Tostones Rellenos — Dominican Stuffed Cups

Tostones rellenos are what happens when tostones grow up and put on a tuxedo. Instead of flat smashed discs, you press the fried plantain into a little crispy cup and fill it with something beautiful — garlic shrimp, shredded pollo guisado, bright ceviche. Each one is a single bite of everything Dominican on a plate: crispy, savory, punchy, with that unmistakable plantain flavor underneath. They're the star appetizer at every Dominican party that's trying to impress.

The first time I saw these I was maybe eight years old, at a family party in Santo Domingo. My tía had borrowed a tostonera rellena from a neighbor — the special press with the cup-shaped dome — and was pumping out dozens of these things assembly-line style. Green plantain in the fryer, press into a cup, back in the oil, drain, fill with garlicky shrimp, repeat. By the time the pile hit the table it was already half gone because all the kids, including me, were hovering. That's when I learned: if you make tostones rellenos at a Dominican gathering, you better make double.

I'm giving you three fillings today — garlic shrimp, pollo guisado shreds, and a cool ceviche — so you can pick your fighter or make all three. Let's get into it.

Why You'll Love This Tostones Rellenos Recipe

• Built-in wow factor: Nobody expects a little fried plantain cup stuffed with garlicky shrimp. It's an instant conversation starter at any cookout.
• Three filling options: Shrimp, chicken, or ceviche — pick one or make a trio for a Dominican appetizer spread.
• Perfect bite size: One tostón relleno is one perfect mouthful. No utensils needed, just pick up and eat.
• Make-ahead friendly: Fry the cups earlier in the day, fill right before serving. Easy party prep.
• Gluten-free and naturally dairy-free: Plantains, seafood or chicken, herbs, citrus — no allergens to worry about.

What Are Tostones Rellenos?

Tostones rellenos are stuffed tostones — green plantains that have been fried, pressed into a cup shape using a special tostonera rellena, fried again until crispy, and filled with something savory. The word relleno means "stuffed" or "filled" in Spanish, and that's exactly what's going on. Where a regular tostón is a flat disc, a tostón relleno is a hollow cup, ready to be loaded up with whatever you want — shrimp, chicken, beef, seafood, even cheese.

The tool that makes all of this possible is called a tostonera rellena. It's a special plantain press with two pieces — a dome on top and a matching cup on the bottom — that presses the fried plantain into a cup shape. Before this tool existed, Dominican cooks made tostones rellenos by pressing the plantain into a small glass or over the bottom of a measuring cup. The dedicated tostonera rellena makes it way faster and way more uniform. You can buy one online for about ten dollars, and if you're going to make these more than once, it's absolutely worth it.

Tostones rellenos are party food. You'll find them on appetizer platters at Dominican weddings, quinceañeras, birthday parties, and fancy Sunday lunches. They're the dish a Dominican host pulls out when they want to feed guests something more impressive than regular tostones but still rooted in Dominican tradition. Pair them with a cold Presidente beer and a little bowl of wasakaka on the side — that's the move.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the plantain cups:

• 3 large green plantains (hard, completely green skin)
• Vegetable oil for frying (about 3 cups for a deep skillet)
• Salt to taste, for seasoning right out of the oil

Filling 1 — Garlic Shrimp:

• ½ lb peeled shrimp, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Filling 2 — Pollo Guisado Shreds:

• 1 cup shredded pollo guisado (leftovers work perfectly)
• 2 tablespoon of the pollo guisado sauce for moisture

Filling 3 — Ceviche:

• ½ lb firm white fish (sea bass, corvina, or mahi mahi), diced small
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 aji caballero or ½ jalapeño, minced (optional)
• Salt to taste

Equipment: A tostonera rellena (the cup-shaped plantain press), a deep heavy skillet or caldero for frying, a slotted spoon, and paper towels for draining.

5 Fillings to Try Beyond the Classics

1. Habichuelas guisadas with queso blanco: Creamy stewed beans topped with crumbled Dominican white cheese.
2. Chicharrón de cerdo: Crispy pork bits with a drizzle of wasakaka.
3. Avocado and bacon: Mashed avocado with crispy bacon bits and lime. Crowd-pleaser.
4. Shredded beef picadillo: Spiced Cuban-style ground beef with raisins and olives.
5. Dominican chimi mix: Cabbage, tomato, the famous pink sauce — bite-size chimi in a cup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 — Peel and Cut the Plantains

Cut the ends off each green plantain. Run a sharp knife down the length of the skin — just through the skin, not the flesh — and peel back with your fingers or the tip of the knife. Cut each plantain into 4 chunks, about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick. You'll end up with about 12 chunks total.

Step 2 — First Fry (Par-Cook the Plantains)

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep heavy skillet or caldero to 325°F. Carefully add the plantain chunks in batches (don't crowd the pan). Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until softened but not browned. They should give easily when pressed with a fork. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Step 3 — Press Into Cups Using the Tostonera Rellena

While the plantains are still hot, place one chunk standing up inside the cup of the tostonera rellena. Press the dome down firmly until the plantain is molded into a cup shape. Carefully pop it out. Repeat with each chunk. If you don't have a tostonera rellena, you can press the plantain around the bottom of a small glass or jar — it's less uniform but works.

Step 4 — Second Fry (Crisp Them Up)

Bring the oil up to 375°F. Carefully lower the plantain cups into the oil, a few at a time. Fry for 2-3 minutes until deeply golden and crispy all over. The cups should hold their shape and turn a beautiful amber color. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Step 5 — Drain and Salt Immediately

Place the finished cups on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Salt them generously while they're still glistening with oil — this is the moment the salt sticks best. Don't wait. Set aside while you make the filling.

Step 6 — Make the Filling and Assemble

For the shrimp filling: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic, cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced shrimp, salt, and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp turn pink. Off heat, stir in lime juice and cilantro. For the pollo guisado: Just warm up leftover pollo guisado and shred. For the ceviche: Combine diced fish with lime juice, salt, and let sit 15 minutes in the fridge to "cook" the fish. Stir in onion, cilantro, and aji. Spoon the filling into each warm plantain cup right before serving. Garnish with extra cilantro and a lime wedge.

Pro Tips for Perfect Tostones Rellenos

• The tostonera rellena is a game-changer: If you're going to make these more than once, buy one. They're under fifteen dollars and make the process ten times faster and more uniform.
• Salt right out of the oil: The moment the cups come out of the fryer is the only window when salt sticks properly. Salt them immediately while they're shiny.
• Use truly green plantains: If the skin has any yellow or black, the plantain is too soft and won't hold its shape as a cup. Hard, completely green skin only.
• Fill right before serving: The cups go soggy fast once filled. Fry them earlier in the day, reheat for 2 minutes in a hot oven if needed, then fill right before serving.
• Don't skip the two fries: The first fry softens, the second fry crisps. If you try to fry them once on high heat, the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Two fries, different temps. It's the way.

Variations

Spicy Shrimp Tostones Rellenos

Add ½ teaspoon of chili flakes and a splash of hot sauce to the garlic shrimp filling. Finish with a drizzle of wasakaka on top for extra punch.

Vegetarian Tostones Rellenos

Fill with sautéed mushrooms, black beans with queso blanco, or a mashed avocado and tomato salsa. All-plantain, all-vegetable, no animal products — still Dominican at heart.

Cheesy Tostones Rellenos

After filling with shrimp or chicken, top each cup with shredded mozzarella or queso de freír and broil for 1-2 minutes until melted and bubbly. Kids love these.

What to Serve With Tostones Rellenos

• Wasakaka sauce: Drizzle over the shrimp or chicken-filled cups.
• Regular tostones: A plate of both flat and stuffed makes a great appetizer spread.
• Dominican chimi: If you're going full party mode, chimis alongside tostones rellenos is peak Dominican.
• Ice-cold Presidente: The only beer these should be paired with.
• Lime wedges and fresh cilantro: Never skip the garnish — the acid and herbs wake everything up.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tostonera rellena?

A tostonera rellena is a wooden or plastic plantain press with two interlocking pieces — a dome on top and a matching cup on the bottom — that molds a par-fried plantain chunk into a hollow cup shape. It's the key tool for making tostones rellenos uniform and fast. You can find them online for about ten to fifteen dollars.

Can I make tostones rellenos without a tostonera?

Yes. Press the par-fried plantain around the bottom of a small glass or small jar to create a cup shape. Use a small dish to press the bottom flat. The cups will be slightly less uniform, but they'll work. Just be careful — the plantain is hot.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, but in two parts. Fry the cups earlier in the day and store covered at room temperature. Reheat them for 2-3 minutes in a 400°F oven right before serving to re-crisp. Make the filling fresh or reheat separately. Fill only right before serving to keep cups crispy.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

Not really — the texture won't be right. Tostones rellenos depend on the crispy fried exterior to hold their shape and flavor. You can air-fry them with some oil spray for a slightly lighter version, but deep frying is the authentic method.

What's the difference between tostones and tostones rellenos?

Regular tostones are flat smashed plantain discs. Tostones rellenos are the same plantain pressed into a cup shape and filled with something savory. Same starting ingredient, same frying method, different final shape and format. Tostones are a side dish; tostones rellenos are an appetizer.

How many tostones rellenos should I make per person?

Plan on 2-3 per person as an appetizer, or 4-5 per person as a main with a salad. This recipe makes 12 cups which serves about 4-6 people as an appetizer or 3-4 as a main.

Are green plantains the same as bananas?

No. Green plantains are a starchy cooking variety — not sweet, closer to a potato in texture when raw. They're typically larger and have thicker skin than regular eating bananas. Do not substitute regular bananas; they'll fall apart and be sweet.

What oil is best for frying?

Neutral oils with a high smoke point work best — vegetable oil, canola, or soybean oil. Dominican cooks traditionally use vegetable oil. Avoid olive oil for deep frying; its smoke point is too low.

Can I freeze the plantain cups?

Yes. After the first fry and pressing, freeze the raw cups on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. When ready to serve, fry frozen cups directly in 375°F oil until deeply golden. No thawing needed.

What's the best filling for a crowd?

The pollo guisado filling is the most crowd-friendly — no shellfish allergies, no raw fish concerns, mild flavor, universally liked. If you're feeding a big group, double the pollo guisado filling and offer shrimp and ceviche as alternatives for variety.

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Make a big platter this weekend. Watch them disappear in five minutes. That's always how it goes.