Romesco Chicken
Published May 4, 2021 • Updated March 15, 2026
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I make this romesco chicken at least twice a month. Five minutes in the food processor, toasted almonds and roasted red peppers do all the work, and the sauce keeps for days.
I’ve been making this romesco chicken for years, and it’s one of the few sauce recipes I never get tired of. Traditional romesco from the Catalonia region of Spain uses toasted bread or flour to thicken the sauce. I skip that entirely and let the toasted almonds carry the weight, which keeps it keto without losing any of the body or richness.
The sauce comes together in about 5 minutes. Jarred roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, and sherry vinegar. That last ingredient matters more than you’d expect. I tested red wine vinegar as a swap and the sauce came out heavier and duller. Sherry vinegar cuts through the richness of the almonds in a way nothing else quite does.
The almonds are the one step I don’t rush. I toast them in a dry skillet, stirring constantly, until they go just past golden. That extra 30 seconds gives the sauce a deeper, slightly smoky backbone that lighter toasting doesn’t produce. Multiple readers have told me the same thing: the toasted almonds are what separates this from every jarred or restaurant version they’ve tried.
I pan-cook my chicken most weeknights, but the sauce is flexible. Grill the chicken at 350-400°F, bake it on a sheet pan with vegetables, or cook it in a cast iron skillet. The sauce doesn’t care how the protein gets cooked. And it works beyond chicken. I’ve poured it over steak, grilled fish, and garlic paprika shrimp with great results.
What keeps me coming back is how much mileage I get from one batch. I make extra every single time and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Monday’s chicken becomes Wednesday’s sauce over grilled vegetables and Thursday’s topping on zucchini noodles. One batch of sauce, three different meals, no repeats.
For the chicken, I butterfly the breasts so they cook evenly in a hot skillet. About 4-5 minutes per side with olive oil. Pull them at 165°F internal temp and let them rest a couple minutes before spooning the sauce over. Thighs work too (6 thighs instead of 4 butterflied breasts) and they’re more forgiving if you overshoot the timing by a minute.
This scales well for bigger dinners. When I triple the sauce, I back off the sherry vinegar to 4 tablespoons instead of the full 6 because acidity sneaks up at that volume. Run the food processor in two batches rather than cramming everything in, and hold the cooked chicken in a 200°F oven (pulled just barely done) while you work through the rest. They hold fine for 30 minutes without drying out.
If you like sauced chicken dinners, try my creamy pesto chicken or cilantro lime chicken for a different flavor direction.
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Ingredients
1 cup sliced almonds -
⅔ cup roasted red peppers, diced
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⅔ cup halved cherry tomatoes
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½ cup chopped parsley
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2 cloves garlic
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¼ cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
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2 teaspoons smoked paprika
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½ teaspoon salt
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4 chicken breasts (butterflied) or 6 chicken thighs
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Toast the almonds
Add sliced almonds to a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Lightly toast the almonds for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
Add to a food processor
To a food processor or blend, add toasted almonds, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and salt.
Pulse until combined
Pulse or blend until smooth. Set aside. Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cook chicken
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Pan cook in 3 tablespoons olive oil for 4-5 minutes each side. Or grill at 350-400°F for 4-8 minutes each side until cooked through.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Is romesco sauce keto or low carb?
Traditional romesco uses bread or flour as a thickener. I skip that entirely and rely on the toasted almonds for body instead. The almonds, peppers, olive oil, and vinegar are all naturally low in carbs, so the sauce is keto without any modifications. I didn't have to sacrifice flavor or texture to make it work.
What nuts work best in romesco sauce?
I've tested this with almonds, walnuts, and cashews. Almonds are my go-to because they give the sauce a cleaner, nuttier flavor when toasted properly. Walnuts work but add a slightly earthy, bitter note that competes with the smoked paprika. Cashews make the sauce creamier and milder. If you have a nut allergy, I haven't tested a nut-free version yet, so I can't vouch for substitutes like sunflower seeds.
Can I freeze romesco sauce?
I freeze extra sauce all the time. It holds well for up to 3 months in a sealed container. When I thaw it (overnight in the fridge), the texture separates slightly, but a quick pulse in the food processor brings it right back. I usually make a double batch specifically so I have some stashed in the freezer for busy weeks.
How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked?
I pull my chicken at 165°F internal temperature. An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way I check. If you don't have one, cut into the thickest part and make sure there's no pink and the juices run clear. I always butterfly my breasts for this recipe because they cook faster and more evenly than whole breasts.
Can I grill the chicken instead of pan-cooking it?
I grill this all summer. Set the grill to 350-400°F and cook 4-8 minutes per side depending on thickness. I make the sauce ahead and keep it at room temperature while the chicken grills. Spoon it over right when the chicken comes off. The char from grilling adds another layer to the smoky paprika in the sauce.
Does the type of vinegar matter in romesco sauce?
Sherry vinegar is non-negotiable for me. I tested red wine vinegar as a swap and the sauce came out heavier and duller. Sherry vinegar cuts through the richness of the almonds in a way that red wine vinegar just doesn't. If you can't find sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar is a closer substitute than red wine.
How do I scale this recipe for a crowd?
I've tripled this for dinner parties. The chicken is straightforward: cook in batches and hold in a 200°F oven (pull them just barely done so they don't dry out while waiting). For the sauce, scale everything straight across except the sherry vinegar. Start with 4 tablespoons instead of the full 6 when tripling. Acidity sneaks up at that volume. I run the food processor in two batches rather than cramming it all in.
The toasted almonds and smoked paprika sent me straight back to this little tapas place I used to go to in college.
Romesco is from Tarragona originally, so that tracks. The smoked paprika carries most of that memory.
Romesco has always felt like a restaurant-only sauce to me. Figured I'd try this one, toasted the almonds, blended everything, and tasted it straight from the processor. It stopped me cold. Every version I've bought or ordered is flat compared to this, and I think it's the sherry vinegar cutting through the richness of the almonds. Won't be ordering it out anymore.
The sherry vinegar is the whole reason it works. I tested red wine vinegar as a swap and the sauce came out heavier, duller. Not the same.
Made this probably four or five times from different recipes. First one where I actually got it. Toasting the almonds first gives it a depth the others were missing.
Four or five versions of the same sauce before finding one that works. You committed. Most recipes treat the toasting like a checkbox.
Okay so I'm making this for my sister's birthday dinner Saturday and I want to triple the recipe because we'll have around 12 people, and I'm already a little stressed about the pan cooking step because there's just no way 12 butterflied chicken breasts fit in one pan (even a big one). Do I cook them in batches and hold them in a low oven to keep warm, or will they dry out sitting there waiting? I'm also not sure how the romesco sauce handles tripling, like do I just run the food processor in two batches and scale everything straight across, or does the almond ratio or the sherry vinegar need to be dialed back a little when you go bigger? I've never cooked for this many people and this is my first time making this recipe, so I want to get the logistics figured out before I commit Saturday morning. What would you do if you were making this for a crowd?
Low oven at 200 and pull them just barely done. They hold fine for 30 minutes if you didn't overcook them on the way in.
Sauce scales straight except back off the sherry vinegar. Start with 4 tablespoons instead of the full 6. Acidity sneaks up at that volume. Two processor batches is easier anyway, don't try to cram it all.
Took the almonds a solid 30 seconds past golden to get real color on them, and the romesco sauce came out with a deeper, slightly smoky backbone that I wasn't expecting.
I usually stop right at golden but now I'm trying your way. That smoky backbone is worth the extra 30 seconds.
The sauce is where you'll really notice it. Chicken takes longer to absorb the difference.
Toasted almonds in a sauce always seemed off to me, so I kept skipping romesco recipes. Made this finally on a cold Tuesday when I had chicken breasts to use up, and I was completely wrong about the almonds. That roasted nutty base gives the sauce a depth that jarred romesco doesn't have, and now the jarred stuff seems pointless. 4 stars because I want to test it with thighs before going all in.
Knew you'd get there with the almonds. Six thighs next time. The sauce settles into them in a way that breasts don't quite match.
This looks so yummy! Do you think the sauce would go with walnuts instead of almonds?
Yes! You can use walnuts. I bet they would be delicious too.