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How to make healthy homemade patatas bravas in an oven, air fryer, or skillet – combining crispy cubed potatoes with spicy tomato-based dipping sauce (salsa brava) to serve as vegan tapas, an appetizer, or side!
There is no limit to our love for potatoes, whether it’s a heaping pile of mashed potato, a zucchini potato casserole, potato pancakes, super crispy home fries, or this patatas bravas recipe — there’s nothing better than a loaded dish of potato. Now you can make this popular Spanish tapas dish at home with just a handful of ingredients and no deep fryer!
What is Patatas Bravas?
Patatas bravas (also called papas bravas/ patatas a la brava) is one of the most popular Spanish potato tapas from Madrid, but found all across Spain. Traditionally, it combines deep-fried cubed potatoes with a smoky, spicy tomato sauce called salsa brava, and optionally creamy garlic allioli/ aioli to balance the spice.
Luckily, though, it is easy to make at home, can be done for a fraction of the cost, AND without a deep fryer. Instead, this homemade patatas bravas recipe utilizes an oven, air fryer, or skillet for delicious but healthy patatas bravas requiring just a fraction of the oil.
Even better, we’ve included two versions of tomato-based patatas bravas sauce below: a quick ‘cheat’ you can pull together in practically seconds from pantry ingredients or a more traditional simmered version made from scratch.
Once prepared, serve the spicy Spanish potatoes as a hearty appetizer, side, or party/ game-day snack alongside olives, pickles, blistered shishito peppers, portobello mushroom pizzas, and more delicious vegan appetizers!
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Potatoes: Starchy potatoes like russet potatoes work best, though Yukon Gold’s work too.
- Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil. We used olive oil.
- Salt: Kosher works best. You can optionally also use black pepper.
- The bravas sauce: For a simple, low-budget bravas sauce recipe, we combine ketchup, sriracha, and Spanish sweet and/or hot smoked paprika (pimentón). Spanish paprika is smokier and sweeter than regular paprika.
- Parsley: To garnish.
For a more traditional patatas bravas sauce, combine 1 small onion + 2-3 garlic cloves + 1 can chopped tomatoes + dash pimentón + sriracha (or Cayenne/chili) + optionally a pinch of sugar/maple to balance tomato acidity or vinegar for extra tang.
How to Make Patatas Bravas
There are only a few steps required to prepare this spicy potato recipe – simple for even a beginner in the kitchen.
- 1) First, preheat the oven to 425F/218C. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, chop them into (2cm) 1-inch pieces, and transfer them straight to a large pot/bowl of cold water.
- 2) Swirl the potatoes to remove excess starch, then drain and re-cover the potatoes with fresh water. Transfer them to the stove and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- 3) Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high, and boil until they’re barely tender (between 5-8 minutes but varies based on their size).
- 4) Drain the potatoes in a colander, then transfer to a bowl and toss with the olive oil and some salt. Fluffy edges are fine and make crispier edges.
It’s best to leave them to steam dry or pat dry with a kitchen towel. If they’re wet, they will steam rather than become crispy.
- 5) Spread the potatoes across a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven until crispy and golden brown, about 40-50 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes.
- 6) Meanwhile, prepare the bravas sauce by stirring all the ingredients in a small bowl.
To make the more traditional salsa brava sauce, sauté the onion/garlic until translucent, add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes. Taste and adjust any ingredients, then blend till smooth.
- 7) When both elements are ready, transfer the potatoes to a platter, season with more salt (to taste), and serve with the bravas sauce either drizzled over the top, tossed with, or served on the side.
Optionally, also drizzle with some vegan garlic aioli if preferred, then enjoy the vegan patatas bravas immediately!
Air Fryer Patatas Bravas
Follow steps 1-4 above, then spread the potatoes in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary) into your air fryer basket, leaving space in between. Spray lightly with oil, then air fry at 400ºF/200ºC for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Shallow Fried Papas Bravas
Follow steps 1-4 above, then heat a little oil in a large skillet and pan-fry the bravas potatoes for 5-8 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
FAQs
Not necessarily. You can make delicious papas bravas with or without peeled potatoes.
It’s possible, though the potatoes won’t be very crispy. Even just a few spritzes of cooking spray are better than nothing.
Top Recipe Tips
- Don’t crowd the potatoes: Otherwise, they’ll steam rather than become crispy while cooking.
- For crispier potatoes: Boil them with ½ tsp baking soda. This draws starch to the surface for crispier edges. Also, fluff up the edges when tossing them with salt and oil. This creates ridges to crisp up.
- Ensure the potatoes are dry: Let them steam dry or pat dry before tossing them with oil/salt. Excess water will steam the potatoes instead of making them into crispy patatas bravas.
- Tweak the sauce: Adjust the ratio of ingredients in the bravas sauce recipe to tweak the spiciness — no matter whether you make the quick ‘cheat’ version or the simmered one.
Storage Instructions
Once assembled with the sauce, it’s best to enjoy the bravas potatoes immediately. However, leftover potatoes minus sauce will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You may also be able to freeze the potatoes for 3-4 months, though we haven’t tried.
Reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 350F/175C or saute them in a pan with a little oil until warm and crispier.
Simmered salsa brava sauce can be made 3-4 days in advance and even frozen for up to 2-3 months.
More Vegan Potato Recipes
- Sweet potato latkes
- Sweet potato stuffed mushrooms
- Hash brown pancakes with homemade ketchup
- Baked potato mac n cheese
- Vegan scalloped potatoes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Healthy Patatas Bravas [Roasted, Sauteed, Air Fried]
Ingredients
- 2 medium Russet potatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sriracha or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika), optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the potatoes, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put the potatoes in a pot, add cold water to cover, and swirl the potatoes around with your hand to remove excess starch. Drain, then cover the potatoes with cold water, cover, put on the stove, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the cover, turn the heat down to medium high, and boil the potatoes until just barely tender, 5-8 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander. Add the kosher salt, and toss with the salt. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, add the olive oil, and toss to coat. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet (I lined mine with a Silpat so they didn't stick, but you could use parchment paper, or nothing). Put in the oven, and roast, turning and tossing occasionally, until crispy and golden brown, around 40-50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the bravas sauce: put the ketchup, sriracha, and pimentón (if using) in a small bowl, and stir to combine.
- When the potatoes are done, transfer them to a platter, add a little kosher salt, and serve with the bravas sauce on the side, or drizzled over the top.
Notes
- Don’t crowd the potatoes: Otherwise, they’ll steam rather than become crispy while cooking.
- For crispier potatoes: Boil them with ½ tsp baking soda. This draws starch to the surface for crispier edges. Also, fluff up the edges when tossing them with salt and oil. This creates ridges to crisp up.
- Ensure the potatoes are dry: Let them steam dry or pat dry before tossing them with oil/salt. Excess water will steam the potatoes instead of making them into crispy patatas bravas.
- Tweak the sauce: Adjust the ratio of ingredients in the bravas sauce recipe to tweak the spiciness — no matter whether you make the quick ‘cheat’ version or the simmered one.
These are so good, love to pair them to meals
Any potato dish is a winner for me!
I have not tried this recipe as it was not as “advertised”. This site appeared high up on page one of Google results when I searched for “AIR FRYER” patas bravas. The recipe header references air fry. Nonetheless, I see no instructions for preparation in an air fryer.
The motivation for such blatant misrepresentation escapes me! Did the poster not know that at least some of us would figure out the untruth that lies on these pages?
What a waste of time, energy &…….the poster’s karma for such lame misinformation.
Kindly don’t try to sell us more bull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry that you weren’t able to find the air fryer instructions. They are in the text of the post. Here you go! 🙂 Air Fryer Patatas Bravas
Follow steps 1-4 of the recipe, then spread the potatoes in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary) into your air fryer basket, leaving space in between. Spray lightly with oil, then air fry at 400ºF/200ºC for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Ah, Spanish summer memories! So delicious…
Right?! So tasty and delicious! The perfect potato recipe!
Omg, these potatoes are amazing! I love this recipe so much. Please give it a try!
It’s a yummy one alright!
This vegan Patatas Bravas dish is sooooo tasty! Love those crispy edges and the sauce is so good!
Right?! The crisp is soooo spot on!
Can’t get enough of this patatas bravas! So delish!
You and me both! So good!
loving this everyday meal with simple ingredients! thanks for the recipe
Nothing like a simple and delicious potato recipe!
Just when I thought I dad prepared potatoes every which way, I see this! I love that this dish can be prepared with everyday ingredients.
The simple ingredients make it that much better! So glad you enjoyed them!
So yummy and full of flavor! Love this potato recipe!
Right?! The flavor is so simple yet so delicious!
Thanks for all the ways to make my potatoes crispier.
Nothing like crispy potatoes to enjoy!
These potatoes turned out great. The instructions were so helpful.
Gotta love a simple and delicious potato recipe!
So crisp and delicious!
These were so crispy and delicious! I added the parsley variation and they came out fantastic. Huge hit on Easter!
Love the extra parsley! So good! So glad you enjoyed it!
Such a delicious tapas snack, my toddlers are in heaven. I love the sriracha sauce!
So glad you and your kiddos enjoyed it! So yummy!
This is such a great recipe! Keeps me full and my family loved it too. Thank you!
So glad your family loved this one! It’s such a great potato recipe!
Perfect with our tofu taco dinner!
Definitely a great combo with tacos!