Loaded potato skins with chorizo, melted cheese and bravas sauce. It’s where our beloved potato skins and Spanish patatas bravas meet!
Fill out your party spread with Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Prosciutto!

It probably won’t come as a complete surprise to you that I am a huge potato lover! I love potatoes cooked in every way possible. I love eating them whether they are just boiled and salted or a bit more dressed up!
Every time we travel and I get a chance to see how they cook potatoes in that particular country, I bring a recipe home. Some of them get cooked once and forgotten but others become our favourites.
Spanish patatas bravas is one of them, a firm staple among other Spanish tapas. Bravas sauce is incredibly versatile and fun to experiment with, which is how I came up with the idea of adding it to potato skins!
Potato skins
Now let’s talk about potato skins. I get that they sound a bit retro but in reality they are just due for rediscover and reinvention!
Certain party foods like nachos and potato skins should never ever go out of style. Let’s infuse them with new, fresher, more interesting flavours and keep eating them because they are AMAZING and always disappear first!
It’s important to choose the right potato when making potato skins. Choose a variety with a soft, flowery texture and robust skins.
There are a number of potatoes that can work, depending what is available in your areas. The best type for this use are russet potatoes, but there are other options such as King Edward or Vivaldi.
Bravas sauce
If you are not familiar with Bravas sauce, you absolutely need to get on it asap! Bravas means means “fierce” in Spanish, which is a great choice as the taste of it is like no other.
It’s sweet from ripe tomatoes and slightly tangy from red wine vinegar and spicy from chillies. Perfectly balanced and a lovely accompaniment for your vegetables, meat or even fish.
It’s commonly found in Spain served as a tapa with potatoes, called patatas bravas. It’s in the running for my favourite tapa, with this flavourful sauce a big reason why!
Serving suggestions
We have a lot more finger-food recipes perfect for any gathering in our starter category. These potato skins would be a perfect addition to any party spread, especially alongside Hot Crab and Roasted Corn Dip, Maple Whiskey Baked Brie with Walnuts, and Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers!
Or you can throw a Wine and Tapas Party and include these instead of the famous patatas bravas! So throw a party and enjoy these loaded potato skins!!
Storage and leftovers
Bravas sauce can be stored for a week and used in all sorts of ways.
If you need ideas on how to use up your leftover Bravas sauce you can check out this Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce or one of my favourite brunch creations Spanish Hash.
Leftover potato skins can be reheated in an oven or air fryer. Bravas sauce can be warmed in a microwave or in a saucepan on a stovetop.
More chorizo recipes
Loaded Potato Skins with Chorizo and Bravas Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes medium or small
- 10 cured chorizo slices chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50g/5oz Manchego or Cheddar cheese grated
- micro herbs optional
- parsley
For the bravas sauce
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme you can also use dried thyme
- 400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake potatoes with skin on for 30 minutes at 180C/350F.
- While the potatoes are cooking make the Bravas sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and cook chopped onions and sliced garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Add smoked paprika and thyme (leaves only) and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in canned chopped tomatoes, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper, turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes until it’s thick. When you are satisfied with the thickness of the sauce take it off the heat, pour it in a food processor or a blender and blend until smooth and set aside.
- Once potatoes are cooled enough to handle cut them lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Brush the skins with olive oil.
- Fill the skins with the chopped chorizo equally divided among 10 potato skins and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put back in the oven and cook for 10 min at 200C/400f until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Serve sprinkled with parsley and micro herbs and bravas sauce for dipping.
Lauren says
I am curious. Did the recipe call for carrots as mentioned as an ingredient earlier in the post? I do not see it listed in Ingredients list, I made it without abs am wondering if the carrots would have enhanced it greatly?
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Hi Lauren, yes the carrots used to be a part of the sauce but I removed them to simplify the recipe since the carrots required the sauce to be processed in a blender or a food processor at the end. I tested with and without them and I can confirm the sauce is still delicious although the carrots did contribute a bit of sweetness.
Jennifer says
These loaded potato skins are soo yummy!! I just know we are going to be making them all summer long!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Enjoy, Jennifer! They are also great for a tapas night!
Beth says
I love making recipes with potatoes. Always a big hit here and full of so much flavor! My family is definitely going to love this recipe!
Jen Rose says
These babies are loaded! Everyone loved them, thank you!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Awesome, so glad to hear it!
Frances Martinez says
Using potato skins like this is something I don’t recall having seen before, I’m really curious about it now. It’s amazing what we can do with a few different spices.