Grilled Chicken with Homemade Romesco Sauce

Smoky Romesco sauce made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, almonds, and spices is the sauce you never knew you needed to spice up weeknight dinners, like in this healthy grilled chicken with Romesco sauce! You'll be licking the plate clean! (dairy-free, gluten-free)

This post was originally published in April 2017 and has been updated. 

Y'all, I'm seriously obsessed with homemade Romesco sauce, and if you haven't tried it yet, I think you will be too.

Romesco sauce is my new favorite thing. It's so flavorful and made with just a few simple, healthy, real food ingredients. It's the perfect way to elevate regular grilled chicken from 'meh' to unforgettable. It's seriously so delicious. I love roasted red peppers and smoked paprika - both key ingredients in this smooth, smoky sauce - so this homemade Romesco is a dream come true. Keep reading for the most delicious, life-changing sauce you never knew you needed. 

Why You'll Love Homemade Romesco

• Romesco sauce, originating from the Catalonian region of Spain is a deeply flavorful sauce that will add a delicious punch to just about anything. I serve it with grilled chicken on weeknights to punch up the flavor and satisfaction, but it's also delicious with steak, vegetables, meatballs (like I made here), and pretty much anything else. 
• Romesco is super nutritious. Made from just a few simple ingredients - almonds, red bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spices, it's a healthy way to add tons of flavor to your meals. It packs in the satisfying healthy fat and fiber you need to stay full, too. 
• Romesco is easy to make, and you'll have enough left for another meal (or two!). While not complicated in the least, this sauce does take a few steps to get to perfection. But I am all about special sauces like this one that I can make once and use multiple times, which you will be able to from this one recipe. 

How to Make Homemade Romesco Sauce

1. Roast the red bell peppers, tomatoes, almonds and garlic in the oven. The almonds and garlic don't take as long, so you'll remove them about 10-15 minutes in, then rotate the peppers and tomatoes and keep roasting so that they get nice and charred on all sides. 
2. Let the peppers and tomatoes steam in a covered bowl. This makes it easier to remove the skin. Once they have had time to rest, remove the skins and the pepper seeds and stem, and squeeze the garlic from the skins. They should all slip right out of the skin. 
3. Add the almonds, peeled peppers and tomatoes, and garlic to a blender (I use my Vitamix) with the remaining ingredients (olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, and cayenne).
4. Blend into a smooth, dreamy sauce. 

A note on the smoked paprika. Don't skip it. Smoked paprika is one of my absolute favorite spices because it lends such a delicious flavor to everything (including Romesco sauce) that you just can't get with regular paprika.

How to Make The Best Grilled Chicken

The grilled chicken is really a supporting actor in this recipe, but you still want juicy, delicious, flavorful chicken breasts. Here's how I make mine:

1. Make sure chicken is an even thickness so that they cook more evenly. You may have to lightly pound them into even thickness. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and turn chicken to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat (about 400°F). Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes per side, or until grill lines start to appear. 
3. Turn down the heat to low and/or move the chicken to indirect heat on the grill. Cover and cook an additional 10-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. I highly recommend a meat thermometer to remove the guesswork and prevent dry chicken. The internal temperature of chicken should reach 165°F when it's done. 
4. Remove the chicken from the grill and smother it (generously!) in Romesco sauce. 

Tips on Leftovers and Ingredient Substitutions

• This recipe makes enough Romesco sauce for at least 2 meals (yay!). You can store extra sauce in the refrigerator for about 5 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 
• Use extra Romesco on fish or shrimp, steak, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, or really anything you can think of!
• Sauce can be made ahead, but I think it's best served warm, so heat it gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
• I like using fresh peppers and tomatoes and roasting them myself for the best flavor, but you can substitute jarred roasted red peppers and canned whole tomatoes if needed. 
• If you don't have white balsamic vinegar, use regular balsamic, or red wine vinegar in a pinch. 
• If you're gluten-free, make sure you check the label of the Worcestershire sauce, since some brands are gluten-free and some are not.
• Salt the sauce to taste, though I don't think it needs any!
• Don't substitute the smoked paprika. Just don't.

What to Serve with Romesco Chicken

For a complete meal, serve this delicious chicken and Romesco sauce with simple grilled veggies, such as broccolini or zucchini, and roasted potatoes or brown rice. Or simply add a salad and crusty bread for dipping in the sauce!

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Grilled Chicken with Homemade Romesco Sauce

Print Recipe

Smoky Romesco sauce made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, almonds, and spices is the sauce you never knew you needed to spice up weeknight dinners, like in this healthy grilled chicken with Romesco sauce! You'll be licking the plate clean! (dairy-free, gluten-free)

• Author: Kaleigh
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 70 min
• Total Time: 90 min
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: main dish
• Method: grilled
• Cuisine: Spanish

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Romesco Sauce:

• ⅓ cup raw almonds
• 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ tbsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

For the Chicken:

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce*
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

To Make the Romesco Sauce:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place peppers, tomatoes, garlic and almonds on the baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, checking every 10-15 minutes to rotate peppers and tomatoes so that all sides get blistered, and to remove almonds and garlic once they are done (about 10-15 minutes in).
3. Place peppers and tomatoes in a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes to steam (this makes them easier to peel).
4. Gently peel skins away from peppers and tomatoes. Discard skins and pepper seeds and stem. Squeeze garlic from the cloves.
5. Place all ingredients for the sauce in a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix, and blend until smooth.

For the Chicken:

1. While vegetables are roasting, marinate chicken. Make sure chicken is an even thickness so that they cook more evenly. You may have to lightly pound them into even thickness. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and turn chicken to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat (about 400°F.) Cook chicken for about 5 minutes per side, then turn heat to low and/or move chicken to top rack of the grill and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165° F and juices run clear, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
3. Serve each chicken breast topped with Romesco sauce.

Notes

• *Some brands of Worcestershire sauce are gluten-free and some are not. Check the label if you require a gluten-free version.
• Store extra Romesco sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.
• Sauce can be made ahead, but I think it's best served warm, so heat it gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
• You can substitute 2 cups jarred roasted red peppers and/or 3 canned whole tomatoes and skip roasting them. Just toast the almonds and garlic, then proceed with blending everything as written.
• If you don't have white balsamic vinegar, use regular balsamic, or red wine vinegar in a pinch.
• Salt the sauce to taste, though I don't think it needs any!
• Don't substitute the smoked paprika. Just don't.
• I highly recommend a meat thermometer to remove the guesswork and prevent dry chicken. The internal temperature of chicken should reach 165°F when it's done.

Keywords: homemade romesco sauce, chicken with romesco sauce, how to make romesco sauce