Romesco chicken smothered in a silky sauce of toasted almonds and roasted red peppers — 2.4g net carbs and 43.6g protein. Five minutes in the food processor, the sauce keeps for days, and it's on my table at least twice a month.
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.
I make this sauce in under 5 minutes. Jarred roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, sherry vinegar, olive oil, toasted almonds, and a good hit of smoked paprika. The whole meal takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish. The sauce works with any protein I throw at it. Chicken breasts, thighs, fish, steak. I’ve poured it over asparagus, roasted zucchini, and low carb pasta with great results.
What Is Romesco Sauce?
Romesco sauce comes from the Catalonia region of Spain, where fishermen originally made it for their daily catch. The traditional version uses roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, hazelnuts, Nora peppers (a dried Spanish chili), and stale bread or flour to thicken it. I keep my version simpler with ingredients I can find at any grocery store. I swap Nora peppers for jarred roasted red bell peppers and use smoked paprika instead of ancho chile powder. The traditional bread thickener gets dropped entirely, which is what makes this naturally keto. The toasted almonds provide all the body the sauce needs on their own. Even with fewer ingredients, the flavor stays bold and the sauce holds together.
What to Serve with It
I serve this with roasted vegetables most often. Asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant all pair well with the nutty almonds and garlic. The smoky sauce makes basic roasted vegetables taste completely different. When I want something more filling, I serve it over low carb spaghetti or zucchini noodles. Both soak up the sauce. This also pairs well alongside chicken caprese kebabs if you want variety through the week.
Make the Sauce Ahead
I always make extra sauce. Once you try it, you’ll see why I keep a batch in the fridge at all times. The sauce stores in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Different protein every night, same sauce. Chicken Monday, steak Wednesday, grilled vegetables Friday. You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and give it a quick pulse in the food processor to bring the texture back. If you want another make-ahead chicken dinner, my blackened chicken preps just as easily.
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
Pour and gobble
Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
Calories
503
Fat
32.7g
Protein
43.6g
Total carbs
8.1g
Net carbs
2.4g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
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.
I’m meal prepping Sunday and want to make the romesco three or four days ahead. Does the sauce actually stay good that long in the fridge, or do the toasted almonds go soft and grainy sitting in it? I’d rather toast a fresh batch each time than end up with a flat sauce. Does the sherry vinegar get sharper the longer it sits too?
Batch the sauce, not the chicken. Reheated breast goes rubbery and the romesco won’t fix it, not even a little. Fresh pan, seven minutes. Sauce from the fridge. One food processor pass on Sunday and you’re good through Thursday.
Last Saturday’s dinner party, eight people, none of them keto, and the romesco outlasted the chicken. People were spooning it onto whatever else was on the table by the end of the night. I made the sauce two days ahead, which I’d actually recommend (it got noticeably richer sitting in the fridge). Only note: the chicken breast went a bit dry waiting on the buffet, so I’d pull it a minute or two early next time if I’m doing it that way.
2.4 net carbs for a sauce this good is the kind of number that stops you mid-scroll. I’d written off romesco when I started keto, figured it was a restaurant thing, not a weeknight thing. The smoked paprika and sherry vinegar do something together I wasn’t expecting. And the toasted almonds give it this body I thought only cream could. Four stars because I oversalted my chicken on the first pass, but that’s entirely on me.
The almond body surprised me too when I was testing it. Traditional romesco relies on bread for that thickness, and I wasn’t sure nuts could hold up the same way. Turns out they do it better.
The moment I figured out I was doing this right was paying attention to color instead of time when toasting the almonds. First few times I pulled them too early (they barely change, then they go really fast and you blink and they’re done) and the sauce had this flat, almost raw taste. Once I started waiting until they turn genuinely golden, not just slightly toasted looking, the sauce was completely different. The nuttiness is what makes the whole thing, I had no idea.
Color is the only reliable tell with nuts. Time doesn’t account for how hot your pan is or how thin you spread them. They go from nothing to perfect to burned in about 30 seconds, and once you’ve seen it happen you can’t miss it again. Not subtle. You’ll taste it. I pull mine right at the edge where they smell intensely nutty and the outside just starts to catch. That patience is what makes the sauce.
Charred the garlic in the same pan I cooked the chicken before running everything through the processor. That little bit of bitterness rounds out the smoked paprika in a way raw garlic just doesn’t.
Never occurred to me to use the chicken pan, and now I’m annoyed I didn’t. All that fond from searing chicken thighs, just sitting there. Raw garlic in romesco is fine, but it’s sharp in a different way than charred, it’d sit under the smoked paprika instead of competing with it. Making this Friday.
Four batches in and I switched to chicken thighs last week instead of breasts and the romesco just clings and soaks in, every bite has that smoky almond thing going on in a way the breasts just didn’t. I genuinely don’t know why I waited so long.
Thighs hold onto the romesco in a way breasts just don’t. Fat content pulls that smoked paprika and almond right in. I include both in the recipe but when I make it for myself it’s always thighs.
Used chicken thighs instead of breasts and the romesco sauce kind of caramelizes into the edges where the skin crisps up. Did not expect that. Also made the sauce the night before and it was noticeably better, more cohesive, less sharp from the sherry vinegar. Going to start doing that every time.
The vinegar mellow is real, I just never wrote it into the recipe. And that caramelized skin edge with thighs is something the chicken breasts don’t give you.
I always swap pine nuts for the almonds in my romesco (just prefer how they taste), but I’ve only ever made it with fish. Think it’d still work here, or does that heavier texture not sit right over chicken?
Pine nuts make it silkier, less body than the almonds. Should be fine with chicken though. If anything fish is the more delicate pairing, chicken can handle a richer sauce.
I kept skipping romesco because toasting almonds and scraping your own roasted peppers seemed like too much work for a pan sauce. Made this anyway. First version I’ve had that actually tastes like what you get in a good Spanish restaurant, not just paprika-flavored tomato paste. The sherry vinegar is the part I almost skipped, and it turns out that’s what keeps it from tasting flat. Every other recipe I’ve tried is going in the trash.
‘Paprika-flavored tomato paste’ is the most accurate description I’ve ever heard for those other recipes. The toasted almonds are what actually give it body and that nutty depth you get in the restaurant version.
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.
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.
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.
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.
