Frugal, healthier vegan Patatas Bravas - a popular Spanish tapas combining crispy potatoes (baked, pan-fried, or air fried) with a simple tomato-based spicy dipping sauce! All with just a handful of ingredients, ditching the deep fryer, and ready in under an hour – perfect as a tasty tapas, appetizer, or side dish!
If you love potatoes and simple appetizers and sides, then this homemade patatas bravas recipe (also called salsa brava and papas bravas) is the perfect dish for you. Combining crispy potatoes with a spicy tomato-based sauce, this popular Spanish tapas is usually found in tapas bars across Spain but is just as easily made at home at a fraction of the cost! Even better, when making homemade, you can ditch the oil-heavy deep-frying method traditionally used in restaurants and stick to healthier roasted, pan-fried, or air fryer patatas bravas!
With this method, you parboil the spuds, toss them with a little oil and salt (to help roughen up the edges for extra crispiness), and then cook using your method of choice. The results are wonderfully crispy but with just a fraction of the oil! Even better, we've included two versions of tomato-based patatas bravas sauce below.
The first is a quick 'cheat' version that we love to pull out at a moment's notice, using ingredients already in our kitchen (including ketchup and sriracha) and no heating required. Don't look too shocked, though, because you'll be surprised at how amazing this simple combination works, and it's practically effortless too!
The second papa bravas sauce is closer to a more traditional version. It combines aromatics with canned tomatoes, slowly simmering them on the stovetop to develop the flavor and create a fantastic 'fresh' spicy tomato sauce. The one you decide to use is up to you!
Once prepared, serve the spicy Spanish potatoes as a hearty appetizer or side. We personally love to serve this patatas brava as part of a party spread or game-day snack alongside other tapas/small plates with olives, roasted peppers, pickles, vegan stuffed mushrooms, vegan calabacitas, bread, and more!
To cook the patatas bravas sauce: Simply sauté the finely chopped onion/garlic in a skillet for several minutes until translucent. Then add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes (to allow the flavors to develop). Taste and adjust any seasonings, then enjoy it either as-is or use a food processor/ blender to blend until smooth and enjoy with the papa bravas.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
If you decide to make the simmered patatas bravas sauce, you can make it 2-3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. However, the potatoes are best enjoyed immediately after cooking for the crispiest result.
However, if you serve the potatoes with the sauce on the side, the leftover potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat the spuds, simply add them to the oven (or air fryer) at 400ºF/200ºC until they warm and become crisper again. Alternatively, you could sauté the potatoes with a bit of oil.
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
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