The traditional sauce served with patatas bravas is salsa brava.
Patatas bravas are fried or roasted potato pieces served with a spicy sauce, and salsa brava gives the dish its defining heat. Recipes vary, but the sauce commonly includes oil, paprika, and stock or another liquid base; some modern versions also use tomato or chilli.
The dish is one of Spain’s best-known tapas and is especially associated with Madrid. Its name means “brave potatoes,” a reference to the sauce’s assertive spiciness rather than to a particular potato variety.
Salsa brava is sometimes confused with other Spanish sauces. Romesco is a Catalan sauce based on peppers, nuts, and other ingredients, while mojo picón is associated with the Canary Islands. Neither is the canonical sauce named in the dish’s title.