Pionono
Puerto Rican pionono (stuffed fried plantains) is savory plantain rolls stuffed with a tasty beef filling – picadillo. An out-of-this-world Puerto Rican snack that’ll remind you of sunshine and the deep blue sea. Truly a delectably sweet plantain and savory beef combo rolled into one.
I still remember the first time I made these. It was Labor Day weekend, and we were getting ready to enjoy the parade, fireworks, and a picnic. We had so much fun.
When fall comes around, I truly miss all the fresh summer produce from my local farmer’s market and activities with my family. However, I don’t miss the heat. I spent about a month in the South, and boy, is it hot there!
But then I remember the wonders of autumn. Thinking about comforting soups, slow cooker recipes, pumpkin desserts, sweaters, and jackets excites me. But before you make your fall recipe list, you’ve got to put this rolled treat on your to-make list.
Why This Pionono Recipe Is a Must-Try
Piononos were perfect for that picnic because they’re good hot or warm. I’ve even enjoyed them cold. That makes them ideal for picnics, regardless of the occasion.
Pionono is actually a tribute to Pope Pius IX, Pio Nono. This recipe has a lot of varieties. Traditionally, a sponge cake rolled up around a sweet filling is popular in Spain, South America, and the Philippines.
However, my favorite is the savory Puerto Rican version that substitutes the cake with sweet plantains. Oh, does that make it paleo-friendly?
How to Make Pionono
Picadillo
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, then add the onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano, and sweat them for about a minute.
- Saute – Then, add the bell pepper and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the ground beef and potatoes (if using), and cook for 7-10 minutes while stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add broth or water as needed until the potatoes are tender.
- Season with the Sazon, salt, or bouillon.
- Add the olives, green onions, and cilantro, and adjust for seasoning. Remove and set aside.
Plantains
- Peel – Cut both ends off the plantain with a sharp knife to make it easier to peel. Cut a shallow line only as deep as the peel down the length of the plantain. (Photo 1)
- Slice – Pull the peel back, and slice the plantains horizontally into 4-5 slices each, depending on the plantains. Either fry or bake them; I prefer frying, but they’re easier to bake. (Photo 2)
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Fry the plantain in batches, turning once, until lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Avoid overcrowding the pan so the plantains don’t become soggy from absorbing excess oil. (Photo 3)
- Transfer the plantains with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. (Photo 4)
- Grease a regular muffin tin with oil or cooking spray. Place a plantain slice around each muffin well. If the plantain is too long, trim the ends to make it fit and place the extra on the bottom of the well. Or hold them together with toothpicks. (Photos 5-7)
- Fill each pionono about ¾ with the beef filling, pressing down gently. Repeat until all the plantain slices and picadillo have been used. (Photo 8)
- Drizzle or spoon the beaten eggs over the piononos to keep them together. (Photo 9)
- Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 15-20 minutes or until plantains are heated through. Run a knife around the edges and carefully scoop your piononos out with a fork. (Photo 10)
- Serve – Let them cool for about 5 minutes, and serve hot with avocados.
Tips & Notes
- Use ripe (but not too ripe) plantains for this recipe. Overripe plantains are too soft to hold the beef filling.
- Drizzle the piononos with a beaten egg to lock it all into place before cooking.
- Feel free to fry the assembled piononos, as that’s how it’s usually cooked. But I decided to cut back on the oil and bake them for a healthier option.
- Piononos are best served when hot, but you can assemble them ahead, place them in the fridge, and bake them when it’s time to serve them.
What to Enjoy With Pionono
The filling is so satisfying that you can even have this for lunch or dinner. How’s that for versatility? Enjoy them on regular days, or add them to a charcuterie board as a party appetizer. Just imagine how these babies here would sit gloriously on your table.
More Mouthwatering Plantain Recipes
Piononos are definitely packed with sweet and savory flavors that complement each other well. And you know me when it comes to plantains, I don’t hold back! Nope, not me; I live for plantains!
- Fried Plantains
- Chicken, Plantains, and Vegetables
- Air Fryer Plantains
- Pastelon
- Baked Plantains With Cheese
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”IHW0kWkm” upload-date=”2019-08-03T14:54:05.000Z” name=”Pionono” description=”Pionono (Stuffed Fried Plantain) — savory plantain rolls stuffed with tasty beef filling – Picadillo. An out-of-this-world Puerto Rican snack that’ll reminds you of sunshine and the blue sea. Truly a delectable sweet plantain and savory beef combo rolled into one!”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Pionono
Ingredients
Picadillo
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon (4-5g) smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon (dash) cayenne
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) oregano
- ½ small green bell pepper (or red pepper)
- ½ cup (120g) tomato sauce
- ½ pound (250g) ground beef
- 1 cup (150g) diced potatoes (optional)
- 1 packet Sazon (salt, or beef or chicken bouillon)
- ½ cup (60g) chopped green olives
- 2 tablespoons (12-15g) chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons (8g) cilantro
Plantains
- 3 ripe plantains
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- toothpicks
Instructions
Picadillo
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, then add the onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano, and sweat them for about a minute.
- Then, add the bell pepper and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the ground beef and potatoes (if using), and cook for 7-10 minutes while stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add broth or water as needed until the potatoes are tender.
- Season with the Sazon, salt, or bouillon.
- Finally, add the olives, green onions, and cilantro, and adjust for seasoning. Remove and set aside.
Plantains
- Cut both ends off the plantain with a sharp knife to make it easier to peel. Cut a shallow line only as deep as the peel down the length of the plantain. Pull the peel back, and slice the plantains horizontally into 4-5 slices each, depending on the plantains. Either fry or bake them; I prefer frying.
Frying Method
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Fry the plantain in batches, turning once, until lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Avoid overcrowding the pan so the plantains don't become soggy from absorbing excess oil.
- Transfer the plantains with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
Baking Method
- Spray a baking sheet with oil and place plantains in a single layer on it. Spray the plantain slices lightly with cooking oil spray and bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 12-20 minutes, turning the slices after 8 minutes. The plantains should brown slightly but not crisp up.
Method 1 (frying)
- Form the plantain into a loose pinwheel, then secure it with a toothpick. Now, cover the bottom of the pinwheel with about 3 toothpicks like in the pictures to prevent the meat from falling out.
- Fill each pionono about ¾ full with the beef filling, pressing down gently. Repeat until all the plantains and beef have been used.
- Now, drizzle or spoon the beaten eggs over the piononos to keep them together.
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry the piononos in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan to avoid soggy piononos.
- Transfer the piononos with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, remove toothpicks, and serve hot with avocados.
Method 2 (baking in a muffin pan)
- Grease a regular muffin tin with oil or cooking spray. Place a plantain slice around each muffin well. If the plantain is too long, trim the ends to make it fit and place the extra on the bottom of the well.
- Fill each pionono about ¾ with the beef filling, pressing down gently. Repeat until all the plantain slices and picadillo have been used.
- Now, drizzle or spoon the beaten eggs over the piononos to keep them together.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until plantains are heated through. Run a knife around the edges and carefully scoop your piononos out with a fork. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, and serve hot with avocados.
Tips & Notes:
- Use a sharp, thin blade when cutting the plantains lengthwise to cut them smoothly and carefully without forcing it.
- Toothpicks lock the fried version together so they don’t fall apart. It’s not hard. Before you know it, you’ve locked these rolled plantains into place like a pro.
- No toothpicks is no problem. A muffin pan saves the day. And you can use the regular-sized or mini, depending on how big you want your piononos.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
My mother used to make these for us when I was little in Puerto Rico and i didn’t quite enjoy it back then. Now that I am older my taste buds enjoy the sweet savory flavors. Thank you fro the recipe.
You are so welcome. I’m glad you like it:)
I love these. However, I use the smaller muffin pan and no need for using toothpicks. And I add shredded mozzarella and /or Mexican blend – tastes amazing and they look adorable. Calculate two per person.
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
I loved this recipe. This is how we make them in puerto Rico
Thanks, Evelyn.
Thank you for the recipe! I just made these (veganized) and they were delicious! I wanted to let you know that some of the ingredients listed in the instructions for the picadillo are missing from the ingredients list: garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, and the optional potatoes. (I just guessed on those quantities). The video also shows adding raisins but none are listed on the ingredients list or instructions. Also, a few of the instructions are out of order (ex. “4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a regular sized muffin tin with oil or cooking spray” should come first, before you start arranging the plantains in the tin). I appreciate all your recipes, this one was just a little hard to follow in spots!
Just saw the smoked paprika line, whoops! but not the garlic, cayenne, potatoes, or raisins. thank you!
Thank you so much Katrina. It was really nice to read your story and finally, you found those ingredients too. Stay tuned and have fun:)
My family loved these..Thank you
Good to hear that, Thank you for sharing your love:)
I love this receipt so much. My mom always made it. I thought it was too much work, with the tooth picks. My niece would make them for me. When my mom passed. But with the muffin pan. I will be making them. Thank you for teaching me using the muffin pan. Ada
Let me know how it goes, Ada! I would love to know how it turns out for you 🙂 Enjoy!
Can these be frozen ?
Yes they can. However, I like mine freshly made.
I’m looking forward to trying this but will be making a vegetarian version using lentils instead od ground beef. Thanks for sharing the recipe! You’re fabulous!
Aww… Thanks So Much
What kind of olives should I use?
Green pitted olives would do just fine.
How much of the raisins should I put in?
Hi. V.L., For this recipe, I’d personally for 1/4-1/2 cup of raisins depending on your preference.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Imma,
Can these be done ahead of time? They look like a lot of work and i am not sure i want to do that on the day of a party, so i’m just wondering. 🙂
I can’t wait to try these!
Hi Steffi, you can make the filling ahead of time ( a day or two ahead ). Then the day of the event you, fry the plantains and put everything together.
You mention potatoe,how many and do you chop them in small cubes thx
Potatoes are optional. About a cup will do just fine.
Hi and thank you for this GREAT recipe of PIONONOS.
I LOVE these Piononos! Living in CA but from Puerto Rico I grew up eating these, my MOM made them for the family quite often. They were everyone’s favorite.
I have tried making them but they fall apart so I’ll try making them with your recipe. I love your website and your presentation of ALL the food and recipes.
I will look for you on Pinterest, I hope you are there so that I can PIN and follow you also.
Love all of it.
Thanks again for the wonderful recipes. Josephine
Glad I’ve helped you in my own little way to perfect your pionono, Josephine. And I’m so happy you did! 🙂 Yes you sure can, you can check my Pinterest profile here >>> https://www.pinterest.com/africanbites/immaculate-bites-blog-recipes/ Can’t wait for you to try some of my recipes.:)
Excellent!
Hi! These look delicious! Could you tell me how much is considered as one serving for this recipe? My husband is diabetic and we have to watch the carb count.
Hi Christina! 2 -3 depending on the size of the plantains
This looks soo good! I cant wait to try! My daughter has a strong love for plantains. I know she will love this.
YES! Your daughter has good taste- hahaha! Can’t wait to hear how it works out for you. Thanks