Spanish potatoes, or patatas bravas, are a tomato-based "spicy potato" recipe. When I transitioned to a plant-based diet, I was excited about eating potatoes...and eating them often. With that being said, I also like variety and sauces when making and eating roasted potatoes.
But, the beauty of this Spanish potato recipe is you choose how spicy, spicy is. Although I LOVE spicy food, my Spanish potato recipe is mild, with the option of turning up the heat.
Even though most Spanish potato recipes contain oil, my recipe is oil-free, and with a few special cooking tips, the results are crispy, saucy potatoes that are soft and supple on the inside.
As a side dish or a tapa, Spanish potatoes are also fabulous in a bowl full of veggies and grilled tofu. Whatever way you choose to enjoy these Spanish potatoes, this recipe won't disappoint.
THE BENEFITS OF EATING ROASTED POTATOES
Unfortunately, potatoes get a bad reputation. In fact, some people avoid potatoes because they are classified as carbohydrates. On the contrary, potatoes are a superfood!
Potatoes, a versatile root vegetable, are cheap, easy to grow, and packed with various nutrients.
According to Healthline, potatoes are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals.
One medium baked potato (6.1 ounces or 173 grams), including the skin, provides (2):
- Calories: 161
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Protein: 4.3 grams
- Carbs: 36.6 grams
- Fiber: 3.8 grams
- Vitamin C: 28% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 27% of the RDI
- Potassium: 26% of the RDI
- Manganese: 19% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
- Niacin: 12% of the RDI
- Folate: 12% of the RDI
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED TO MAKE PATATAS BRAVAS?
- Baby red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- White wine ( I used Chardonnay)
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable broth
- Rotel tomatoes (mild)
- Chalupa or hot sauce of choice
- Smoked paprika
- Sea Salt
- Maple syrup
One of the best ways to roast potatoes without oil is to parboil the potatoes first. As a result, the potatoes are softened before roasting in the oven, which creates a soft interior and a crispy exterior.
Another suggestion is to cut the potatoes, before parboiling, in uniform sizes, so the potatoes cook evenly.
While the potatoes roast, the Spanish potato sauce can be made.
HOW TO MAKE THE SPICY SAUCE FOR SPANISH POTATOES
First, to make the sauce, saute the garlic and onions in a small amount of vegetable broth to avoid sticking. Then, add the white wine and reduce to half the fluid, and add the other ingredients.
Once the tomatoes are broken down, and all the fluid dissipates, you can either leave the sauce chunky, as is, or you can blend it slightly or blend it to a smooth texture. For this recipe, I chose to blend slightly, leaving a slightly thicker, chunky sauce.
Next, the roasted potatoes are removed from the oven and transferred to a casserole dish. And then the sauce and potatoes are combined and roasted again, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes.
MILD, MEDIUM, OR SPICY ROASTED SPANISH POTATOES...YOU CHOOSE YOUR HEAT!
Because this recipe can be made mild, medium, or spicy, I began with a mild version so that you can spice it up based on your individual heat level.
For instance, the original recipe provided is a mild Spanish potato recipe. As a result, you can always add heat, but you can't take it away.
So, I suggest you begin with the base recipe and then add heat.
HOW TO ADD ADDITIONAL HEAT TO SPANISH POTATOES: ADVICE AND WARNING
- Rotel Tomatoes come in mild, medium, and spicy (I used mild)
- Add more smoked paprika, a small amount at a time, to increase heat.
- Hot sauce (I chose a mild variety of Chalupa), but using Tabasco sauce or Sriracha will increase the heat.
- Adding black pepper also increases the heat.
Be advised, however, to choose one of the above suggestions, and taste as you go. Everyone's taste is different, and I wouldn't want anyone to waste food. The Spanish potato recipe is already slightly spicy in its original state.
So, if you are looking for a unique way to prepare potatoes, make this recipe for roasted Spanish potatoes!
DO YOU LOVE OIL-FREE POTATO RECIPES? YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE RECIPES!
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Potatoes with Pesto
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Breakfast Potatoes
- Chili and Lime Roasted Red Potatoes
- Butter Bean Mash with Easy No-Chicken Gravy
- Oven-Baked Fries Perfect Crispy Oil-Free and Garlic
- Steak Fries Crispy Air Fryer Steak Fries Recipe
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Sweet Potato Cakes
- Stuffed Sweet Potato
- Skinny AF Sweet Potato Fries
- Vegan Hash Brown Casserole
- Potato Hash
- Greek Potato Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
📖 Recipe
Spanish Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds baby red potatoes cut in half or quartered uniform sized
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Chalupa or hot sauce of choice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash and cut the potatoes in halves or quarters depending on sizes. You want the pieces approximately the same size, so they cook uniformly.
- Parboil the potatoes by placing them in a pot and covering them with water; add a teaspoon of salt. Bring water to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain potatoes in a colander. This step allows for the potatoes to be soft on the inside and get crispy on the outside
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange the parboiled potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Sauté onions and garlic in a skillet while the potatoes are roasting sautéeing the chopped onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the edges. Add a small amount of vegetable broth to avoid sticking.
- Add the white wine to the pan and turn the heat to high. Boil on a high boil until the wine is reduced by half, then add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add the Rotel tomatoes, hot sauce, salt, maple syrup, and smoked paprika. Stir well and reduce the heat to a bare simmer.
- Let the sauce cook slowly while the potatoes roast. If you want, you can use a blender or an immersion blender to purée the sauce until smooth ( I did), but you can also leave the sauce more chunky if you prefer.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven.
- In a casserole dish, combine roasted potatoes and spicy sauce.
- Toss potatoes with sauce, and return the casserole pan, uncovered to roast in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce dries out a bit, and the sauce sticks to the potatoes.
- Serve as a side dish, tapa or an entree.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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