Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes) is a classic Spanish tapas dish! Crispy seasoned potatoes topped with a flavor packed tomato sauce and garlic aioli.
Patatas Bravas Recipe
If you love potatoes as much as I do then you are in for a real treat with this recipe! Spanish style patatas bravas is a combination of crispy potatoes, sweet and smokey tomato sauce and a creamy garlic sauce. What’s not to love about this classic Spanish dish?
What is Patatas Bravas?
Patatas Bravas (i.e. patatas a la brava, Spanish spicy potatoes, Spanish fried potatoes, papas bravas) is a tapas style dish that originated in Madrid. It is one of the most popular and famous Spanish tapas. Tapas are appetizers or bar snacks.
Patatas bravas is a combination of seasoned fried potatoes, salsa brava and garlic aioli. The potatoes are heavily seasoned with garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and more. They are fried until golden brown and crispy.
The salsa brava is a tomato sauce that is seasoned with chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, oregano and more. The dish is served with a base of potatoes topped with the tomato sauce and a delicious creamy garlic aioli.
What to Serve with Patatas Bravas
Patatas Bravas are a perfect side dish for your favorite dinner recipes:
More Potato Recipes You Will Love!
- Greek Roasted Potatoes
- Greek Feta Potato Salad
- Portuguese Potatoes with Spicy Onion Sauce
- Broccoli Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
What is in Patatas Bravas?
Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes – it is best to use starchy potatoes such as russets or Yukon gold for this recipe. They crisp up perfectly in the air fryer.
- Cumin – this earthy spice adds a rich smoky flavor to the potatoes
- Paprika – regular paprika adds a nice red color to the potatoes.
- Smoked Paprika – this spice is the easiest way to add a smoky flavor to any dish. It also adds a deep red color.
- Garlic Powder – garlic powder instead of fresh garlic is used to season the potatoes because fresh garlic would burn while the potatoes are cooking. Garlic powder adds just the right amount of garlic flavor without having to worry about overcooking or burning garlic.
- Salt and Pepper
Garlic Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – the base of the aioli is mayonnaise. For a healthier recipe you could also use Greek yogurt or skyr.
- Garlic – I love garlic sauces so this sauce is perfect for me! Don’t worry about a raw garlic flavor, the lemon juice lightly pickles the garlic creating a subtle garlic flavor.
- Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed lemon juice is recommended. It adds a tart flavor to the dish. You can also use store bought bottle lemon juice.
Salsa Brava Ingredients
- Crushed Tomatoes – this is a great year round recipe as you can use canned crushed tomatoes for the sauce. In the summer I like to use garden fresh tomatoes.
- Onion and Garlic – sautéed into the sauce.
- Red Wine Vinegar – adds a bit of tang to the sauce. Red wine vinegar is sweeter than regular white vinegar so it adds a subtle sweet tang.
- Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper – this dish is traditionally a spicy dish. You can control the spice level by adding more or less chili powder and cayenne pepper.
- Paprika
- Bay Leaf
- Dried Oregano
- Oil
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Patatas Bravas
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
Garlic Sauce
1 In a small bowl combine the garlic sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, minced garlic and lemon juice). Mix until evenly combined and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Potatoes
1 Preheat Air Fryer to 350°F.
2 Peel, wash and dry the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes.
3 Place the potatoes in a bowl and add the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix until the potatoes are evenly coated.
4 Add the potatoes in a single layer to the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer work in batches to cook the potatoes. There can be some overlap as the potatoes will shrink while cooking but if they are stacked in multiple layers they will steam and not get crispy.
5 Cook in the air fryer for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking shake the potatoes to flip them.
6 Increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for another 5 – 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Salsa Brava
1 While the potatoes are cooking prepare the salsa brava.
2 In a large frying pan or skillet on medium heat add the oil and onion. Sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
3 Add in the garlic, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
4 Add in the crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar and bay leaf. Reduce the heat medium low and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes for the flavors to develop and for the sauce to thicken.
5 When the sauce has thickened you can choose to either leave the sauce chunky, or use an immersion blender or blender or puree the sauce smooth. I prefer a chunky sauce but this is personal preference.
Serve
1 To serve, add a serving of the cooked potatoes to a plate or platter. Add the salsa brava over top and then drizzle the garlic sauce on top. You can transfer the garlic sauce to a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off to drizzle it or you can use a squeeze bottle.
2 Optional: garnish with fresh chopped parsley and cilantro.
3 Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Patatas Bravas
- Potatoes – it is best to use a starchy all purpose cooking potato for this recipe. I love russets or Yukon gold. When air frying the potatoes be sure not to stack the potatoes on top of each other or else they will steam and not get crispy.
- Garlic Sauce – this creamy and tangy sauce tastes even better when it has had time to chill in the fridge. Make the sauce first and then chill it in the fridge while you make the potatoes and sauce. You can even make the garlic sauce the day before! Leftover sauce is amazing on burgers, sandwiches and as a dip for fries.
FAQs Patatas Bravas
Reheat the potatoes in the air fryer on 350°F for 5 – 8 minutes or until crispy and warmed through. Reheat the salsa brava in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warmed through.
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the potatoes, tomato sauce and garlic sauce separately so that you can reheat the potatoes in the air fryer to make them crispy again.
Yes! For a quicker recipe you can prep the salsa brava (tomato sauce) and the garlic sauce up to 2-3 days in advance. I would not recommend making the potatoes ahead of time. For the best results cook the potatoes the day of serving.
This recipe is a heathier than classic patatas bravas as the potatoes are air fried instead of deep fried.
This recipe is vegetarian.
For vegan patatas bravas use a vegan mayonnaise.
This recipe is gluten free.
This recipe is dairy free.
Enjoy!
– Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes)
Ingredients
Patatas (Potatoes)
- 4 large potatoes, russet or Yukon gold, cut into bite sized cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Salsa Brava
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced into small pieces
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, approximately 28 ounces
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
Garlic Sauce
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or shredded
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Garnish
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
Garlic Sauce
- In a small bowl combine the garlic sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, minced garlic and lemon juice). Mix until evenly combined and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Potatoes
- Preheat Air Fryer to 350°F.
- Peel ,wash and dry the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes.
- Place the potatoes in a bowl and add the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix until the potatoes are evenly coated.
- Add the potatoes in a single layer to the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer work in batches to cook the potatoes. There can be some overlap as the potatoes will shrink while cooking but if they are stacked in multiple layers they will steam and not get crispy.
- Cook in the air fryer for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking shake the potatoes to flip them.
- Increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for another 5 – 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Salsa Brava
- While the potatoes are cooking prepare the salsa brava.
- In a large frying pan or skillet on medium heat add the oil and onion. Sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar and bay leaf. Reduce the heat medium low and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes for the flavors to develop and for the sauce to thicken.
- When the sauce has thickened you can choose to either leave the sauce chunky, or use an immersion blender or blender or puree the sauce smooth. I prefer a chunky sauce but this is personal preference.
Serve
- To serve, add a serving of the cooked potatoes to a plate or platter. Add the salsa brava over top and then drizzle the garlic sauce on top. You can transfer the garlic sauce to a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off to drizzle it or you can use a squeeze bottle.
- Optional: garnish with fresh chopped parsley and cilantro.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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