What to Serve with Mofongo? 7 BEST Side Dishes

If you’ve decided to take a break from the usual hamburgers and poached eggs, mofongo is a great option.

It’s a Puerto Rican dish made with mashed, fried plantains mixed with spices and protein (usually pork or seafood).

A little background on the dish – Mofongo is believed to have evolved from the fufu dish (an African dish), made up of mashed starchy veggies, such as cassava and plantains.

Mofongo is a delicious, traditional, and comforting food that goes well with a variety of sides.

Read further if you want to know what to serve with mofongo.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Mofongo?

There are a few reasons you might want to consider serving side dishes with mofongo.

To add more vegetables: Let’s admit it, plantains are delicious, but they’re not exactly abundant in nutrients.

Including some side dishes can help round out the meal and make it healthier.

To add some variety: Mofongo is delicious but can be a bit heavy.

Serving it with some lighter side dishes can help to offset that.

To please everyone: If you’re serving mofongo to a group of people, not everyone will likely love plantains as much as you do.

Serving it with some other dishes gives everyone a little something to enjoy.

What to Serve with Mofongo? 7 BEST Side Dishes

1 – Garlic Paprika Chicken

An addition of crispy, tender and juicy baked chicken with paprika and garlic sauce might just be what you need to complete your meal with mofongo.

This fantastic chicken dish has been around for years and is a food lovers’ favorite.

Although it sounds fancy, all you need is chicken (preferably drumsticks), garlic, olive oil, herbs, and spices.

Baking at 425˚F for 45 minutes will give you the crispiest, crunchiest, and tastiest garlic paprika chicken.

2 – Sautéed Shrimps

Mofongo is a versatile dish.

It goes well with any kind of meat, seafood, or anything that you can think of.

If you can get your hands on some shrimp, we suggest creating this simple and delicate recipe to serve as a side dish.

Shrimp is the most widely-consumed seafood in America, and it isn’t surprising to know.

It is a delicate yet extravagant seafood, which adds a good amount of protein to your meal.

You don’t need a complicated dish to elevate your meals.

Simple recipes like this bring out the most flavors of your main dish.

Note: Only cook your shrimps till they are pink and opaque all the way through.

Cooking them for a long time will make them chewy and stringy.

3 – Garlic Sauce

If you feel like you need something liquidy, hot, and savory to amp up your mofongo, a creamy garlic sauce will do the trick.

Garlic is a beloved ingredient in many dishes and is often used for seasoning.

However, you can truly enjoy its flavors alone by making a garlic sauce.

It tastes great with mofongo too.

This bulbous food is native to Central and South Asia and Iran.

Besides giving incredible flavors to dishes, it offers several health benefits.

Tip: Add your lemon juice to the sauce at the beginning as it will prevent the garlic from getting bitter.

4 – Avocado Salad

Let your dish hit some summer notes by adding a bowl of avocado salad.

It will bring a simple and fresh flavor to your mofongo.

Did you know? Avocado is actually a berry, also known as butter fruit or alligator pear.

It is a great source of nutrients and vitamins.

Serving avocado salad with mofongo is a good choice as the avocado’s buttery and nutty taste will balance and complement the main dish’s flavors.

You’ll surely impress your guests with the combination.

Tip: Brush some lime/lemon juice on the sliced avocadoes and keep it in an airtight container to prevent it from browning.

5 – Caldo de Pollo

Mofongo is a Puerto-Rican dish; why not combine it with another? Try Caldo de Pollo, aka chicken vegetable soup.

They are nutritious and incredibly tasty.

Caldo de Pollo is a healthy soup dish that you can enjoy any time, but many people love it during winter nights or when they have a cold.

So, you can say that it is a comfort dish.

Caldo de Pollo will help wash down the mofongo down your throat when it starts to get a little dry and hard to swallow.

Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the soup if you find it dull at any point.

You can also use salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, or fresh lemon juice to boost the taste.

6 – Roasted Red Pepper Soup

If you want to add some sweetness and intense char flavors on the side of mofongo, go for roasted red pepper soup.

It is another great addition to your meal as you’d have the flavorful soup wash down the starchy food.

While making roasted red pepper soup, ensure that you’re baking the peppers on a large tray to avoid overcrowding.

Add some spice using red pepper flakes.

The most important thing? Don’t throw the leftovers away, as this soup taste even better the next day.

7 – Pork Roast

Have you been thinking of pork, but the ingredients list has stopped you? Consider making some pork roast.

You’ll only need some pork loin, garlic cloves, black pepper (freshly ground), and seasoned salt.

However, make sure you have some time before serving, as this dish takes up to two hours to cook.

Adding a simple version of pork roast to your mofongo brings a lot of flavor, texture, and variety.

It also rounds up the meal beautifully.

If you have a favorite pork roast recipe, go ahead and use it.

Conclusion

Mofongo tastes good with a variety of dishes.

Therefore, you wouldn’t have a problem pairing your favorite meals with it.

Try our suggestions if you’re out of ideas. You won’t regret them.

Whether you want something soupy, meaty, or a refreshing salad, mofongo will be a perfect combination for them all.