Puerto Rican Shrimp Mofongo

When I think of my childhood, I remember making Puerto Rican Shrimp Mofongo with my papi. The mashed fried green plantains with chicharron, mojo sauce, and garlic is an iconic flavor.

And from all possible proteins to use, I love topping my mofongo with sauteed shrimp in a tomato lemon sauce.

How to Make Mofongo

In Puerto Rico, mofongo is typically made with fried green plantains. I put emphasis on green plantains, because using sweet plantains or other root vegetables like yuca would create a whole different dish – like trifongo.

Here are the basic steps to make Puerto Rican Mofongo:

1. Clean, peel and cut the green plantains. I find cutting them in 1 inch pieces allows for even cooking. Then, shallow fry them just until golden and tender.
2. Mash the plantains. The most important part of mofongo is developing moisture during the mashing process! Naturally, green plantains are very starchy and lack moisture, and once you fry and mash them, they become even drier. No one like a dry mofongo!
3. Add in the moisture. To add in some needed juiciness to the mofongo, mash the plantains with melted butter, olive oil, or mojo!
   • You can add one or all three moisture ingredients.
4. Add the chicharron for crunch. Mofongo needs a bit of crunch to avoid a mushy texture, and pieces of chicharron/pork rinds add the necessary crunch and savory notes to make mofongo a balanced entree.
   • During this step, is when I recommend seasoning the mofongo. Since chicharron is known to be salty, don’t season the mofongo before this step.

What Equipment Do I Need to Make Mofongo?

Traditional Puerto Rican Mofongo is mashed in a wooden mortar, also known as a pilon. I compare it to a good cast iron skillet.

Pilons have great longevity and no matter how you clean them, the multiple uses of mashing garlic and onions, season the wood for years! Here is my favorite pilon brand.

Seasonings

If you like a simple flavor profile, you can season the mofongo with salt and pepper.

However, for a real-deal Puerto Rican experience, I opt for using homemade mojo sauce. It’s a great two-in-one condiment because it provides moisture/juiciness and of course, bold flavor!

Here are the typical ingredients in homemade mojo sauce:

• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Garlic cloves
• Yellow onions
• Chopped cilantro
• Dried oregano
• Adobo

Choosing Your Protein – Shrimp Mofongo

While you can use any desired protein in mofongo (for example pork chunks, chicken, or fried beef) I enjoy the brightness and freshness of sauteed shrimp cooked in tomato, onion, and garlic with a hint of lemon.

Presentation

My favorite part of making Puerto Rican Mofongo as a little girl was molding the mofongo mixture into the bowl. It’s the iconic dome shape that everyone recognizes and duplicates for a beautiful presentation.

Honestly, I loved this step as a little girl because it was an excuse to play with my food. Keep in mind that you want the shape of the mofongo to mimic the shape of the bowl you use – I like round and smooth.

Once you unmold the mofongo onto a plate, I highly recommend brushing more homemade mojo on the top to ensure maximum hydration and juiciness.

Puerto Rican Shrimp Mofongo

Puerto Rican Shrimp Mofongo is a delicious combo of fried mashed green plantains with fresh garlic, chicharron also known as pork rinds and sauteed shrimp in a tomato lemon sauce. Mofongo is a classic main entree.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Entree, Seafood

Cuisine Puerto Rican Cuisine

Servings 4 servings

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  

Shrimp Mofongo

• 3 large green plantains
• 1 pound of peeled shrimp
• 1 small bag of pork rinds or a handful of homemade chicharrones
• 1 small tomato (diced)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of ketchup
• 1 tablespoon of Adobo All Purpose Seasoning
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1 head of garlic
• Salted Butter

Homemade Mojo Sauce

• Olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon of diced yellow onions
• Chopped cilantro
• Dried oregano
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Begin prepapring the green plantains by carefully remvoing the skin.
• Cut the end tips of the plantains, then cut 1 inch slices.
• Shallow fry the plantain slices in hot oil for 7 -10 minutes on each side.
• Once tender and slightly golden, remove the plantains and rest on a paper towel lined plate.
• Now start on the shrimp. Cook shrimp in olive oil and add diced tomatoes and garlic.
• Season with Adobo All Purpose Seasoning and ketchup. Mix well and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Finish the shrimp with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Prepare the mofongo, by adding fried plantain pieces in a pilon/mortar. Mash with a splash of olive oil, butter and garlic.
• Add pieces of chicharron for additional crunch.
• Then add homemade mojo sauce for needed moisture.
• Season with salt and mold a small bowl with the mofongo.
• Remove mofongo from mold and serve shrimp over top.

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