Magic Plantain Tortillas
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Magic Plantain Tortillas – This amazing fluffy tortilla recipe is Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, and requires only 2 ingredients!
Last week I shared a low carb tortilla recipe that is great for those on Ketogenic diets.
Yet, today I’ve got a tortilla recipe to share with you that I’m even more excited about, because it’s magic in the making, and pure magic in your mouth!
These Magic Plantain Tortillas are truly little miracles. They are not low carb, because they are made entirely of of plantains and a little salt.
However, that does mean they are completely natural, paleo diet friendly, and great for people with food allergies and intolerances.
Not to mention they are fluffy, flexible, and sturdy enough to use in enchiladas or other favorite Mexican dishes!
My daughter Ava had some health issues this past winter and currently cannot eat dairy, gluten, or rice, so these little babies have been a lifesaver for her.
They feel just like homemade wheat tortillas and they even bubble up when cooking!
How is this possible?
Plantains are mysterious things.
When they are ripe, they are soft and sweet enough to turn into all sorts of grain free desserts.
Yet, when the are green and unripened, they are a starchy, not really sweet. This starchy quality makes it possible to fry them into savory chips, or even make “plantain dough” to suit many cooking and baking needs.
To work with this plantain dough, you first have to soften the plantains, without the naturally occurring sweetening process that come along with it.
Although many people boil the plantains in their skins, I like to microwave them! It’s faster and easier, in order to get the tortilla making underway in a hurry. (I provide both methods in the recipe below.)
How To Make Magic Plantain Tortillas
- Score the plantain skins.
- Microwave the plantains to soften.
- Pulse the plantains in a food processor until they turn into plantain dough.
- Roll or press the dough into tortillas.
- Cook the tortillas in a dry skillet.
See how easy that was?
Really, there’s nothing to it. It’s like magic!
Each tortilla is a little wonder with it’s wheat-like bubbles and texture, and mellow flavor.
You can even make this Magic Plantain Tortillas recipe in large batches and use them throughout the week, or freeze them for later use!
More Paleo Recipes
Magic Plantain Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 large plantains, firm & unripened (bright green or yellow)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Score the plantains by cutting a long line through the peel from tip to tip. Microwave for 6-7 minutes. (The peels with turn black in the microwave.)
- Carefully remove the peels and place the plantain flesh in a food processor. Discard the peels. Add the salt, then cover the food processor and turn on high until the plantains chop into tiny pieces and eventually form a tight ball of dough. This takes a few minutes, so don't worry if it looks like it's not coming together.
- Once the dough has formed, press it into a rectangle and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Then roll each piece into a ball.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and smooth it flat. Then place one plantain dough ball on the plastic and cover it with another piece of plastic. Roll the dough out into a flat 5- to 6-inch circle. It's okay if it's not perfect.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the plantain tortilla to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute per side, until blisters form. Continue rolling and cooking the tortillas until they are finished.
- Store the tortillas in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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Easy to make, used my Kitchenaid mixer, the dough formed easily. They are quick and easy for a meal,. Thankyou
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Is it really necessary to microwave or boil the plantains first?
Can this be made by putting the raw plantains in the food processor and then pan frying?
Hi Lisa,
Working with plantains can be a little tricky. Therefore, to get the right texture of “dough” you will most likely need to cook and soften the plantains first. If you try making this recipe without that step, please report back! :)
I used 1 green and 1 yellow plantain and microwaved the yellow 5 minutes and green 7 minutes. Then I peeled them and used a potato masher and mashed them until most chunks were gone. I don’t own a food processor and my vitamix isn’t the right tool. I have a tortilla press and 2 plantains made 10 street taco sized tortillas. They were such a great side for me and so much tastier than the cassava flour tortillas. I am on an AIP diet and these are cheap and delicious… 2 words I like right now.Â
Delicious. Easy. But I couldn’t roll them out to tortilla size, maybe they were too ripe? I still rolled out and made something more like an arepa. Buy it worked. Bought more plantains to try again!
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This is LIFE CHANGING. I love plantains, but had no idea they could make such a malleable dough. Genius. And delicious.
These tortillas really are magic! They came out perfectly and were an immediate favorite – Definitely adding to my regular rotation of recipes!
What am I doing wrong? Followed instructions and it also almost ruined my food processor (we will see if it works) and the batter was so so sticky I could hardly get it out of the bin. Lost more than half. Also so sticky to shape. Ended up with 3 small tortillas from 2 plantains. Good taste but definitely something is wrong. Advise please! Would love to try again but would need to adapt somehow.
Hi Deborah,
It sounds like maybe your plantains were starting to ripen and sweeten… When the plantains are unripened they are very starchy, not sticky. Is that a possibility?
These turned out so amazing! However- we broke our food processor when making them… The plantains were so sticky that the motor on the food processor burned out and the blade is stuck and we cannot get it out. I think the plantains glued the blade in. Do you have any tips for me? I would love to make these again and could try it in my vitamix, but I don’t want to break another appliance. Thanks!
Hi Madeline,
Oh no! Is it possible your food processor was already near its end? I have a KitchenAid 14-cup food processor and have made this recipe in it many times without issue. I’m not sure a Vitamix jar would have enough space at the bottom to blend the dough, but it’s worth a try.
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These tortillas are phenomenal and very easy to prepare. Amazing how durable they are and do not split/dissolve like flour and corn tortillas when filled. Honestly was skeptical as to whether they would hold up. Will never purchase another pre-made tortilla after this! 🙂
Used firm yellow plantains, still turning from green, boiled for about 15 minutes without peel before blending to make the dough. Texture and taste were on point, more savory than I could have expected! Color like corn tortilla and texture like a thick homemade flour tortilla. My family eats boiled plantains regularly, and this twist did not disappoint. Cooked on a well pre-heated cast iron griddle pan. Three large plantains using small tortilla press + parchment paper for pressing easily yielded 15+ tortillas for this batch. Will freeze the extras.
So pleased to have found and made this recipe. These are so versatile and can be used for any meal. Only limit is one’s own imagination! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Sooo easy! Microwaving the plantains is genius. I air fried mine on 400 for 2 min. I’ve spent a lot more time on other similar recipes with a lot less success. Thank you for this simple recipe!
OMG! So easy and soooo good! I am thrilled with the flavor and texture and how well they hold up to fillings. Thank you for sharing!
W.Fox
I recently had to change my diet due to digestive issues and have been missing my favorite food, tacos. I made these flats this week and have used them for fish and cauliflower tacos, breakfast wraps, and flat bread sandwich. They store well in a container in the refrigerator. They were good, but I think next time I make them I will add more seasoning (chopped herbs and spices) to the dough. Thank you for this recipe, I am enjoying it!Â
Just tried this today. Used a regular cast iron fry pan with an added coating of coconut oil to prevent stiking. The first 3 or 4 tortillas were a bit oily due to this and I put them back into the pan after the others were finished and the pan no longer had any oil in it. I was surprised that the others did not stick once the pan seemed hot enough. I may have cooked them a bit too long as they are not as flexible as expected but will work as a cracker for toppings when I want something that feels a bit more carb like. Thanx for the recipe. Will probably try it again knowing now how much time it takes.
FYI, my plantains were just starting to lighten up and I used the cooking method as I don’t do microwaves
Freezing question: do you freeze the dough… or the cooked tortillas? How do they do after defrosting?
Hi Shelley,
I wouldn’t freeze the dough, because it will turn brown. However, they actually do ok if you cook them and freeze them! Just freeze the tortillas separately on a baking sheet, before stacking and moving to a freezer bag. That way, you can pull 1-2 out at a time. :)
Mine seems too dry to form a ball… :( Any ideas on what I can do?
Hi Brenda,
You can add a tiny bit of water, but just don’t overdo it. The dough should be firm… Slightly drier than playdough, if that helps.
Just made them today. These are outrageously easy to make and delicious. Who came up this recipe? I grew up with plantains and have never had tortillas made from them. This opens up so many avenues in my quest to eliminate flour-based food. I just sent the recipe to 8 people. Wow. Magic!
Hi Pat,
I’m so glad you like them! A local taco shop makes plantain tortillas as a gluten free option. We just played with the recipe until we figured out how they did it!
This looks amazing, will try this recipe asap! Just wondering how this recipe has zero carbs when one raw plantain has about 50g of carbs depending on size.
There was no claim to being 0 carbs, suggested to be 14 carbs 1 fiber and 6 sugars per serving not sure what a serving is though.
genius! I miss flour tortillas so love this alternative, so back to my favorite taco recipes, thank you!
I love this idea, it’s something that I would never have thought of. It would be a nice change to the flour tortillas that we usually eat. I will try it next time I see green bananas in the shops.
It’s a recipe using plantains, not bananas. They look similar, but are very much not the same thing. Just wanted to let you know so you didn’t get the wrong thing. :)