Golden Deep-Fried Honey Bananas
炸香蕉·(zhà xiāngjiāo)
Sides & Finishers: The Extras
If you ever celebrated a birthday in a red vinyl booth at your local Chinese-American joint, you know exactly what this is. Before the fortune cookie became the default finale, there was the fried banana: a shatteringly crisp, golden shell hiding molten fruit, dripping with honey, and rapidly melting a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We aren't trying to pull threads of molten sugar for a traditional Northern Chinese banquet here. This is pure takeout perfection, built on the classic frying trinity of cornstarch, baking powder, and a ruthless double-fry. One bite of that hot-and-cold, crispy-and-creamy contrast, and you’re right back in the booth.
Before you start
Set up a proper draining station.
Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet before you start frying. You need complete airflow around the freshly fried bananas to keep the crust from steaming itself into mush.
Ingredients
- slightly firm Cavendish bananas4 large
- cornstarch1/3 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- cornstarch1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- baking powder1 tsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- ice-cold seltzer water3/4 cup
- egg white1 large
- neutral oil6 cup
- honey1/4 cup
- toasted white sesame seeds1 tbsp
- vanilla ice cream1 pt
Method
- 01
Coat the bananas in a dry cornstarch primer.
Bananas are slippery, and a wet batter needs something to grip. Toss the sliced pieces in the shallow dish with the 1/3 cup of cornstarch, shaking off the excess until lightly but completely dusted so the wet batter won't slide off in the oil.
- 02
Bring your oil to a heavy frying temperature.
Pour the neutral oil into a wok or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven to a depth of at least two inches. Place over medium-high heat until it hits 350°F—if a drop of batter immediately sizzles, puffs up, and floats to the top, you’re ready.
- 03
Whisk the crispy tempura-style batter.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup of cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the ice-cold seltzer and the egg white, mixing gently just until combined like a thin pancake batter, being careful not to overmix.
- 04
Fry the bananas using the float-release method.
Working in batches of four or five, dip the dredged bananas into the wet batter. To prevent them from gluing to the bottom of the wok, use tongs to lower each banana halfway into the hot oil for three seconds to set the bottom crust before letting go. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and puffed, then remove to a wire rack to rest for at least 5 minutes.
- 05
Double-fry to lock down the crunch permanently.
That brief rest let the internal steam soften the crust; the second fry fixes it for good. Return the bananas to the 350°F oil and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until they turn a deep, gorgeous golden brown and feel rock-hard when tapped with a chopstick. Transfer back to the rack.
- 06
Glaze and serve immediately with ice cream.
Speed is everything here. Pile the hot bananas onto a platter, drizzle generously with honey, and scatter the toasted sesame seeds. Serve instantly alongside large scoops of vanilla ice cream to get that essential hot-and-cold shock.
Notes
Deep-fried bananas wait for no one.
You cannot batter and fry these in advance. You can measure out your dry ingredients and prep the bananas ahead of time, but don't add the seltzer or start frying until the table is cleared and you are entirely ready for dessert.
The absolute necessity of the double-fry.
Bananas hold an incredible amount of water. If you only fry them once, that escaping steam turns the crunchy shell into a soggy jacket before it even reaches the table. That second drop into the hot oil drives out the last of the surface moisture and gives you the iconic, glass-like crunch of the best local joints.