Description
These Puerto Rican piononos are sweet and savory treats made with a combination of fried brown plantains, picadillo, and beaten eggs. The result is sweet plantain cups stuffed with a salty ground beef & fluffy egg filling. They’re the perfect bite-sized appetizers or entrees that capture the flavors of Puerto Rico in a cup!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Picadillo:
- 1/3 cup sofrito
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp pimento olives, diced
For the Plantains:
- 2 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 3–4 large brown plantains
Other Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- Nonstick spray
Instructions
- Make the picadillo. Add sofrito and ground beef to a pan over medium high heat. Cook until the beef has browned, breaking up the meat. Add seasonings, bay leaves, tomato sauce, and olives, stir and bring to a heavy simmer. Lower, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until beef is fully cooked.
- Peel & cut the plantains. Cut the tips off the plantains and peel the skin. Slice plantains lengthwise to create ¼ inch thick strips (see images above).
- Fry plantains. Heat oil in a clean frying pan. Fry plantain strips in batches, flipping until golden brown on both sides. Transfer fried plantains to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- Assemble piononos. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Line each muffin tin slot with a fried plantain, wrapping it around the pocket. Add a few tablespoons of the picadillo to the inside of the plantains. Fill the remaining space with the beaten eggs.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit / 205 degrees Celsius. Bake the piononos for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are no longer liquid. I recommend placing a baking sheet under the muffin tin to prevent any grease from spilling into the oven.
- Enjoy. Remove from the tins and let cool before enjoying!
Notes
Optional: Feel free to top the eggs with a sprinkle of grated cheese before baking, if desired.