a bright squeeze of lime at the very end pull everything together into a side dish that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. It pairs effortlessly with grilled proteins, eggs, or even a simple salad, and it comes together in one skillet with no specialty pantry items required. Clean eating has rarely looked — or smelled — this good.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 large ripe yellow plantains (peels mostly yellow with some black spots)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about ½ lime)
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Peel the plantains and slice them on the diagonal into 1/2-inch rounds. Pat the slices dry with a paper towel.
- 2
Melt the ghee in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the plantain slices in a single layer — work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding — and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until the undersides are deep golden brown.
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