Patatas bravas
Crispy, golden potatoes with a smoky-spicy tomato bravas sauce and garlicky mayonnaise — the tapas classic for sharing.
Patatas bravas are Spain's faultless pub-and-tapas-room answer to 'pass me more, please'. Crisped potato cubes meet a smoky, slightly spicy tomato sauce and a creamy garlicky mayo — perfect for sharing or as a showy side.
This version focuses on texture: a short soak, a careful par-boil, then a flour-dust and deep-fry to get the shatter-crisp outside and fluffy inside. Make the sauce while the potatoes fry and you'll have tapas on the table in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes — floury variety such as Maris Piper, peeled if preferred
- 60 ml olive oil
- 500 ml vegetable oil — for deep frying; amount depends on your pan
- 30 ml plain flour
- 10 ml sea salt — total — use across par-boil, seasoning and sauce
- 5 ml black pepper
- 1 brown onion — medium
- 4 garlic cloves
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml sweet paprika
- 0 ml cayenne pepper — adjust to taste
- 15 ml sherry vinegar
- 5 ml caster sugar
- 60 g mayonnaise — for quick garlic mayo
- 1 lemon — for juice
- 10 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, to garnish
Equipment
- deep saucepan or deep frying pan
- slotted spoon
- sieve or colander
- hand blender or small blender
Instructions
Cut the potatoes into roughly 2.5–3cm chunks and place in a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch. Leave to soak.
Drain the potatoes, put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add 1 tsp sea salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Par-boil until the edges are just starting to soften — about 8 minutes. Start timing from the moment the water returns to a gentle simmer.
Drain thoroughly in a colander, then return the drained potatoes to the still-warm pan off the heat. Shake the pan and leave the potatoes to steam-dry for a few minutes so the surface roughens and any remaining moisture evaporates.
Tip the potatoes into a bowl while still hot. Sprinkle over the plain flour, add 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp black pepper and a little extra sea salt, then toss gently so each piece is lightly coated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep saucepan until it reaches about 180°C (shimmering and steady bubbles). Fry the potatoes in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, about 6–8 minutes per batch until deeply golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper; season immediately.
While the potatoes fry, make the bravas sauce: warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan, add the chopped brown onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves and sweat gently until soft and translucent.
Stir in the smoked paprika and sweet paprika for 30 seconds, then add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, caster sugar, sherry vinegar and cayenne. Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and simmer gently until slightly thickened, 10–12 minutes.
Use a hand blender or small blender to blitz the sauce to a smooth but slightly textured consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning or acidity with a little more vinegar or sugar if needed. Keep the sauce warm on a very low heat.
Make a quick garlic mayonnaise: crush the remaining 2 garlic cloves and stir into the mayonnaise with the juice of half the lemon and a pinch of sea salt. Chill for a few minutes if you have time.
To serve, spoon a generous pool of the bravas sauce on a platter, pile the hot crispy potatoes on top, drizzle with the garlic mayo and scatter over chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Soaking the cut potatoes removes surface starch and helps a dry, crispy crust — don't skip the 30-minute soak.
- Par-boil only until the edges are tender; overcooking makes the potatoes fall apart when you toss or fry them.
- Fry in small batches and keep finished potatoes on a warm tray in a low oven (100°C fan/120°C conventional) if you need to hold them briefly.
- Bloom the paprika briefly in hot oil before adding the tomatoes to release maximum smoky flavour.
- The garlic mayo can be made ahead and kept chilled for up to 24 hours; add lemon juice just before serving to keep it bright.
Substitutions
potatoes → Maris Piper with King Edward or another floury potato
Stays closeplain flour → cornflour, same quantity
Noticeably differentmayonnaise → vegan mayonnaise, same quantity
Stays closesherry vinegar → red wine vinegar, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 515
- Calories
- 6 g
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I bake the potatoes instead of frying?
Yes — roast at 220°C fan/240°C conventional for 35–40 minutes after par-boiling and coating with oil and flour. They’ll be crispy but missing the deep-fried crunch.
How do I know when the oil is hot enough without a thermometer?
Drop a small scrap of potato into the oil — it should bubble steadily and sizzle immediately. If the bubbling is violent, lower the heat; if it barely bubbles, the oil isn’t hot enough.
Can I make the sauce in advance?
Yes — the bravas sauce keeps in the fridge for 3–4 days and tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently before serving.
How spicy is this?
Mild to medium as written. Adjust the cayenne to increase heat, or omit it for a milder family-friendly version.
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