Mariquitas are thin, crispy plantain chips made with very green plantains. They fry into light, salty ribbons with a serious crunch, and they're especially good with a garlicky, simple Cuban mojo for dipping.
If you've eaten at a Cuban restaurant, you've probably seen a basket of these disappear before the rest of the food arrives.
I like to slice them lengthwise for those dramatic, curly strips, but thin rounds work too.
Depending on the family or region, you may also hear mariquitas called chicharritas, platanitos, or simply plantain chips.
Whatever you call them, the method is simple: slice green plantains paper-thin, fry until crisp, and salt while they're hot. While deep frying is the most authentic, I have a few other methods too, because I'm always trying to keep high calories from getting too comfortable around here.
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Why You'll Love These Mariquitas con Mojo
- Three basic ingredients for the mariquitas: green plantains, frying oil, and salt.
- Four basic ingredients for the simple mojo: olive oil, lime, garlic, and salt.
- Fast: each small batch fries in just a few minutes.
- Extra crispy: paper-thin slices give you that light, snappy crunch.
- Perfect for sharing: serve them as an appetizer, snack, or crunchy side with meals like Mexican Black Beans and Rice or soups like Cuban-Inspired Vegan Lentil Soup.
What You'll Need to Make Mariquitas
- Green plantains: Choose hard, bright green plantains without yellow patches. Ripe plantains contain more sugar and won't give you the same savory, crisp chip.
- Neutral oil: Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado, canola, or vegetable oil.
- Fine salt: Fine grains stick best when the chips are fresh from the oil.
- Wide vegetable peeler: For the thinnest strips, use a Y-vegetable peeler. You can also use a mandoline, or, if you have good knife skills, simply slice them as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
If you're looking for other ways to use plantains, try my sweet plantains made four ways.
What You'll Need to Make a Simple Mojo
This is my quick go-to mojo. Adjust these ingredients to taste.
Olive oil: Use a high-quality olive oil that you enjoy.
Garlic: This recipe calls for quickly cooking the garlic in the olive oil for about 30 seconds to mellow its sharpness while keeping its flavor, but you can also leave the garlic raw if you prefer a more pronounced, punchy garlic flavor.
Lime: Adjust the lime flavor to taste.
Salt: Adjust the salt to taste.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and complete instructions.
How to Make Mariquitas
Step 1: Peel the plantains. Cut off both ends, score the peel lengthwise on opposite sides without cutting deeply into the flesh, and lift off the thick green skin.
Step 2: Slice them very thin. Use a Y-peeler or mandoline on its thinnest setting to cut the plantains lengthwise into long ribbons. You can also slice them crosswise into thin rounds.
Step 3: Fry in small batches. Heat about ½ to 1 inch of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to fully submerge the plantains. Carefully add a few slices at a time and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly golden and crisp. They will start to curl when they are close to done.
Step 4: Drain and season. Transfer the chips to a paper towel-lined plate or rack. Sprinkle with fine salt while they're hot, then repeat with the remaining plantain slices.
Step 5: Prepare the garlic. Mash the garlic with the salt and a little splash of olive oil in a mortar. Then add the lime juice and mix well. Alternatively, finely grate the garlic or press it through a garlic press, then combine it with the salt, olive oil, and lime juice.
Step 6: Heat the oil. Heat the remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Warm it without letting it get too hot.
Step 7: Cook the garlic. Add the garlic mixture to the warm oil and cook for just 30 seconds, then remove it from the heat. The garlic should remain mostly raw and should not brown.
Step 8: Serve. Transfer the mojo to a small bowl and serve alongside the warm mariquitas for dipping.
Air Fryer and Oven Methods
Traditional frying gives mariquitas their lightest, crispest texture, but you can also make them in an air fryer or oven. Exact times vary with slice thickness and your appliance, so watch them closely near the end.
Air Fryer
- Slice the plantains into paper-thin rounds or short ovals. Long ribbons can curl or move around in the air fryer.
- Lightly coat the slices with spray oil and arrange them in a single layer in the basket.
- Air-fry at 350°F for 8-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Begin checking early and remove individual chips as they become crisp and lightly golden.
- Salt immediately, then let the chips cool briefly so they can finish crisping.
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly coat the paper-thin plantain slices with oil and arrange them in a single layer without overlapping.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, turning halfway through. Watch carefully during the final few minutes because thin slices can brown quickly. The timing may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the plantain chips.
- Salt immediately and let the chips cool briefly before serving.
Top Tips
- Use truly green plantains. Yellowing plantains are sweeter, softer, and more likely to brown before they become crisp. You can make maduros with yellow plantains.
- Keep the slices even. A Y-peeler or mandoline makes this much easier. Uneven pieces finish at different times.
- When using a vegetable peeler to make thin mariquitas, alternate between the two opposing sides of the plantain as you peel to reach the entire surface and get evenly thin slices.
- Don't crowd the oil. Frying too many slices at once lowers the temperature and can leave the chips greasy or soft.
- Watch the color. Remove the chips when they're lightly golden. They keep crisping, and the color deepens as they cool.
- Salt immediately. The seasoning sticks best while the chips are still hot.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot with the simple mojo provided, or Cuban mojo criollo on the side, to keep the chips crisp.
- Add them to a snack board with other dips like Mojo Picón (Canarian Red Pepper Sauce).
- Use a few as a crunchy garnish or as a scoop for easy Cuban black beans.
- Pair them with vegan Cuban picadillo or Moros y Cristianos (Cuban Black Beans & Rice) for a crisp contrast.
- Use them in Ceviche de Chochos (Ecuadorian Lupini Bean Ceviche) so you can scoop up the ceviche.
Storage
Mariquitas are best the day they're fried, but they keep well for a few days. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container or brown bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Mariquitas con Mojo FAQs
Mariquitas are plantain chips that are thin slices of green plantain fried until crisp and seasoned with salt. This version uses long, ribbon-like slices, though thin rounds are also common.
The slices may have been too thick, the oil may have cooled when the pan was crowded, or the chips may have needed a little more frying time. Keep the oil at medium-high and cook in small batches.
Yes. A vegetable peeler can make long, thin strips, or you can use a sharp knife for very thin rounds. The key is keeping the slices as thin and even as possible.
No. Use green plantains for mariquitas. Yellow plantains are riper and sweeter, so they cook differently and won't have the same savory crunch.
More Vegan Appetizers
Drop a comment and tell me how these mariquitas with mojo turned out! Was it love at first bite, surprisingly edible, or a full-on yuck? And if my directions helped (or didn't), please let me know so I can keep improving these recipes for you. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Recipe Card
Mariquitas con Mojo
Equipment
- Pan or pot
- Mortar and Pestle optional for mojo
Ingredients
Mariquitas
- 2 green plantains very firm and fully green
- neutral high-heat oil enough to reach about ½ - 1 inch in the pot or pan; see notes*
- salt for seasoning after frying
Simple Mojo Dip
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice ~½ a lime; adjust more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt adjust to taste
Instructions
Mariquitas
- Peel the plantains: Cut off both ends of each plantain. Score a ridge lengthwise down one side, then make another cut along the ridge directly opposite it. Use your fingers to loosen the peel, then remove it in sections - it's much easier to peel this way.
- Slice thinly: Using a Y-peeler or mandoline on its thinnest setting, slice the plantains lengthwise into paper-thin ribbons. Always use the hand guard when using a mandoline. For round chips, slice the plantains crosswise instead.
- Heat the oil: Pour about ½ to 1 inch of oil into a pan or pot. Use enough oil to fully submerge the plantains. Heat it over medium-high heat. Line a wire rack or plate with paper towels.
- Fry in batches: Carefully add 4-6 plantain slices at a time, separating them so they do not stick together. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning as needed, until the bubbling slows, the chips curl slightly, and they're lightly golden and crisp.
- Drain and season: Transfer the mariquitas to the prepared rack or plate. Sprinkle with salt while hot. Let the oil heat up again before frying the next batch. Serve warm with the Cuban mojo below, if desired.
Simple Mojo Dip
- Prepare the garlic: Mash the garlic with the salt and a little olive oil in a mortar. Add the lime juice and mix well. Alternatively, you can finely grate the garlic or press it through a garlic press, then combine it with the salt, olive oil, and lime juice.
- Warm briefly: Warm the remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic mixture and cook for only 30 seconds, then remove it from the heat immediately. The garlic should remain mostly raw and should not brown. Serve the mojo in a bowl on the side with the warm mariquitas.
Regi Pearce says
These mariquitas are SO good! Crispy, salty, and completely addictive. They’re one of those simple Cuban snacks that you can’t stop eating once you start. Definitely a 5-star recipe.