Use unripe green plantains to make a hearty tigrillo recipe. We’re currently traveling in Ecuador and enjoying many different plantain dishes. Tigrillo is a recipe made of unripe plantain, egg, cheese, and often a little meat added as well. Tigrillo is easy to prepare and makes a perfect meal to start the day, so follow along with our real-time How To Make Tigrillo Recipe and give this Ecuadorian breakfast dish a try.
Tigrillo Recipe Ingredients
1 PLANTAIN green, unripe plantain
2 EGGS
CHEESE ½ cup white cheese, shredded or cubed
ONION ½ cup chopped
OIL for cooking
SALT to taste
other seasonings
as desired…
I like a little
HOT PEPPER
and a little MEAT (recommended!)
How to Make Tigrillo
Use unripe, green plantains for this recipe. Plantain is very starchy ingredient and can be used as a substitute in many potato recipes. This tigrillo recipe is ideal for two hearty servings.
- First, get a pot of salted water on the boil.
- Peel your green plantain and slice into ½ inch pieces.
- Add sliced plantain to the boiling water, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the plantain is tender enough to easily pass a fork into.
- While the plantain simmers, chop the onion, shred white cheese, and chop a little pre-cooked meat to add later. You only need a little meat for flavor, maybe a ¼ cup; it’s optional, but highly recommended. If you’re in a meat-free mood, just leave it out.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and add in the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes. Check Amazon for current prices on a non-stick skillet.
- And in the meat and continue to saute.
- Add salt to taste, and any other desired seasoning. I like a little dried hot pepper.
- Remove the cooked plantain from the pot, reserving the water.
- Add plantain to the skillet and mash into desired consistency, just like mashed potatoes.
- Mix mashed plantain with onion and meat and seasonings and add a bit of the reserved water as needed for creaminess.
- Mix in the cheese.
- Break 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Make a well in the center of the plantain skillet, and pour in the egg mixture.
- Allow eggs to cook, and then fold into the plantains.
- Add fresh herbs if desired, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve hot. Top with an over-easy egg to impress!
I love tigrillo. I’ve tried many variations of this dish, and I hope to try many more.
Give this Ecuadorian-style Tigrillo Recipe a try and let us know what you think, and for another tasty unripe plantain recipe, try crispy Tostones.
What’s Healthier, Plantain or Potato? I found a potato vs. plantain nutrition article here that’s informative and easy to digest.
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