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Discover the bold, smoky flavor of bravas sauce—a classic Spanish condiment made with tomatoes, paprika, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Perfect for patatas bravas and other tapas.
Easy and Versatile Bravas Sauce
Bravas sauce is one of those condiments that earns a permanent spot in your fridge—not just for its bold, smoky flavor, but for its incredible versatility. While it’s traditionally served over crispy potatoes in the iconic Spanish dish patatas bravas, this zesty, paprika-forward sauce brings life to so much more. Use it as a dip for grilled meats, spoon it over roasted vegetables, or pair it with your favorite tapas for an instant flavor upgrade. Once you make a batch, you’ll start finding excuses to drizzle it on everything.
Making the Bravas Sauce
What You’ll Need:
- Yellow onion, finely diced
- Garlic, minced
- Olive oil
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Salt & Pepper
- Sugar
- Canned diced tomatoes
- White wine vinegar
Prepare Your Ingredients: Begin by gathering your ingredients. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic.
Sauté: In a skillet, sauté the diced onions in olive oil for 8-10 minutes to really bring out the flavor. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Simmer: Add in the paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, sugar, diced tomatoes and white wine vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend: Remove from heat and blend the sauce until smooth using a handheld immersion blender (or carefully transfer it to a blender).
How to Serve
Bravas sauce is incredibly easy to serve and instantly elevates whatever it touches. For the classic route, spoon it generously over hot, crispy potatoes and top with a swirl of aioli for traditional patatas bravas. But don’t stop there—this sauce shines as a dip for grilled steak, chicken skewers, or crusty bread. It also makes a flavorful drizzle over roasted vegetables, or a vibrant addition to any tapas spread. Warm it slightly before serving to bring out its full depth and smoky aroma. Check out my Crispy Patatas Bravas in the Air Fryer with Creamy Garlic Aioli recipe!
Tools Used For This Recipe
- Nonstick skillet
- Immersion blender
- Cutting board
- My favorite kitchen knife
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
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Homemade Bravas Sauce – Bold, Smoky & Spicy
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients by finely dicing the onion and mincing the garlic.
- In a skillet, sauté the diced onions in olive oil for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- To the skillet, add the paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, sugar, diced tomatoes and white wine vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend the sauce until smooth using a handheld immersion blender (or carefully transfer it to a blender).
