Easy as can be, two ingredient Plantain Bacon Fritters served with ripe avocado and a poached egg for a healthy and savory breakfast or brunch! Paleo, Whole30 approved, and incredibly delicious with just a touch of fancy.
This recipe has been a long time coming! I’m not completely sure why I obsessed over it, but I tested it a few different ways over a couple of weeks, and wound up with the most simple version possible. I’m thinking I obsessed because plantains and bacon have been my “thing” for so long, that I didn’t want to risk screwing up such a simple and delicious recipe involving my two best buddies.
On the other hand, it’s possible I obsessed and made this too many times as an excuse to eat more bacon and plantains together. I’m leaning toward the latter, now that I think of it, it’s all coming together and making sense.
Yum. I kind of want them again now. Anyway, it’s January 5, really the second day of the New Year because Monday is always the first in my book, and already the new year is looking new.
First, Adam (husband) decided he’s going to start eating Paleo and cooking for himself. He then followed up this declaration by actually getting up early to cook for himself, which surprised me and the kids, but, wonderful, really, it’s wonderful.
Second, he also “remembered” on Sunday night that he applied to run the NYC Half back in November right after I ran the marathon, and figured he should probably see if he got in. Of course, he did, so that means now that he has to start running ASAP. I have to say, I am definitely happy for him (BUT) I also have to say that it’s a little strange to think of him being this other “Paleo Running Person” in my house with me. It just might take a little getting used to on my part, I can’t lie.
Yes, I’m half joking, and truly it’s more like that moment when your kids actually listen to you for once and you wonder if they’re sick or if you’ve gone crazy. I used to nag him about eating healthy, I used to actually cook his meals FOR him (not just dinner) when I wanted him to eat healthy, and I even made him training plans when he wanted to get in shape.
I stopped doing all of that because I grew tired of it once I started working on my blog more. So, it definitely caught me off guard when he made his announcement. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to eat Paleo when you live in our house – I’m actually not totally sure how he avoided it for so long. Now it’s just up to me to happily share the early morning training time slots, and of course the racing spotlight with the NYC half. It’s pretty cool to finally have a really good excuse to spectate a big race – something I oddly have never done!
But, does any of this have anything to do with these delicious plantain bacon fritters? Not really, except that the recipe makes about 4 servings, so it’s perfect for sharing with Other Paleo People (OPP?) who just might be living in your house. I suppose you could even get them cook this for you. I’ll take the blame, if necessary 🙂
Plantain Bacon Fritters with Avocado and Poached Egg {Paleo & Whole30}
Plantain Bacon Fritters with Avocado and Poached Egg {Paleo & Whole30}
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow plantains
- 6 slices nitrate free sugar free bacon (sugar free for Whole30)
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- black pepper
- 4 eggs to poach - or cook to preference if you prefer not to poach
- 1 medium avocado
- greens of choice for garnish
Instructions
To Make the Fritters:
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First, cook bacon over medium-hi heat until crisp, drain on paper towels and save 1/4 cup of rendered bacon fat
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Cut off the ends of your plantains and score the sides to remove the peel. In a large bowl, mash the plantains with a potato masher until smooth (a few lumps are fine)
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Crumble the cooked bacon and add to the mashed plantains. Also add the salt and pepper and mix.
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Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (no hotter) and add the 1/4 cup bacon fat
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Form the plantain mixture into 8 small patties and fry in the bacon fat over medium heat, adjusting the heat to avoid burning. Cook on each side until golden brown and crisp.
To poach the eggs:
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First, crack them carefully into a bowl without breaking the yolks.
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Heat 1-2 inches of water in a large shallow pan until small bubbles form (a simmer) and whisk the water in a circle (helps keep the whites together)
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Carefully add the eggs to the simmering water, poach for 2-3 minutes until the whites have set, and remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
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Serve fritters with sliced avocado, your favorite greens, and a poached egg for dipping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Do you eat the same as others in your family? Do you and your spouse/partner have the same approach to nutrition?
Has anything changed in your life since 2016 began?
Is anyone running the NYC half? I’ll be there cheering!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine says
January 5, 2016 at 6:13 amThat’s too funny that he decided to eat paleo and now is doing that race! Maybe you have showed him all the benefits of the “paleo-runer-life”! Rob and I mostly eat the same stuff, but he usually doesn’t eat breakfast…which I still can’t understand!
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 12:55 pmI can’t understand not eating breakfast either! Although interestingly some Paleo men, especially, do intermittent fasting on purpose, skipping breakfast for health benefits. Maybe Rob is onto something 🙂
The Cookie ChRUNicles says
January 5, 2016 at 6:21 amI do not eat the same as my son so it can get annoying at dinner time making separate things I think it’s great he is going paleo and running the half! It’s a tough one to get into right? And may I just say that I hope in a few weeks it isn’t as cold out for our race like it is right now!
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 12:56 pmIt was a lottery and I don’t think he was assuming he’d get in! He was all pumped to start running regularly after the marathon but then, didn’t, so now he’s planning to train for real. And the cold is just terrible today, I’m sitting at the computer in full outdoor winter apparel 😉
Gretchen | Gretchruns says
January 5, 2016 at 7:33 amWHoo hoo I just started a Whole30 so this is perfect! I just need to learn how to poach an egg properly..
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 12:57 pmIt’s actually really easy! I outlined the way I do it in the recipe and it works well each time 🙂 And yay for the Whole30! You’re going to feel amazing by the end of it.
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
January 5, 2016 at 7:36 amGood for Adam! I actually assumed he was already eating Paleo since he lived with you. I’ve never spectated a race before but I have thought about volunteering at a few.
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 12:59 pmHe really only ate paleo for dinner, the rest of the day was typical takeout stuff I think since he’s at work all day. He did the Whole30 2 years ago so knows it makes him feel better!
Strength and Sunshine says
January 5, 2016 at 7:36 amRight now that everyone is in the house and I’m in charge of grocery shopping, I can make sure everyone is eating a bit better….at least I try too 😛 When I cook dinner I feel good I’m feeding everyone REAL food, but otherwise, it’s hard to keep a 21 year old boy eating healthy all the time 😉
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 12:59 pm21 year old boy and 45 year old man = sort of the same thing 😉 I love that you take good care of your brother though!
SuzLyfe says
January 5, 2016 at 8:13 amEvery time you post a recipe, I have literally just been at the store looking for said ingredients to no avail. So I know that if I were to go back to the store, they still would not be there. FAIL STORE FAIL. (I was looking for plantains yesterday). Alex decided last year that he was going to take up running, but the problem is that he doesn’t listen to me, even when he asks my advice, so I’m not really sure what to do about that.
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 1:01 pmThat is so sad – we have plantains everywhere and I wish I could send you some, lol! Adam doesn’t listen to me either, which is fine, at least now it’s fine that I’ve given up!
margaretmolteni says
January 5, 2016 at 8:30 amSo funny that your husband is now an OPP (I like it) or an OPR with his race coming up! That must confuse the kids since they now have two Paleo Running Parents (PRP). But this breakfast looks amazing! I’m going to pin it and hopefully get to make it for my family this weekend if not the next. Have you tried the fritters ahead of time? If they’re good the next day I might do them Friday night and have them ready for everyone the next morning. Thanks for sharing this!
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 1:03 pmIt’s a good one! Not sure about ahead of time though, we ate them all within a day, although they were fine after maybe 4 hours in the fridge! Plantains can be weird with reheating though.
And paleo running parents is funny – not sure the kids are taking Adam seriously just yet though 😉
Margaret @ youngandrungry says
January 5, 2016 at 8:31 amAlso, where do you buy your compliant bacon?
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 1:05 pmMy favorite when I was strict Whole30 was from U.S Wellness Meats (pork bacon) but Amazon also carries Pederson’s Natural farms (and Whole Foods has this too by me) which I linked to in the recipe. My preference is the first though!
athleticavocado says
January 5, 2016 at 8:54 amplantain, bacon and avocado sounds like an EPIC combo!!!
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 1:05 pmReally cannot go wrong – so yummy 🙂
Joyce says
January 5, 2016 at 12:51 pmYum! It’s hard to find good low-FODMAP recipes for breakfast–especially since the serving size is always so miniscule! I’ll definitely be giving these a try.
Michele says
January 5, 2016 at 1:29 pmThanks Joyce! Definitely check out my other breakfast recipes – many (or even most) are low FODMAP and if not can easily be adapted to be low FODMAP. Plantains are great too because they cook so fast!
fionajarrett says
January 5, 2016 at 2:00 pmThis looks really good. I recently moved back in with my parents and I tend to eat at different times to them so mostly I ate different food too. They also just think I eat weird food….quinoa, lentils…. 🙂 I’ve got them eating sweet potatoes and butternut squash (very reluctantly!) in the last little while though so maybe some day soon we’ll be eating the same foods!
Michele says
January 6, 2016 at 5:11 pmHaha, I think once you give sweet potatoes and squash a chance there’s no going back!
taramdeal says
January 5, 2016 at 2:35 pmThis looks like a really tasty brunch! I’m not a bacon fan (gasp! I know!) but I love everything else about these. Especially the plantains!
Michele says
January 6, 2016 at 5:11 pmLol, I promise we can still be friends 😉 Plantains more than make up for it!
AmandaM says
January 5, 2016 at 3:21 pmNot a plantain in sight at Wegman’s this weekend! I only have 1 left in my supply. Hoping a shipment comes in. Have you had any issues lately?
Michele says
January 6, 2016 at 5:12 pmI’ve noticed a dip in supply in a couple of stores but can’t imagine them running out! I guess that would mean more potatoes and squash for me!
thisrunnersrecipes says
January 5, 2016 at 3:23 pmYummmmm you had me at bacon! Ryan and I eat the same, which makes cooking easy! The only difference is that I make his oatmeal with milk and use coconut milk or water for mine, but other than that we even have the same food sensitivities.
Michele says
January 6, 2016 at 5:13 pmThat’s very cool! Makes things easy and it’s nice to have that in common 🙂
fitballingrunningmom says
January 5, 2016 at 10:22 pmYou had me until poached egg..but I can just fry mine. This recipe is so easy. The plantains are without black spots on the skin but yellow-right? Not black or green?
Good for the hubby. We have kinds of want in my house but I cook what I cook and if you are hungry, you will eat-lol!
My meals are a bit different but close enough to what the others eat so it is just a little extra work.
I wish I could be at NYC half, I think when I checked I had a conflict but if not, I might be there ;).
Michele says
January 6, 2016 at 5:14 pmYup you can really cook it any way you want 🙂 Or not at all, if you don’t feel like it. For this recipe a yellow plantain with minimal black works best!
And the NYC half was my favorite race – hoping to run it possibly next year!
Grace Suzanne says
March 7, 2016 at 11:36 amI love this recipe, and I tried to make it for breakfast to brighten up my Monday morning, but I had trouble getting the plantains to stick together. Did you run into any of this? Any suggestions for getting the patties to stay together?
Michele says
March 7, 2016 at 12:36 pmI mashed them wish a potato masher and they stuck well, I used a plantain that was yellow but not too ripe so it still has some starchiness to it. I’m wondering if the plantain was just a bit too ripe? Sorry they fell apart!
Lindsay says
January 6, 2018 at 2:32 pmI bought plantains but they aren’t ripe enough yet! Could i use sweet potatoes for these instead if I bake the potatoes beforehand?
Michele says
January 6, 2018 at 3:55 pmNot sure how they’d turn out, since plantains are starchier.
Whitley says
March 16, 2019 at 7:39 amHey! These look delicious! Are they good to prep ahead of time and reheat throughout the week? I live off of meal prepping!