Banana Cue, a beloved Filipino street food, features skewered fried saba bananas with a sweet, crunchy coating made with caramelized brown sugar. With just three simple ingredients and under 30 minutes, you can recreate this nostalgic treat at home!
You may also want to try equally popular street foods, like Banana Fritters, Turon with Langka, Ube Turon, Taho (Silken Tofu with Sago and Syrup and Adobong Mani (Fried Peanuts).
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Saba bananas: Select ripe but firm saba bananas with yellow skin and black spots, which indicate ripeness. Frozen saba bananas work just as well. You can use ripe plantains, burro bananas, or Thai bananas as substitutes.
- Sugar: For the caramel, I used light brown sugar for the first caramel layer, then dark brown for a clumpier second coat. Granulated sugar is also an option.
- Oil: Use a high-temperature neutral oil, like vegetable, canola, peanut, or avocado oil. These oils have high smoke points, making them ideal for frying.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to submerge the bananas at least halfway. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the bananas and fry them for about 2 minutes until slightly softened.
Step 2: Add half of the brown sugar (light brown sugar) and allow it to caramelize to a light amber color. Keep tossing the bananas to ensure they are uniformly coated in the caramel.
Step 3: Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar (dark brown sugar) over the bananas.
Step 4: Toss continuously until the sugar begins to clump. Before the second batch of sugar fully melts, remove the bananas from the oil and turn off the heat. This will help create a beautiful texture and crunch.
Step 5: Place the caramelized bananas on a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
Step 6: Once slightly cooled, skewer the bananas.
Enjoy your Banana Cue with a refreshing Avocado Shake, Mango Shake, or Watermelon Slushie.
Recipe FAQs
Banana Cue is named so because it combines the use of "banana" (specifically saba bananas) and "cue" from the word "barbecue." It reflects both the main ingredient and the method of preparation, which involves skewering, akin to the concept of barbecue.
Saba bananas are a variety commonly found in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia, primarily used for cooking. They are larger, firmer, and less sweet when raw. They are characterized by their thick peel, distinctive angular shape, and yellow color with dark spots when fully ripe.
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📖 Recipe
Banana Cue (Caramelized Bananas)
Equipment
- Wok or Skillet
- Bamboo skewers (optional)
Ingredients
- 8 saba bananas (see note)
- ¾ cup brown sugar divided into 2 equal parts (see note)
- Neutral oil for frying (see note)
Instructions
- Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to submerge the bananas at least halfway. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the bananas and fry them for about 2 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add half of the light brown sugar and allow it to caramelize to a light amber color. Keep tossing the bananas to ensure they are uniformly coated in the caramel.
- Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the bananas. Toss continuously until the sugar begins to clump.
- Before the second batch of sugar fully melts, remove the bananas from the oil and turn off the heat. This will help create a beautiful texture and crunch.
- Place the caramelized bananas on a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
- Once slightly cooled, skewer the bananas.
Notes
- Saba bananas: Select ripe but firm saba bananas with yellow skin and black spots, which indicate ripeness. Frozen saba bananas work just as well. You can use ripe plantains, burro bananas, or Thai bananas as substitutes.
- Sugar: For the caramel, I used light brown sugar for the first caramel layer, then dark brown for a clumpier second coat. Granulated sugar is also an option.
- Oil: Use a high-temperature neutral oil, like vegetable, canola, peanut, or avocado oil. These oils have high smoke points, making them ideal for frying.
Myra
Looking really good! I should make these. Did you use frozen bananas? Thanks!
Nora Rey
Yes, I did use thawed frozen bananas for this recipe. They worked really well! 🍌