Spanish Romesco Chicken Thighs
Romesco is the classic Spanish sauce created with almonds, piquillo peppers, tomatoes, saffron, sherry vinegar, and pimentón picante, all iconic Spanish ingredients. They come together to form a vibrant, rich, tangy, and slightly hot sauce that perfectly accompanies hardy chicken thighs. If you cannot find piquillo peppers substitute them with roasted red bell peppers; however, piquillo peppers make the sauce genuinely Spanish.
4 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup almonds
1 (9.9 ounces) jar piquillo peppers, drained, patted dry (or a jar of roasted red peppers)
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 tablespoon ground guajillo chile
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon pimentón picante (hot smoked paprika) or smoked paprika + cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken thighs with skin and bones
Fresh oregano leaves, chopped (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until crumb-like but not as much to make them butter-like. Next, move to a mixing bowl.
3. Pulse the peppers and tomatoes until slightly chunky but smooth. Add to the nuts.
4. Add the saffron, guajillo chile, oregano, garlic, pimentón, salt, and pepper to the nut, peppers, and tomato mixture. Mix well.
5. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet. Place the chicken skin side down in the hot oil. Brown the chicken on both sides. (Do not overcrowd the pan. Do in batches if necessary). Turn off the heat and drain the fat from the pan. Add the romesco sauce around all sides of the chicken thighs.
6. Place in the preheated oven and bake for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F, measured in the thickest part of the chicken thigh near the bone.
7. Serve hot with a portion of the sauce on top of each thigh.
Spanish Romesco Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup almonds
- 1 (9.9 ounces) jar piquillo peppers, drained, patted dry (or a jar of roasted red peppers)
- 1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon ground guajillo chile
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic, mashed
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon pimentón picante (hot smoked paprika) or smoked paprika + cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs with skin and bones
- Fresh oregano leaves, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Pulse the almonds in a food processor until crumb-like but not as much to make them butter-like. Next, move to a mixing bowl.
- Pulse the peppers and tomatoes until slightly chunky but smooth. Add to the nuts.
- Add the saffron, guajillo chile, oregano, garlic, pimentón, salt, and pepper to the nut, peppers, and tomato mixture. Mix well.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet. Place the chicken skin side down in the hot oil. Brown the chicken on both sides. (Do not overcrowd the pan. Do in batches if necessary). Turn off the heat and drain the fat from the pan. Add the romesco sauce around all sides of the chicken thighs.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F, measured in the thickest part of the chicken thigh near the bone.
- Serve hot with a portion of the sauce on top of each thigh.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
659.63Fat (grams)
46.11Sat. Fat (grams)
11.03Carbs (grams)
19.95Fiber (grams)
4.59Net carbs
15.35Sugar (grams)
8.67Protein (grams)
40.87Sodium (milligrams)
838.67Cholesterol (grams)
221.48The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.