What is the name of the Spanish tapas dish of fried potatoes served with a spicy sauce?

Patatas bravas is the Spanish tapas dish of fried potato pieces served with a spicy sauce.

The potatoes are commonly cut into irregular chunks and fried until crisp outside and tender inside. The sauce varies, but it often includes paprika, stock, olive oil, and sometimes tomato, garlic, or chili. Some versions are topped with alioli as well as the bravas sauce.

The name bravas means “fierce” or “brave,” referring to the sauce’s heat and assertive flavor. Recipes differ considerably across Spain, so there is no single universally fixed formula. In Madrid, the dish is strongly associated with a paprika-based sauce, while other regions and restaurants use their own interpretations.

Patatas bravas should not be confused with papas arrugadas, the wrinkled potatoes associated with the Canary Islands. The defining idea of bravas is the fried potato combined with a boldly seasoned sauce, making it one of Spain’s most recognizable bar snacks.