Patatas Bravas
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As one of Spain’s most iconic tapas, this easy authentic Patatas Bravas recipe will take your tastebuds on a trip to another country! The potatoes are baked until crispy and served with a spicy sauce bursting with classic Spanish flavors like smoked paprika, garlic, and cayenne pepper. This dish makes an excellent appetizer, side, or snack!
What Are Patatas Bravas?
In a nutshell, patatas bravas is a well-known spicy potato tapas dish that hails from Spain and translates to “fierce potatoes”. It’s most often found in Madrid, but you will find it served all over the country in a tapas bar. Yet, even if you haven’t been to Spain you’ve probably still come across it at a tapas joint or restaurant in your town. Because nowadays we are lucky enough to have cuisines from all over the world right at our doorstep.
The dish itself is pretty simple, but patatas bravas is a total flavor bomb! It’s made with white potatoes that are first seasoned with smoked paprika and then fried or baked until perfectly crispy like fries. Then those golden potatoes are drizzled with a super flavorful spicy sauce with lots of garlic, more smoked paprika, cayenne, and a touch of tomato. And oftentimes, the potatoes are also drizzled with a bit of mayo or Garlic Aioli as well to balance the spiciness of the dish. However, if you don’t like spicy food, you can serve the bravas sauce on the side or omit the cayenne pepper in the sauce altogether.
Why You’ll Love This Patatas Bravas Recipe
- Easy Recipe! This simple recipe doesn’t require any fancy cooking skills or hard to find international ingredients. You can find everything that you need at your local grocery store.
- Authentic Flavor! Oozing with Spanish flavor, this crispy potato tapas dish is topped with smoky spicy salsa brava made with the perfect combination of some of Spain’s most popular spices.
- Party Favorite! Serve this show-stopping dish at your next gathering as an appetizer or side! Your guests will not believe the incredible taste and it’s gluten-free as well as suitable for vegans.
- Potatoes – I always use Russet potatoes. Their light and fluffy texture is perfect for this dish. You could also use Yukon golds if you like.
- Olive Oil – Use Spanish extra virgin olive oil for the most authentic flavor.
- Smoked Paprika – Not to be confused with sweet paprika, it’s a classic Spanish spice that adds lots of depth to the potatoes.
- Salt – Used to finish the dish it seasons the potatoes and adds a bit of crunchy texture.
- Olive Oil – Used to sauté the garlic, it gives the sauce some of its flavor too. Use Spanish extra virgin olive oil if possible
- Garlic – Always use fresh minced garlic cloves. Store-bought whole peeled garlic or jarred is not quite the same.
- Tomato Paste – It not only adds a bit of umami tomato flavor, but it helps to thicken the sauce as well.
- Smoked Paprika – Makes the whole dish. You can not substitute this ingredient.
- Cayenne Pepper – Adds a bit of heat. However, you can leave it out if you want to make the potatoes less spicy.
- Salt – Used to season the sauce.
- Water – Needed to thin out the tomato paste and cook the potatoes.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Just a splash adds a touch of acid that rounds out all the salty spicy flavors.
This popular Spanish tapa recipe is pretty easy! It’s an easy recipe in which the steps are simple and the results are tasty!
To start, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it hot and ready to roast the potatoes. If the oven isn’t warm enough when the potatoes go in they will not bake as evenly. Then grab a large rimmed baking sheet and set it aside for a later step.
You need to prep the potatoes for baking. First, put the potatoes and ½ teaspoon of salt into a large pot and then cover them with cold water. They should be covered by about an inch of water. Next, bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook them for just 5 minutes. Then drain the potatoes in a colander and put them back into the pot.
Now, put the pot back on the stove over medium heat and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Finally, cook the potatoes for 5 minutes while stirring them constantly to dry them and fluff them up.
After the potatoes have been partially cooked they need to be baked. So spread the potatoes out on the sheet pan. Next, drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and then toss them a bit to coat them in the oil and spice. Now, transfer the potatoes to the oven to bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
While the potatoes are in the oven you can make the sauce. To do this, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet. Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt to the pan. Then stir everything together and cook the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes until it’s fragrant. Now, pour in the water along with the apple cider vinegar and whisk everything together until well combined. Then simmer the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens up, stirring from time to time. Finally, remove the spicy sauce from the heat and pour it into a small bowl.
When the potatoes are done baking, transfer them to your favorite serving dish. Then sprinkle them with the flaky sea salt and a bit of chopped fresh parsley if you like. Now, serve the patatas bravas drizzled with the spicy bravas sauce and some mayonnaise. You can also put the sauce on the side if you prefer.
Can I Use Sweet Potatoes?
Yes, but sweet potatoes need to be cooked differently. You do not want to boil or saute sweet potatoes. Instead, just toss them together with the olive oil and a bit of salt and then roast them in the oven as you would the white potatoes.
What Can I Add To This Recipe?
This is a classic patatas bravas recipe. However, as with any dish, you can season it any way you like. Some recipes include minced onion or red bell pepper in the spicy bravas sauce. Others even sprinkle the potatoes with a bit of chorizo or shredded manchego cheese before serving.
Expert Tips
- Time the par-cooking. Only boil the potatoes for 5 minutes and only saute the potatoes for 5 minutes. You just need to soften them up a bit, not cook them. This step just helps them to roast better in the oven.
- Use a whisk. When making the sauce use a whisk to combine the ingredients. A whisk not only does a better job of blending, but it also is a good way to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Make it less or more spicy. To make the spicy sauce mild you can either totally omit the cayenne or just use less. Yet, to make it spicier just use more! You could also use chili-infused olive oil if you like.
Storage
Leftover patatas bravas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium heat or in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 10 minutes. They can also be stored in the freezer as well for up to 5 months. But first, spread them out on a sheet tray, freeze them in a single layer, and put the potatoes in a sealed freezer bag or an airtight container. Then when ready to eat, you can heat them from frozen at 400°F (204°C) for about 20 minutes.
Other Delicious Potato Recipes To Try
- Irish Potato Cakes (Potato Farls)
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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Patatas Bravas
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spicy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch along with ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add back to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over them. Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes while stirring constantly until potatoes fluff up and dry.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil, salt and paprika then transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the water and apple cider vinegar, whisk everything until well combined and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- Season the potatoes with salt and garnish with parsley if preferred. Serve them drizzled with sauce and mayonnaise.
Video
Notes
- Time the par-cooking. Only boil the potatoes for 5 minutes and only saute the potatoes for 5 minutes. You just need to soften them up a bit, not cook them. This step just helps them to roast better in the oven.
- Use a whisk. When making the sauce use a whisk to combine the ingredients. A whisk not only does a better job of blending, but it also is a good way to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Make it less or more spicy. To make the spicy sauce mild you can either totally omit the cayenne or just use less. Yet, to make it spicier just use more! You could also use chili-infused olive oil if you like.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
These look delicious! I am just wondering…..After doing the parboil, do you think that it would be possible to bake them in an air fryer rather than an oven?
Thanks from Vancouver Island!
Yes, absolutely!
At which point do you add the smoked paprika to the potatoes?
Sorry, I knew I was missing that and forgot to fix it, it’s in step 4.
Hi Jo,
I don’t see where to add the first amount of paprika. I assume it is in step 4. Do you add it to the olive oil before you drizzle, or sprinkle it on after?
Sorry, I knew I was missing that and forgot to fix it, it’s in step 4.