Spanish recipe

Patatas Bravas

Name: Patatas Bravas
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish cuisine
Ingredients: 900 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks; 1.2 L neutral frying oil; 300 g canned crushed tomatoes; 80 g yellow onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 4 g smoked sweet Spanish paprika; 0.5 g cayenne or hot paprika; 3 g sugar; 8 g fine salt, divided; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Spanish bar potatoes with a crisp shell, creamy centre and a warm, smoky tomato-paprika brava sauce. A gentle first fry cooks the potato through; cooling and a hotter second fry create the crunch without drying the centre.

Madrid / Spain

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Crisp golden patatas bravas with red paprika tomato sauce — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by TamorlanSource page · Original file · CC BY 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

900 g
waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
1.2 L
neutral frying oil
300 g
canned crushed tomatoes
80 g
yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
garlic, finely chopped
20 ml
extra-virgin olive oil
4 g
smoked sweet Spanish paprika
0.5 g
cayenne or hot paprika
3 g
sugar
8 g
fine salt, divided
10 g
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

01
Start the brava sauce
Heat 20 ml olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5–6 minutes until soft but not browned; add garlic and cook 45 seconds until fragrant.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Reduce the sauce
Stir in both paprikas for 15 seconds, then add tomatoes, sugar and 3 g salt. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes until thick enough to cling to a spoon. Blend smooth and keep warm.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Rinse and dry the potatoes
Rinse the potato chunks under cold water for 30 seconds to remove loose surface starch, drain, then dry extremely well with clean towels. Moisture left on the surface will splatter in the oil.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
First fry until tender
Heat frying oil to 110°C. Fry the potatoes in two batches for 18–22 minutes each, keeping the oil at 105–115°C, until a knife enters the centre easily but the exterior remains pale. Drain in one layer.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Cool before the second fry
Leave the first-fried potatoes uncovered for 20 minutes. Their surface should lose visible steam and feel dry; this cooling stage helps the second fry form a crisp shell.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Fry crisp and sauce
Raise the oil to 175°C. Fry in two batches for 4–5 minutes until deep golden and crisp, letting the oil return to 175°C between batches. Drain, season immediately with the remaining 5 g salt, spoon over warm brava sauce and finish with parsley.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Fry in small batches and let the oil return to the stated temperature between batches.
Drain fried food in one layer so escaping steam does not soften the crust.

Common mistakes

Oil that is too cool makes food greasy; oil that is too hot darkens the exterior before the centre is ready.
Do not crowd the fryer; the sudden temperature drop prevents crisp browning.

Substitutions

Use another neutral high-heat frying oil if olive oil is impractical, keeping the same temperature targets.
When replacing cured Spanish ham, choose another dry-cured ham and reduce added salt until the filling has been tasted.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Patatas bravas became a Madrid bar classic in the 20th century and now appears across Spain. The defining idea is crisp potato with a bold, paprika-driven spicy sauce; exact sauce styles vary by city and bar.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Patatas bravas-Lavapies — Photograph by Tamorlan; CC BY 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Spanish recipes

Patatas Bravas

Ingredients

Method

Start the brava sauce

Reduce the sauce

Rinse and dry the potatoes

First fry until tender

Cool before the second fry

Fry crisp and sauce

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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