That's how I ended up in her kitchen learning to make shrimp mofongo while Max peppered her with questions from his seat at the counter. She had this wooden bowl - called it a pilón - and started smashing fried plantains with garlic and these crispy pork pieces. The smell filled her whole kitchen. Then she cooked shrimp in butter and garlic and spooned the whole thing over the mashed plantains.
Why You'll Love This Shrimp Mofongo
This isn't your usual Tuesday chicken situation. Fried plantains mashed with garlic and pork cracklings create something between crispy and creamy that's hard to explain until you try it. The shrimp sauce soaks into all the cracks and corners. Takes about 45 minutes start to finish, but people think you spent way longer on it.
Max wouldn't touch plantains at first because they look like bananas. Took one bite and now he requests this over mashed potatoes. Fair warning - you'll smell like garlic the next day, so plan accordingly. It's filling too. The plantains stick with you longer than regular potatoes, and the shrimp makes it feel like a real meal without being heavy.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Shrimp Mofongo
- Ingredients for Shrimp Mofongo
- How To Make Shrimp Mofongo Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Shrimp Mofongo
- Tasty Variations on Shrimp Mofongo
- MEQUIPEMENT for Shrimp Mofongo
- Storing Your Shrimp Mofongo
- Why This Recipe Works
- Top Tip
- The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
- FAQ
- Ready to Try Something Different!
- Related
- Pairing
- Shrimp Mofongo
Ingredients for Shrimp Mofongo
For the Mofongo:
- Green plantains
- Garlic cloves
- Chicharrones
- Chicken broth
- Olive oil
- Salt
For the Shrimp:
- Large shrimp
- More garlic
- White wine
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Chicken broth
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
Optional Add-Ins:
- Bacon
- Red pepper flakes
- Adobo seasoning
- Fresh tomatoes
What You'll Need:
- Deep skillet or pot for frying
- Mortar and pestle
- Another skillet for the shrimp
- Tongs
- Paper towels
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Shrimp Mofongo Step By Step
Prep the Plantains:
- Cut ends off green plantains
- Score the skin lengthwise with a knife
- Peel off the skin
- Slice into 1-inch rounds
- Soak in salted water for 15 minutes
Fry Everything:
- Heat oil to 350°F in a deep skillet
- Fry plantain rounds until golden
- Don't crowd the pan or they'll steam instead of crisp
- Drain on paper towels
- Crush chicharrones into small pieces
Make the Mofongo:
- Put fried plantains in your mortar or bowl
- Add crushed garlic, chicharrones, and a splash of broth
- Mash it all together until it holds together but isn't smooth
- You want some texture, not baby food
- Form into balls or pack into a bowl and flip onto plates
Cook the Shrimp:
- Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high
- Add minced garlic until it smells good
- Throw in shrimp and cook until pink
- Pour in white wine and let it reduce by half
- Add cream and broth, simmer until it thickens a bit
- Finish with cilantro and lime juice
Put It Together:
- Place mofongo mound on plate
- Spoon shrimp and sauce all over the top
- Garnish with more cilantro if you want
Smart Swaps for Shrimp Mofongo
Plantain Issues:
- Can't find green plantains → Yuca works (different texture but close)
- Too green → Let them sit on counter 2-3 days
- Turning yellow → Use them for something else, won't work here
Protein Options:
- Shrimp → Chicken thighs cut small
- Seafood → Pork chunks
- Regular shrimp → Langostinos or crawfish
- Nothing → Just the mofongo with extra garlic sauce
Chicharrones Substitutes:
- Pork cracklings → Crispy bacon pieces
- Store-bought → Homemade fried pork belly
- Can't find any → Skip it but add more garlic and salt
Sauce Variations:
- Heavy cream → Half and half (thinner sauce)
- White wine → Extra chicken broth with lemon juice
- Dairy → Coconut cream for creamy without milk
Tasty Variations on Shrimp Mofongo
Seafood Mofongo:
- Mix shrimp with scallops
- Add chunks of lobster tail
- Throw in some clams or mussels
- Use seafood stock instead of chicken
Beef Mofongo:
- Brown stew beef chunks
- Make a tomato-based sauce
- Add bell peppers and onions
- Spoon over the plantain mound
Chicken Version:
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Creamy garlic sauce
- Top with fried onions
- Easier for kids who won't eat shrimp
Breakfast Mofongo:
- Top with fried eggs
- Add crumbled breakfast sausage
- Serve with hot sauce
- Carmen's husband eats this every Sunday
MEQUIPEMENT for Shrimp Mofongo
- Deep heavy skillet or pot (for frying)
- Mortar and pestle or pilón (traditional way)
- Large bowl (if no mortar)
- Heavy glass or meat mallet (for mashing)
- Spider strainer or tongs
- Regular skillet for shrimp
Storing Your Shrimp Mofongo
Fridge (2 days max):
- Store mofongo and shrimp separately
- Mofongo gets hard in the fridge
- Reheat it in a skillet with a little broth
- Shrimp reheats better in microwave or stovetop
Freezer (Don't):
- Fried plantains get weird when frozen
- The texture goes mushy and strange
- Just make it fresh when you want it
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Fry plantains earlier in the day
- Keep at room temp covered with a towel
- Mash them right before serving
- Cook shrimp last minute (takes 10 minutes)
Leftovers:
- Mash up the cold mofongo with eggs for breakfast
- Reheat shrimp in a skillet with extra garlic
- Add some cheese and make it crispy in a pan
- Max likes it cold from the fridge (weird kid)
Why This Recipe Works
Plantains aren't like potatoes. When you fry them green and starchy, they crisp up on the outside but stay firm inside. That's what gives mofongo its texture - it's not smooth and creamy, it's supposed to have bite to it. The hot oil also adds flavor that you can't get from boiling or baking. The chicharrones and garlic mashed into hot fried plantains create this situation where the fat from the pork and the oil from frying mix together. That's what makes everything stick and form into a ball instead of just being a pile of plantain pieces.
The chicken broth you add loosens it just enough to mash but keeps it thick. High heat for the Shrimp Mofongo matters because you want them to get a little color before the sauce goes in. If you cook them low and slow, they turn rubbery. Fast and hot means they stay tender while the garlic gets a chance to actually brown instead of just turning soft and bland.
Top Tip
- Carmen finally told me the one thing her abuela insisted on that seemed pointless at first. After frying the plantains, her abuela would put them in a paper bag and shake them hard for about 30 seconds. "It bruises them just a little," Carmen explained. "Makes them easier to mash and the texture comes out better."
- I skipped this step for months because it seemed like extra work for no reason. Then one night I actually tried it, and the mofongo came together way easier. The plantains broke down faster and held together better when formed into that traditional mound shape. Those little bruises from shaking create weak spots that help everything mash up without turning into paste.
- Her other non-negotiable was the garlic situation. Most recipes say 3-4 cloves. Her abuela used a whole head of garlic - one head in the mofongo, another head in the Shrimp Mofongo sauce. "If you're not crying a little from the garlic," she'd tell Carmen, "you're not making it right." Max thinks this is hilarious and now announces "abuela garlic rules" every time I peel another clove. The woman knew what she was doing though - that much garlic is what makes this taste like it came from someone's kitchen in San Juan instead of a recipe you found online.
The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
My aunt has been making mofongo longer than I've been alive, and she had one trick that Carmen didn't even know about. After I'd been making this recipe for about six months, she came over for dinner and watched me work. She didn't say anything until I started mashing the plantains, then she pulled a small bottle from her purse. Worcestershire sauce. Just a few drops mixed in with the garlic and chicharrones while mashing. "It's not traditional," she admitted, "but I started doing it in the 80s when I couldn't always find good chicharrones here. The umami makes up for it." That deep, savory punch it adds to the mofongo is something I can't skip now.
Her second trick was even simpler but made a bigger difference. She'd save the garlic oil from cooking the Shrimp Mofongo that butter and garlic mixture left in the pan - and drizzle it over the finished mofongo right before adding the shrimp on top. Nothing goes to waste, and that extra hit of garlic-infused butter seeps into the plantains and makes every bite richer. Max calls it "the shiny part" and specifically asks for extra whenever she visits.
FAQ
What is shrimp mofongo made of?
Shrimp mofongo is fried green plantains mashed with garlic, pork cracklings, and broth, then topped with garlicky Shrimp Mofongo in a creamy sauce. The plantains get fried until crispy, mashed into a thick paste, formed into a mound, and covered with the shrimp and sauce.
What is Shrimp Mofongo made of?
Traditional mofongo uses green plantains that are fried and then mashed with garlic, chicharrones (fried pork skin), and chicken broth. It's formed into a ball or mound and usually topped with meat or seafood. The texture should be firm and chunky, not smooth like mashed potatoes.
What does a Shrimp Mofongo taste like?
Mofongo tastes like garlicky fried plantains with a rich, savory bite from the pork cracklings. It's not sweet like ripe plantains - green ones are starchy and almost potato-like. The garlic is strong, and the whole thing is rich and filling with a texture that's both crispy and soft.
What does Shrimp Mofongo stand for?
Mofongo doesn't stand for anything - it's believed to come from the African word "mofongo" or "fufu," referring to mashed starchy foods. Puerto Ricans adapted it using local plantains instead of yuca or other roots. It's just the name of the dish, passed down through generations of Caribbean cooking.
Ready to Try Something Different!
You've got Carmen's family recipe now from the twice-fried plantains to abuela's whole-head-of-garlic rule. This shrimp mofongo brings Puerto Rican comfort food to your kitchen without needing a plane ticket or a restaurant bill.
Craving more crowd-pleasers? Our The Best Strawberry Poke Cake is perfect for potlucks and summer gatherings - that sweet strawberry sauce soaks into every bite. Want something savory and handheld? Try our Delicious Beef Empanadas Recipe that disappears faster than you can make them. Or switch gears with our Easy Kaju Curry Recipe creamy cashew curry that's way simpler than it looks!
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Pairing
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Shrimp Mofongo
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel and slice green plantains, then soak them in salted water.
- Deep fry the plantain slices until golden and crispy on the outside.
- Mash fried plantains with garlic, chicharrones, and broth until chunky.
- Sauté shrimp with garlic, wine, cream, and broth until sauce thickens.
- Shape the mofongo and top with shrimp and sauce before serving.
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