Stuffed Plantains With Beef

This stuffed plantain with ground beef recipe is a go-to favourite and the ultimate no-fuss healthy carb-protein midweek meal. It is an easy meal using nutrient-dense ingredients.

Stuffed plantains were a new idea and experience for me until I travelled to Mexico in Huatulco, where I saw local vendors selling similar dishes. This recipe has some Puerto Rican inspiration too which is called Canoas De Plátanos Maduros. Stuffed baked plantains.

I got my creative juices flowing and tried a few ideas in my kitchen and then googled further and saw a few recipes for stuff plantains.

This type of recipe seems popular with African cuisine. Most westerns keep it super simple with how they cook plantains, typically frying in oil or baking whole. In this recipe, we pushed the boat out.

Sweet plantains And ground beef

Two simple ingredients to which most people have access. Both low cost and upgraded with a few herbs, spices with some TLC transformed for an easy midweek meal for the family or leftovers for a great meal prep option.

Stuffed Plantain

I never thought of thinking about stuffing plantains, but they work exceptionally well. This sweetness of the plantain complements the rich beef and sauce nicely.

Baking the plantain first furthermore then stuffing it with the mixture is a foolproof lunch and dinner, even for any fussy eater.

Baking the plantains instead of frying also saves unnecessary calories from any cooking oils. Once the plantain is slightly softened in the middle, testing with a sharp knife for tenderness, add the stuffing mixture and allow the ground beef sauce to combine with the sweet plantain.

Recipe: How to Make Stuffed Plantains with Ground Beef

If plantains are not something you enjoy, then swapping for sweet potatoes is a great choice.

Ensure your plantains are ripe. You want to purchase plantains with black spots or a few patches of black on the exterior. After you bought, store it in your kitchen (ideally not in the fridge but in a cool, dry place). When the majority of the skin is dark yellow and mainly covered in black, it is time to use. It should take 2-3 more days to ripen further.

I prefer not to use overly ripe plantains as I find them too sweet, soft and slightly acidic due to the sugar fermenting a little. You can check the ripeness but lightly press on the plantain for firmness.

The ground beef can be whatever fat ratio you prefer. I generally like a 10-15% fat content. I genuinely enjoy the fat in ground beef. I find anything sub 10% will compromise the final taste and automatically make the final dish somewhat dry unless you add additional fat from cheese, olive oil or guacamole or drown it in the sauce.

Try to opt for the best quality meat possible. I am opting for pasture-raised and 100% grass-fed.

The website - Eat Wild, in this link here, provide a directory of regenerative, sustainable and high-quality meat products for the U.S. and Canada. If you’re based in the U.K. I recommend Coombes Farm or even Waitrose (Ocado), now stock grass-fed beef in the standard range.

Try to dice all the vegetables in an even size and consistency as this is visually more appealing and allows for improved cooking so that it takes the same time to cook the same ingredient without over or undercooking.

Serves and Cooking Time

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes minimum
Skill level: Easy to medium

ingredients

• 2 plantains (1 per serving)

• 1/2 lb grass-fed ground beef 

• 1/3 cup tomato passata

• 1/2 red bell pepper - finely diced

• 1/4 red onion - finely diced

• 1/4 jalapeno  - finely diced

• 3 garlic cloves - finely diced

• 1 tsp unrefined salt 

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin - freshly ground

• 1/4 tsp chilli powder or paprika

• 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1 tsp Coconut oil or ghee or extra virgin olive oil for cooking

• A few fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs - finely chopped.

Optional: 

• Grass-fed unpasteurized cheese (Mozzarella, Oaxaca cheese, Parmesan or plain cheddar)

• Fresh cilantro leaves

• Scallion - finely sliced

• Fresh lime

• Other diced vegetables of choice (i.e. zucchini squash)

• Use bone broth in addition to the passata for more protein and moisture.

• Use really ripe plantains to make it even sweeter.

Steps to Make Plantains stuffed with ground beef

For the baked plantain

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Cut off ends of plantain and carefully slice lengthwise to separate peel.

3. Rub coconut oil on plantain and place it back in the peel to prevent drying.

4. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until soft to touch. 

For ground beef 

1. In a skillet, heat the cooking oil of choice and add onion, garlic, and diced vegetables.

2. Next, add the diced fresh herbs.

3. To this pan, add ground beef.

4. After a few minutes, add passata, salt, and other spices.

To assemble 

1. Remove plantains from the peel.

2. Carefully cut a slit lengthwise in plantain, avoiding the ends. Cut deeply enough to fill but avoid cutting plantain into halves.

3. Gently push the plantain ends together to make an opening large enough to stuff with beef filling.

4. Fill plantain with a generous portion of beef filling. 

5. Optionally, place shredded cheese on top and bake for another few minutes until melted.

6. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, squeeze of lime juice, salt to taste and serve.

Nutrition facts per serving

(Based on 2 servings not including toppings)

Calories: 475
Protein: 36
Carbs: 49
Fat: 15
Fibre: 4.9
Vitamin B1: 0.1mg
Vitamin B2: 0.3mg
Vitamin B3: 7mg
Vitamin B5: 1.2mg
Vitamin B6: 0.8mg
Vitamin B9: 47.8ug
Vitamin B12: 2.8ug
Choline: 114mg
Vitamin A: 2262IU
Retinol: 21ug
Vitamin C: 64mg
Vitamin D: 2.5IU
Vitamin E: 0.8mg
Vitamin K: 3.4ug
Calcium: 23.7mg
Copper: 0.2mg
Iron: 4mg
Magnesium: 68mg
Manganese: 0.2mg
Potassium: 957mg
Selenium: 26.2ug
Zinc: 7.8mg
Omega 3: 0g
Omega 6: 0.4g

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