Romesco Chicken Thighs
Switch up your weeknight dinner with these zippy, smoky-sweet romesco chicken thighs. This dish pairs juicy, lightly browned chicken thighs with a bold, flavor-packed roasted red pepper romesco sauce in an unforgettable dynamic dinner duo.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
Romesco Chicken Thighs
- 1¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup Romesco sauce (recipe below or sub store bought)
- Rice or pasta (for serving)
- cherry or grape tomatoes (for serving)
- lime wedges (for serving)
Romesco Sauce
- 1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeds removed
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 Tbsp almond butter
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
Romesco Sauce
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Quarter the bell pepper and remove the seeds. Combine bell pepper, tomatoes, and garlic in a medium bowl. Toss with ½ tablespoon olive oil.
- Spread the pepper mixture out on a large baking sheet and cook about 15 to 20 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to burst and peppers begin to form dark spots in places. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer cooled peppers, tomatoes, and garlic to a food processor and process for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, almond butter, red wine vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper to the mixture. Blend another 30 seconds, until smooth.
Romesco Chicken Thighs
- Trim the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme. Rub the seasoning into both sides of the chicken.
- Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer. You may need to do this in batches if your pan is smaller to avoid overcrowding. Brown the chicken on one side for 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown on the other side another 2-3 minutes. Repeat, if needed, until the chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through (remove when the internal temperature is 160℉).
- Remove from heat and tent with foil to rest for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. Slice and serve atop plates of rice or fresh pasta and/or alongside grilled vegetables of choice. Dollop romesco sauce on top of the chicken and garnish with fresh herbs, tomatoes, and lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!