A Trifongo is s twist on the Puerto Rican national dish the mofongo. It is super delicious and made with yuca, yellow, and green plantains with a touch of butter and adobo. It is a soft and buttery side that makes the perfect weeknight recipe.
You might know what a traditional mofongo is, but you’ve probably never heard of a Trifongo.
I have tasted my fair share of trifongo while living in Puerto Rico and from all of them, my favorite ones are the ones that are not too sweet or savory.
I like to serve it with fried Puerto Rican pork chunks or Puerto Rican style fried pork chops with mayonnaise and ketchup mix!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe will work because I tell you how to get the perfect balance between the savory and sweet ingredients.
- Is a recipe that you can customize to your taste!
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweet plantain & yuca- These two ingredients are what make the trifongo different from a mofongo. You can use either fresh or frozen. If you’re lucky you can even find sweet plantains fried and frozen. Remember when buying that yuca or cassava is the same vegetable.
- Green plantain- Try to use the greenest plantains you can find because the more green they are the more savory in taste.
- Adobo with pimienta– I like using adobo with pepper but you can use salt.
- Garlic- I use only ½ teaspoon of garlic paste so the flavor won’t be as stored and I can still notice those sweet flavors. You can always add more but add little by little.
- Butter- The butter not only adds flavor but also helps the trifongo get soft.
How To Make A Trifongo
- Photo 1: Peel the yuca by making a small cut lengthwise, then put your knife under the skin and lift it. You can also use a vegetable peeler if is easier for you.
- Photo 2: I always boil the yuca for 25 minutes. While your yuca might be done by 20 minutes. When you cook for 25 minutes you will ensure it will be super tender. Plus it will mash like butter. Remember to remove the root!
- Photo 3: Peel both plantains and cut them into 1-inch circles. Just make sure that they are similar in size so they can cook evenly.
- Photo 4: You are going to fry everything in the same pot but you will add them at different times. First, you’ll add the green plantains, and after 2 minutes the ripe plantain, and after 4 the yuca.
- Photo 5: Add half of all the vegetables, the seasoning, and garlic to a large pilon. Mash until it starts looking smooth. Then add the rest and mash until your dough is smooth.
- Photo 6: Now after everything is smooth is the time when you add the butter. Mash until all the butter is incorporated. Taste the trifongo dough to make sure it doesn’t need more seasoning. Then add the dough to a mold and serve.
Recipe Tips
- To have the right balance of flavors, try to use plantains that are about the same size.
- If you don’t like frying you can use an air fryer to cook your veggies. While it does not taste the same it is still a good option.
- If you don’t have a pilon you can use a bowl and mash with a cup or a potato masher.
Recipe FAQs
You can get away with not frying the yuca but frying it gives it more flavor and a nice texture.
You can boil all the vegetables in a trifongo but the texture will be more like a mangu instead of a trifongo which is soft but not a paste.
The difference between the two is that the trifongo also has yuca and sweet plantains which mofongo doesn’t. But is cooked, mashed, and seasoned the same way.
More Puerto Rican Sides
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Trifongo (A Mofongo Variation)
Ingredients
- 1 sweet plantain
- 1 green plantain
- ½ pound yuca
- 2 cups oil for frying
- ½ teaspoon adobo
- ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Peel the yuca and cut it in half. In a medium-sized pot over high heat add the yuca and cook for 25 min or until fork tender. Once cooked, remove the thin root in the middle of each piece. Set the yuca aside.
- Peel the yellow and green plantains. Cut into about 1-inch thick circles. In a large pan over medium-high heat add the oil.
- Add the green plantain to fry for 7 minutes. Once 2 minutes have passed, add the yellow plantain circles. When there are 3 minutes left on the green plantains, add the yuca. Finish cooking and remove everything into a plate with paper towels to drain.
- Add half of the vegetables, half of the garlic paste, and half of the adobo into a pilon and mash for a minute. Then add the rest of the vegetables, garlic, and adobo. Mash until everything is smooth and you have no big chunks.
- Now add all the butter and mash until you have a smooth dough consistency. Add half of the mix to a small bowl to shape, then do the same with the rest of the mix and serve.
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Recipe Notes
- Try to get your ripe and green plantains the same size to keep the sweetness and the savoriness equal.
- Mash everything in a big bowl if you don’t have a pilon. But if you have a pilon that is just not big enough, just mash half of the recipe first.
- You can use an air fryer if you want to avoid frying!
- Once the trifongo is mashed, make sure you taste it to know if you would like to add more seasoning or garlic paste.
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