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Patatas Bravas is an easy tapas dish to make at home. Follow this recipe to perfect these Spanish crispy potato cubes of joy in a rich tomatoey sauce. Simple but delicious!
I don’t just want to wait for a rare tapas restaurant trip (or a flight to Spain) to enjoy Patatas Bravas.
Instead I decided to make this dish at home and transport myself to a sunny, Mediterranean frame of mind. Luckily, it’s really easy to do!
With flavour-filled fried golden potatoes and a simple but dense tomato sauce, I like to serve this up for dinner with tapas favourites Gambas Pil Pil Prawns, Spanish Omelette, some cured meats and crusty bread. What a treat!
Why you’ll love this recipe for Patatas Bravas
⭐️ Jazzes up your potato game for any meal
⭐️ Perfect for sharing dinners
⭐️ Easy to make, simple ingredients and delicious!
Sarah’s notes
You can either bake the potatoes for this recipe while you make your Patatas Bravas sauce, OR you can use an air fryer if you prefer, which is quicker.
To do this, simply cook the cubed potatoes at 220℃ for 25-30 minutes.
Make sure you shake the basket every so often and keep an eye on them to make sure the potatoes aren’t browning too much at the edges (if this happens, turn the heat down a little).
Patatas Bravas Ingredients
- Potatoes – Go for the kind that you’d use for roast potatoes. Some that are soft and fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside when cooked, like floury Maris Piper, King Edward or Rooster.
- Olive oil – This has a nice, delicate flavour to it for this dish, but if you’d rather something flavourless, go for sunflower oil instead.
- Parsley – To serve.
- Sea salt – Sprinkle a little over before cooking.
For the Patatas Bravas sauce:
- Olive oil – To fry the onions and garlic in.
- Onion – Just 1, diced.
- Garlic – Use 3 cloves that have been peeled and crushed.
- Smoked paprika – Add 2tsp of this flavour.
- Chopped tomatoes – Try to use a tin of good quality if you can as it makes all the difference to the richness of the sauce.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season to taste.
- Sherry vinegar – This helps give the sauce a more authentic taste but red wine vinegar also works too if that’s all you have.
- For the garlic mayo – Mayonnaise and crushed garlic cloves.
How to make Patatas Bravas
1. Toss the potatoes with the oil and a little salt then place on a lined baking tray and cook as per the full recipe below until tender and crispy.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by frying the onion in the oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat for 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook.
3. Stir the mayo and garlic cloves together and season to taste.
4. Add the tomatoes to the onion and garlic, and cook until thickened, then add in the sherry vinegar and blend until smooth. Leave to cool a little before serving over the crispy potatoes.
Leftovers
In the fridge This is best eaten fresh on the day it’s made so the potatoes stay crunchy, but the sauce and mayo will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days if you want to make them ahead of time.
Recipe Tip
Add a pinch of chilli flakes to the sauce before blending for a little extra heat.
More Spanish-inspired recipes…
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Spanish Chicken Traybake
Orzo
Chorizo Orzo
Family Dinner Ideas
Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Tray Bake {One Pan}
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Chicken and Chorizo Stew
FAQs
Honestly? Yes. I think you do as Patatas Bravas sauce is thick, rich and smooth, so blending it gets this consistency. You could leave the sauce unblended if you like, but you just aren’t going to get that smooth texture we are looking for. A simple hand blender will do.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Patatas Bravas
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.8 lb) Potatoes, Peeled and diced
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Parsley, To serve
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Onion, Diced
- 3 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes (x1 tin)
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, To taste
For the garlic mayo:
- 150 g (0.75 cups) Mayonnaise
- 2 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan/220℃/Gas Mark 7.
- Toss the potatoes with the oil and a little salt then place on a lined baking tray and cook for 40-50 minutes until tender and crispy, turning them a few times while cooking.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by frying the onion in the oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat for 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add in the tinned tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until thickened slightly, season to taste, then add in the sherry vinegar and blend until smooth.
- Stir the mayo and garlic cloves together and season to taste.
- Leave the sauce to cool a little before serving over the crispy potatoes.
- Finish the dish with a scattering of finely chopped parsley.
Optional Air Fryer Method:
- Instead of baking the potatoes in the oven, cook the cubed potatoes at 220℃ for 25-30 minutes in a preheated air fryer.Make sure you shake the basket every so often and keep an eye on them to make sure the potatoes aren’t browning too much at the edges (if this happens, turn the heat down a little).
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on September 28, 2025 and updated later to make improvements.
I loved this recipe for my Tapas night! I will definitely make this again.