Crispy Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes)
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I have to say that my favourite choice of snacks always involves potatoes, particularly fried potatoes! When I learned that Spain is home to a popular fried potato snack, I knew I had to try it!
I’m not too familiar with Spanish food but after making this Crispy Patatas Bravas recipe, I have the feeling that Spain is a star for plenty of other delicious snacks that I’d love to try! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have more fun making appetizers and snacks rather than main dishes! Comment below if you love to make snacks too!
If you want to explore snacks and Spanish food even more, then why not make a theme of trying out Spanish snacks for the week? Ingredients in recipes may overlap, so use them up in your tasty creations! If you want to learn more about how having a theme can inspire you to create a plan and get you thrilled to cook new dishes, then check out my free motivational guide Make Cooking Fun! If Spain is a destination that’s new to you (as it is for me!), then this fun potato recipe is the perfect place to start, so why not try it out as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge? Get these free resources to help you start on your cooking journey by singing up to my email newsletter, and get all of my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!
Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post to see how our Spanish Fried Potatoes get prepared from start to finish! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!
What Is Patatas Bravas?
Patatas Bravas in Spanish translates to “spicy potatoes.” These potatoes are a type of tapas, which are savoury snacks and appetizers. These little guys originated from Madrid. Typically, the potatoes are cut into small cubes and then they are deep fried in oil, served with a spicy tomato sauce. Sometimes, patatas bravas is also served with a spicy garlic mayo. These potatoes sure are popular in Spain, being readily available in most tapas bars across the country!
This recipe will show how to make the accompanying tomato sauce and how to make those little potatoes crispy and so delicious! I’m not serving with the garlic mayo simply because I’m not a fan of mayonnaise with potatoes, but that’s just me!
What is Bravas Sauce?
Bravas sauce, also known as salsa bravas, is the sauce that is served with patatas bravas. It’s a spicy tomato sauce that is made with paprika and smoked paprika. While it’s not supposed to be ridiculously spicy, you definitely want to look for a good punch of heat to really enhance our crispy potatoes!
WHAT POTATOES SHOULD I USE To Make Spanish Fried Potatoes?
If you’re familiar with my potato recipes, anything from French fries to mashed potatoes, you know that I always opt for Yukon gold yellow potatoes. I find that this variety of potato is not only the tastiest, but it’s the best for frying. You get a perfect golden colour on the outside and these potatoes don’t become limp and soggy on the inside. I find that russet potatoes don’t have as nice of a colour when they are fried, and they taste a little bland. You could of course substitute Yukon gold potatoes for russet if that’s what you have on hand, but I truly think Yukon gold potatoes yield the best results!
HOW TO CUT THE POTATOES
Dice the potatoes up into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch cubes. These bite-sized cubes will allow you to boil and cook the potatoes quicker and save precious time.
WHy Boil The Potatoes Before Frying?
We boil our potatoes before frying because of the starch in the potatoes. Removing the excess starch allows the potatoes to become crispy without being overcooked. Boiling the potatoes before deep frying allows the potatoes to par-cook, so that they fry easier. When frying, the focus becomes getting them crispy, rather than having to completely cook them on the inside as well.
You can boil your potatoes over the stove in a pot or use your Instant Pot, as I describe here.
Do You Peel The Potatoes For Spanish Fried Potatoes?
Yes, I’ve peeled my potatoes to make our Spanish Fried Potatoes. But it really comes down to personal preference and you can choose whether to use the peel or not. Traditionally, potatoes are peeled, cubed , fried until they are crispy and enjoyed with a spicy tomato sauce.
WHAT OIL SHOULD I USE TO DEEP FRY Patatas Bravas?
To deep fry our Patatas Bravas, I’ll be using vegetable oil. However, any neutral oil with a high smoke point will do the job just fine. Some alternatives I recommend include peanut oil, ghee, canola oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil. Coconut oil can also work, but it will affect the taste of the potatoes. For general deep frying, my go-to choices are vegetable oil, peanut oil and canola oil, and for Indian deep fried foods I use ghee.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD THE OIL BE?
Heat up the oil so it’s hot enough to quickly crisp up the potatoes. Since the potatoes have already been boiled and they are completely cooked inside, we can maintain a relatively higher temperature to achieve the crispy texture. I recommend you heat your oil to 175 degrees Celsius.
Do You Double Fry Patatas Bravas?
Technically you can. For double frying you first need to cook the potatoes, at an oil temperature of 125 degrees Celsius. Then, once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oil, raise the oil temperature to 175 degrees Celsius and then fry again to get the crispy exterior.
How to Know When the Potatoes Are Ready?
The colour of the potatoes should be a crispy golden brown and you should be able to hear the crispiness when the potatoes are tossed in a bowl or feel it when you taste the crispy taters.
Prepping Tips
While I wouldn’t make the actual potatoes in advance because no matter what they won’t be as delicious as when they’re freshly fried right out of the oil, there are some ways you can get organized and prepped to make the actual cooking process seamless and efficient, which are assets that always come in handy if you’re going to make these potatoes tapas for a party or gathering - or even if you just want to be ready for when a hunger pang strikes!
Get your ingredients out and measured
Cut, boil and peel the potatoes in advance
Prepare the bravas sauce in advance
Have the oil in your wok or large pot so you can simply just turn on the heat when you’re ready to fry!
TIPS FOR The Crispiest Patatas Bravas
You can either pre-cook the potatoes by boiling or steaming them whole in a pressure cooker or over the stove top and then cutting them into cubes. Or, you can cut the potatoes into cubes and then boil or steam them.
Instead of boiling or steaming to cook the potatoes, you can choose to fry the potatoes at 125 C. Just remember, at this point, we only want to cook the potatoes, not make them crispy.
Be consistent with the thickness of the potatoes as you cut them. The more even the shape and size of the portions, the better consistency you will see with the doneness.
Make sure to heat oil to 125 Celsius for the first fry and to 175 Celsius for the final fry if you are double frying.
Make sure to cook out the rawness of the spices in oil and the tartness off the tomato paste before adding the chicken broth to make the bravas sauce.
Season the potatoes with salt after the second fry!
EQUIPMENT FOR Spanish Crispy Potatoes
INGREDIENTS FOR Patatas Bravas
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to see all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later! You can also scale the recipe based on how many portions of Patatas Bravas you want to make with all individual ingredient quantities automatically adjusting - no mental math and ratios needed on your end!
For the Bravas Sauce
Tomato paste: Adds the rich tomato flavour to the salsa bravas.
Broth: To keep the dish vegan, make sure you’re using vegetable broth. However, I used chicken broth because that’s what I had on hand, and it worked well too!
Red wine vinegar: Adds some tanginess and sweetness to the salsa to offset the heat.
Olive oil: To sauté the garlic.
Garlic cloves: Minced garlic cloves that will be sautéed.
Corn starch: Makes the sauce thick.
Salt: Add to taste.
Smoked paprika and paprika: These are the seasonings that make the salsa bravas have its kick of heat! The combination of the two makes the sauce hot but not overly spicy.
Water
For the Potatoes
Yellow potatoes: Boiled, peeled, and cut into cubes. Use russet potatoes if you don’t have Yukon gold.
Salt: To season the potatoes after they’ve been fried.
Vegetable oil: For frying.
How to Make Spanish Potatoes In Tomato Sauce
To prepare the bravas sauce
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and once its hot, add minced garlic and sauté until lightly browned.
Add tomato paste, paprika and smoked paprika and mix well. Cook the tomato paste and spices until the oil separates on the sides and make sure to stir from time to time.
Add chicken broth and mix well. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. In the meanwhile, add cornstarch to a bowl or measuring cup with some cold water, just enough to whisk the corn starch to a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan.
Whisk well and continue to simmer the sauce until the sauce thickens and the texture is smooth. Add the rice wine vinegar and stir well. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
To prepare the patatas
Prepare a large pot of boiling water and in the meanwhile cut the potatoes in half. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender and then strain them from the water. Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, peel the skin off and dice the potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2 inch dice.
Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or pot for deep frying and ensure it reaches close to 175 degrees celsius. Add the potatoes in 2-3 batches and fry until they are golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and pat out any excess oil. Season with salt and toss well.
Drizzle a few tablespoons of bravas sauce on top of the potatoes.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions For Crispy Patatas Bravas
Because these Spanish fried potatoes are an appetizer, you can technically serve them with pretty much any main dish of your choice or enjoy them alone as a snack! Here are some dishes that would pair perfectly with our Spanish potatoes and tomato sauce:
Can I Make Patatas Bravas in the Oven or Air Fryer?
Yes, you can certainly prepare the potatoes as part of Patatas Bravas in the oven or air fryer! Here’s what to do:
To prepare in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 475 F. In a large bowl, add the potatoes and fill with water. Let the potatoes soak for at least 25 minutes. In the meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil.
Add soaked potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 3-5 minutes, or until the potatoes are partly cooked but still firm. Drain the potatoes onto paper towel and gently pat dry.
Transfer potatoes to a large enough bowl and season with salt and olive oil. Layer a large baking tray with parchment paper and place the fries on it. Bake the potatoes on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until they are light golden brown.
Once lightly browned, move the rack and tray to the lowest oven rack bake until crispy, about 15-20 minutes flipping once to ensure each side is crisp. Season the potatoes with salt.
Prepare the bravas sauce as directed for the fryed method and serve the oven baked crispy potatoes with the spicy tomato sauce.
To prepare in the air fryer:
Add the peeled, cut potatoes in a large bowl and fill with cold water and soak for about 25 minutes. In the meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil. Add soaked potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 3-5 minutes, or until the potatoes are partly cooked but still firm.
Drain the potatoes onto paper towel and gently pat dry. Then, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and coat with olive oil. Gently toss the potatoes in the oil and arrange potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket
Set Air Fryer to Air Fry mode at 400F and cook for 20 minutes.
Season with salt to taste and toss well. Prepare the bravas sauce as directed for the fryed method and serve the oven baked crispy potatoes with the spicy tomato sauce.
More Crispy Potato Recipes!
Watch How to Make Crispy Patatas Bravas Here:
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