Dominican Shrimp Plantain Cups

This is one of my favorite appetizers. Yum!!! Dominican Shrimp Plantain Cups should be in every Latin restaurant menu. Seriously. They are amazing!

I first had something like this at Larios in South Beach, Miami years ago and it left a real impression on me. I understand that you can find Shrimp Plantain Cups in many Cuban restaurants. I came home and made my own version with my Dominican stewed shrimp as a filling.

Needless to say, it was a hit! So worth the double frying! Give it a try, you are going to love it!

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 of a green pepper, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1 tbs Goya salad olives
1 teaspoon of Adobo Goya
1/4 ground oregano
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Chopped cilantroJuice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Mazola corn oil
¼ of a small 4oz can of Goya tomato sauce
2 ounces fresh cilantro leaves
½ lb chopped uncooked shrimp or extra small shrimp you don’t have to chop
2 tbs Mazola corn oil, for frying
2 green plantains
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

Combine the shrimp, adobo, oregano, garlic, lime, soy sauce in mixing bowl.

Heat up the 2 tbs of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, olives, tomato sauce and cilantro. Stir for about 5 minutes.

Add seasoned shrimp. Stir for another 5 minutes and check to make sure shrimp is cooked through but not overcooked. 

Pour shrimp in a dish, cover and set aside.

Heat about an inch of oil in a large skillet.

Cut the plantain into 1 inch round slices and fry in the hot oil. Make sure to fry both sides for about 1 minute each.

Remove the plantain from the oil and press down with a plantain press, wooden block or flat plate to flatten it.

Take a lemon squeezer, place the flattened plantain in and push down to create a cup shape. 

Fry the cups again, for about 2 minutes making sure they get crunchy.  If you want, you can also leave the plantain flat, refry after flattening to fully cook and just lay the shrimp on it instead of a cup.

If you made it into a bowl, scoop the shrimp and place into cup or on top of the flat plantains and serve.

If you like some spice, the sprinkle with some hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Plantain Cups

The tastiest cup you will ever have!

3 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Caribbean, Latin

Keyword: appetizer, caribbean appetizer, dominican recipe, dominican recipes, latin appetizer, plantain, plantain cup, shrimp, snack

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Ingredients

• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 1/4 green pepper chopped
• 1/4 red pepper chopped
• 1 tbs Goya salad olives
• 1 tsp Adobo Goya
• 1/4 ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• cilantro chopped, to taste
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbs Mazola corn oil
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, medium chopped, but if its small shrimp you don't have to chop

For the plantain cups

• Mazola corn oil for frying
• 2 green plantains

Instructions

• Combine the shrimp, adobo, oregano, garlic, lime, soy sauce in mixing bowl.
• Heat up the 2 tbs of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, olives, tomato sauce and cilantro. 
• Stir for about 5 minutes.
• Add seasoned shrimp. Stir for another 5 minutes and check to make sure shrimp is cooked through but not overcooked. 
• Pour shrimp in a dish, cover and set aside.
• Heat about an inch of oil in a large skillet.
• Peel and cut the plantain into 1/2-inch slices.
• Fry both sides about 2 minutes each.
• Remove the plantain from the oil and press down with a wooden block or flat plate to flatten it.
• Take a small measuring cup, place the flattened plantain in and push down to create a cup shape. 
• Fry the cups to firm up, about 5 minutes.
• Scoop the shrimp, place into the plantain cup and serve. If you like spice, sprinkle with some hot sauce.

Notes

You can also leave the plantain flat, refry after flattening to fully cook and lay the shrimp on it instead of a cup.