These patatas bravas are crispy even though they are baked not fried! Topped with a delicious smoky salsa brava and garlic aioli, they are totally addictive!
Patatas Bravas
Happy Friday! If you read this blog, you know that around here Friday = drinks and appetizers, and in Spain we call that TAPAS. I already promised you more tapas recipes last week when I shared my ham croquettes. As I told you then, starting to think about making ONE Spanish recipe merged into several. I just couldn’t stop myself, I wanted, NO, I NEEDED to make all the Spanish food. Actually as soon as I finish writing this I am off to the kitchen to work on another Spanish recipe that I can’t wait to share with you.
As I mentioned before, I spent a summer in Spain on a study abroad trip. To be honest, I don’t remember ever eating patatas bravas there, not even once. How is this possible? Well, two things. It was a few (…ahem, we don’t need to talk about exactly how many) years ago, so there is a chance I forgot. Also the food in Spain is very regional, so a dish that is very popular in one area might not be in another. Either way, I don’t remember ever trying patatas bravas until they became popular in the United States in the last few years. There are several hot Portland restaurants that serve versions of patatas bravas and they are always delicious.
Patatas Bravas are crispy, golden potatoes topped with a bold, spicy red sauce and a creamy garlic aioli.
Patatas Bravas in the Oven
When I decided to make them at home, I wanted to do it without frying them. Of course, you could fry them, but I try to avoid it when possible (except with the croquettes, there is just no way around that one). I used a trick to make these potatoes really crispy even though they are baked – are you ready for it? Baking soda! It does amazing things. First you give the potatoes a quick par boil in water with baking soda, then you bake them. The baking soda breaks down the cells of the potato which creates a ton of surface area, so they almost make their own coating that gets super crispy in the oven. Thank you America’s Test Kitchen for that little gem.
What is Brava Sauce?
The Brava Sauce (salsa brava) is a spicy tomato sauce so easy to make, very similar to my easy 20 minute marinara, except that is has a star ingredient – smoked spanish paprika! Oh you guys, I am IN LOVE with smoked paprika right now, I want to put it in everything. I even used it in a cocktail recently (bear with me, that one is coming soon probably). That plus some heat from cayenne pepper and hot sauce make this a salsa BRAVA.
Of course the last, and crucial component is the garlic aioli. Some recipes actually just call for mayonnaise, but I really like the extra punch of flavor from the garlic. I tried and tried to make a homemade aioli that I was happy with, and although I made some that were OK, I wasn’t totally happy with them. I’m still working on the perfect aioli, so I ended up just taking a slight shortcut and mixing some garlic and lemon juice into some good quality mayonnaise. It was really the best solution, it tasted great and was really simple to make.
Put it all together and you have crispy potatoes, bold salsa brava and creamy garlic aioli all together in a bowl that will disappear before your eyes. Serve this with a few other small plates and some wine and you have yourself a tapas party. Or just make the patatas bravas and throw an egg on top, and you have breakfast. You can’t go wrong, really.
More recipes for your tapas party…
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Patatas Bravas
Ingredients
For The Potatoes:
- 2 and 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into a 3/4 inch dice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- chopped parsley for garnish, optional
For The Salsa Brava:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 sweet or yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons spanish smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 2 to 3 dashes hot sauce to taste
- salt
For The Garlic Aioli:
- 1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove grated or pressed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
For The Potatoes:
- Place a large baking sheet in cold oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.*
- Add baking soda and salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add potatoes, cover, and bring back to boil. As soon as water is boiling, set a timer for 1 minute. After potatoes have been boiling for one minute, drain in a colander.
- Return potatoes to pot and stir for 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, stir to make sure potatoes are fully coated.
- Carefully remove hot baking sheet from oven and pour potatoes onto the hot baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer.
- Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove sheet from oven and use a spatula to flip the potatoes, then return to the oven for another 15-25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and crispy.
For The Salsa Brava:
- Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add tomatoes, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper and hot sauce, stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and allow to simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- If you want, you can leave the sauce chunky, or if you would like it smooth as I did, transfer to a food processor to puree. Allow sauce to cool a bit before pulsing in food processor.
For The Garlic Aioli:
- Add mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic to a bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if desired.
To Serve:
- You can keep the sauces on the side or drizzle salsa brava and garlic aioli over potatoes and serve with more of each sauce on the side for dipping. Top with fresh chopped parsley for garnish if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Andi says
The baking soda trick, along with heating the pan up in the oven, worked perfectly. The par boil with baking soda step is 100% worth it. My struggles making crispy potatoes are officially over!
Meghan says
So glad you loved them!
Sharon says
I made this for my book club and everyone loved them.
Annie says
I made the Patatas Bravas this weekend and they were perfect! I am actually going to use the baking soda trick for my roast potatoes too! Absolutely brilliant. Thank you Meghan
Zareen says
My whole family loves this dish! We make it all the time. And the baking soda tip is a total game changer. Thank you!
Meghan says
Yay, I’m so glad you love it!
Susanna says
Using baking soda and baking the potatoes were great tips! They were crispy and saved me the hassle of cleaning my stove top! Made it for dinner tonight and I loved it! Thanks Meghan!
Meghan says
I’m so glad you loved them Susanna!
Avril Tobin says
Amazing recipe and so much flavour
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Dawn says
Hi great recipe looking forward to knocking this up during the week – quick question hot sauce – which do you use? Recommendations please there are so many out there and as such a key component to the flavour, can you steer me in the right direction please Thank You
Meghan says
Hi Dawn – Tabasco or Tapatio would be fine! Hope that helps.
hannah chevais says
Would russet potatos work ???
Cant wait to try !
Meghan says
Hi Hannah – I think russets would be fine!
Mat says
This is a fantastic recipe. I followed it to the letter and the only change I would make when cooking again is to make the potato chunks slightly bigger , or to cook it on baking parchment. The baking soda addition to the boiling process is a game changer!!!!
I also added a little sugar to the sauce for personal taste as it was a little bitter. Thank you very much!!
Meghan says
Wonderful! I am so happy to hear that, Mat!
Anna Goodhind says
So delicious, crispy tasty potatoes and the sauce is rich and hearty, complimenting the spuds perfectly. Will definitely make again, and again!
Meghan says
Wonderful, so happy to hear that!
Cate Tyson says
Timing is an issue. Can I partially cook potatoes tonight and finish cooking tomorrow before party?
Meghan says
Hi Cate – I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure. You may be able to boil them the day before and then bake tomorrow. You can definitely make the sauces ahead of time. If you bake them tonight they may be soggy tomorrow.
Silvia says
Very nice
Meghan says
Thank you Silvia!
Elisa says
this was wonderful! We just got back from Barcelona, and enjoyed these at tapas bars, so I was looking for a recipe to try at home – family consensus was these were even better!
Meghan says
Oh wow, thank you so much Elisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Renee says
Hi there!
Just wondering if the 4 servings this recipe produces are of main size? Wanting to serve as a side dish?
Thanks!
Meghan says
Hi Renee – I think it is a good amount for a side. I had a tapas, or small plate portion in mind when I wrote the recipe. Generally 1/2 lb or raw potatoes is considered enough per person as a side, and I use 2 and 1/2 lbs here. There is usually extra sauce, so you could even make more potatoes if you wanted!
Scott says
These patatas bravas are the bomb! I love that they are baked, not fried. They are just like the real deal from Spain but healthier!
Meghan says
Yay! I’m so glad you love them!
Elsy says
my daughter and I just returned from Barcelona and were craving this dish. your method of cooking the potatoes was amazing, they were crispy and not at all greasy. I didn’t make your sauce because I bought a sauce mix there, but the simple garlic aioli really made a good dish awesome. It was so good my biggest regret was that I only made 3 potatoes
Meghan says
Hi Elsy – Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. I love Barcelona, it is one of my favorite cities. So glad you enjoyed the Patatas Bravas and hope you get to make them again soon!
Albert Bevia says
There is a lot of recipes out there for patatas bravas…and most just don´t cut it, you got it right…beautiful images too!
Meghan says
Thank you so much Albert!
Cookin Canuck says
THat baking soda tip is such a great one! There’s a very good chance I wouldn’t be able to stop eating these.
Meghan says
The baking soda is a total game changer! Thanks Dara!
Richard says
correction – hand mixer should be named:
immersion blender
Richard says
Garlic aioli The quick and dirty way:
use wide glass that receives a hand mixer. Put one egg, pressed garlic, some mustard, salt, pepper, then fill the glass with olive oil. leave for at least one hour. push the mixer gently to the bottom of the glass, turn it on and slowly pull up as thickens. ready.
Meghan says
Great tip, thanks Richard!
Peyra says
Thank you for posting such an awesome recipe! they turned out perfect and better than our local tapas. A firm keeper.
Meghan says
Hi Peyra, thank you so much! I am so happy that you love them!
Amina says
Hi Meghan!
Your recipe has been tested by a french girl (me lol) who live in Spain and I’d like to thank you my husband my little ones (4 and 1) and I just loved it. I wanted healthy tasty easy patatas bravas and the result was just Awesome (thanks to the baking soda trick ) Like spanish use to say “riquissimo”! Thanks again
Meghan says
Hi Amina! Yay, so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for letting me know you loved it!
Jp says
Quick Q about the potatoes – do you peel them or leave the skin on? I didn’t see it notated in the recipe and can’t tell from the pictures. 🙂
Meghan says
Hi! I did not peel mine, just left the skin on!
Jp says
Thanks!
Jennifer A Stewart says
When I first started eating/learning/wanting tapas this recipe was what always popped up. It seems like this is the staple tapas over in Spain. I have eaten about 309 servings of this (I might have shared a few) but I have yet to make them myself. This recipe is just what I needed to get started making it myself! Thanks Meghan!!!
Meghan says
They are so addictive, I probably have eaten 309 servings too! haha! Thanks Jennifer!
demeter | beaming baker says
So, again, I find myself drooling over your recipes for days on FB and Insta, then coming late to the game on your blog. Haha. Well, better late than never, right? 😉 Meanwhile, these Patatas Bravas look so ridiculously crispy and just… all the things. Goodness. I’m really enjoying these Spanish tapas dishes. 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you cook up next. (And let’s see more pics from your time abroad!) Happy Monday, Meghan! <3
Meghan says
Haha, it usually takes me a few days to make the rounds too! I actually was surprised by how FEW photos I have of my Spain trip – I mean, I have plenty but compared to how many I would take NOW, it wasn’t even close. I’ll see if I can dig some more up 🙂 Thanks so much Demeter, so glad you like them!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Giiiirl, keep the Spanish tapas recipes coming, because you are totally nailing them! There was a cute Tapas place back in Orlando that I LOVED and I always ordered their patatas bravas – so good! Yours look amazingly delicious – perfectly crispy and ohhh sooo yummy! Totally making these ASAP! Pinned! Cheers, girlie!
Meghan says
I have another one coming up shortly! Thanks so much Cheyanne, and thank you for pinning!
Annie says
I have always been curious about patatas bravas and have never gotten around to making them! This has got to change. I don’t care that it’s sundress time, I want me some hot crispy carbs.
Meghan says
Haha, that is always my motto, Annie – give me all the carbs! And stretchy pants… Thanks so much, I hope you try them!
Clarissa says
I seriously love coming to your blog! You’re so creative and everything always looks so damn delicious!
-Clarissa @ http://www.theviewfromhere.is
Meghan says
Awww, Clarissa, thank you so much for the sweet comment!
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry says
I’m loving your focus on Spanish food, Meghan, and can’t wait to see more of your tapas! These potatoes look so incredibly delicious. I’ve never heard of that baking soda trick, but am so keen to try it. Sounds like a fantastic way to cut down the cooking time for baked potatoes by boiling them, while also making them incredibly crispy and golden! Yummy! Wishing you and Mr Briar a fantastic Easter! 🙂
Meghan says
Aww, thanks so much Lisa! The baking soda trick works amazingly well! Have a Happy Easter also!
Morgan from Oregon says
Hi Megs!
We have an Easter potluck tomorrow morning and I’m thinking of bringing a big bowl of these as my brunch contribution. Do you think I could make them tonight and reheat them in the am or should I get up a little early and do them in the morning? I’d prep and do the sauces tonight either way. What do you think is the best option?
Also, I LOVE patatas bravas and have been wanting to make them. Thanks for reading my mind and posting this recipe!
Meghan says
Yay! Hi Morgan! So you CAN make the potatoes ahead but they are not as crispy when you reheat them. If you do make them ahead, allow them to cool completely before storing so that they don’t get soggy (it would also help to store them in a single layer if at all possible). Don’t put any sauce on them until ready to serve. When you are ready to serve you can reheat them in the oven at 350, then serve and top with sauce (or you can just serve the sauce on the side). You can for sure make the sauces ahead of time, that really cuts down on time. Can’t wait to hear how they turn out! <3
Megan says
I first had potato bravas at a tapas restaurant and couldn’t believe potatoes could be so good. Love it! Also, I feel you on the aioli! It’s so frustrating. I haven’t been able to create one I’m happy with either. It is always lacking something.
Meghan says
Thanks Megan! I have tried all the “foolproof” recipes and nope. Still working on it. I’m determined to get it right but I needed to take a break because I was using too many eggs and also all my food storage containers were filled with mediocre aioli 🙂
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
Crispy potatoes are my kind of food! And then top them with salsa and aioli….I’m in heaven!
Meghan says
Thanks so much Kathy!
Sarah says
Ooh that looks good! I’ll have to surprise my potato loving guy soon. Can’t wait to try it!
Meghan says
Yes, do! Can’t wait to hear about it! <3
E.A. says
Your excitement is totally contagious!! I want to run right out to my kitchen & make these little gems! I need to look for Spanish smoked paprika~~??
I’ll definetly tag a photo to you when I get it done~~Enjoy your evening!?
Meghan says
Thanks you! Probably any smoked paprika would be fine 🙂
My Dish is Bomb says
That baking soda trick with potatoes is gold. I think I’ve tried baking powder and it works also! Your tapas recipes are making me want to crack open this tapas cookbook I got for Christmas and have yet to cook from. I love the way you talk about Spain and your tapas. I think I need to make my Friday night a tapas and drinks night too!
Meghan says
Oh you should break open that cookbook! I would love tapas cookbook (the problem with cookbooks is you can never have enough) Thanks so much Katy!
Ashlyn ~ Dollop of Yum says
Meghan, holy moly do these patatas braves look amazing! I have never had them before but am definitely going to have to try them. 🙂
Meghan says
Thanks so much Ashlyn! I’m confident that you would love them 🙂
Dawn at Girl Heart Food says
I love your tapas recipes, Meghan…can’t wait for the next one! Loving the idea of putting an egg on top for breakfast. However, I’m thinking this might be nice tonight with a nice glass of vino 😉 Looking forward to the cocktail with smoked paprika too; that stuff is awesome. Happy Friday girl!
Meghan says
Thanks so much Dawn! Yes, I agree, the wine is almost non negotiable (I mean I guess you could skip it if you had these for breakfast but that is it) I’m off to the kitchen to perfect that cocktail!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I love patatas bravas! I love eating tapas in general – it’s been way too long since I was at a tapas restaurant. Definitely need to try these, yummy ?
Meghan says
Me too! I told my husband we needed to go out to a few tapas restaurants for “research” 🙂 Thanks Michelle!