If you’ve never had romesco sauce before, you’re in for a treat – and pairing it with crispy spiced fried chicken in a crusty bread loaf is honestly one of the best flavor combinations I’ve stumbled upon. The smoky, nutty Spanish sauce made from roasted red peppers and almonds is so much more interesting than regular sandwich sauces, especially when you add crispy chicken and soak it all up with warm, crusty bread.

Understanding Your Components

1. Breaded Chicken: I used chicken breast for this recipe but feel free (and i highly encourage) to use chicken thighs! Thighs will give you a juicier result as there is higher fat content when compared to chicken breasts – but make sure to flatten your chicken out evenly so it cooks well and you can do this either with your knife or a meat tenderiser.
2. Breading station: set up your breading station by having 3 plates ready – 1 with plain flour, 1 with beaten eggs and 1 with breadcrumbs. When you drench and bread your chicken fillets, it can get super messy. A tip is to keep 1 hand dry and 1 hand for the wet. Dust your chicken in flour first then drench in the beaten eggs – the flour helps the eggs to cling onto your chicken. And lastly, coat your chicken into the breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s coated well so we get a nice breaded crust when we fry.
3. Romesco Sauce: This is a Spanish sauce traditionally made with roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, garlic, smoked paprika, tomatoes, and sherry vinegar, all blended into a thick, spreadable sauce. It’s smoky, slightly sweet, nutty, and has this complex depth that regular mayo-based sauces just don’t have. You can use jarred roasted red peppers to save time, but roasting your own gives better flavor. The almonds get toasted until fragrant – this step is crucial for that nutty richness.
4. Bread: i used a mini sourdough loaf but feel free to use any crusty loaf you have on hand! I think any Italian or white crusty loaf would be amazing for this.
5. Deep-fry/Airfry: Use a neutral oil to fry your chicken fillets (i.e. vegetable or canola oil would be good options). Make sure your oil is at a good frying temperature – i.e. 180C/350F to get a nice golden colour and the coating is crispy not soggy. If the oil is not hot enough, the breading will be soggy. If it’s too hot, the breading will burn and the chicken will not be cooked. If you like a healthier alternative, you could also airfry your chicken fillets! Just make sure to spray the outside evenly with some oil and air-fry at 180C/350F until golden brown.

Tips!

Blend Romesco Smooth: Use a food processor or high-powered blender to get a smooth, spreadable consistency. Some texture is fine, but you don’t want chunky sauce that falls off the sandwich. Add olive oil gradually while blending for a silky emulsion.

Oil Temperature: Maintain your oil at 325-350°F. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks; too cool and you’ll have greasy, soggy chicken. Use a thermometer and adjust heat as needed between batches.

Don’t Crowd the Pan: Fry chicken pieces with space between them – overcrowding drops the oil temperature and causes steaming instead of frying. Work in batches if needed.

Drain on a Rack: Let fried chicken rest on a wire rack, not paper towels. Paper towels trap steam and make the bottom soggy. A rack allows air circulation and keeps everything crispy.

Hollow Out the Bread: Remove some of the soft interior crumb from both halves of the bread to create a channel for the chicken and sauce. This prevents the sandwich from being too bready and gives you more room for the good stuff.

Storage and Reheating Guide

• Romesco Sauce Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Fried Chicken Storage: Store fried chicken separately (not assembled) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep away from moisture to maintain crispiness.
• Assembled Sandwiches: Best eaten immediately while the bread is crusty and the chicken is hot – this isn’t one that holds well
• Reheating Chicken: Reheat in a 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes or air fryer at 375°F for 5-7 minutes until crispy and heated through
• Freezing: Freeze fried chicken (before saucing) for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Bread Storage: Store unused bread wrapped at room temperature for 1-2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month

Make ahead tips:

• Romesco Ahead: Make romesco sauce up to 1 week ahead – the flavor actually improves as it sits and the ingredients meld together
• Bread Early: Bread chicken completely up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate uncovered on a wire rack. This actually helps the coating set and adhere better.
• Roast Peppers Ahead: Roast red peppers up to 3 days ahead and store refrigerated, making romesco assembly super quick
• Batch Cooking: Make extra romesco – it’s incredible on grilled vegetables, eggs, fish, or as a dip for bread

Ingredients

(makes 2 sandwiches)

2 bread loaves of choice (i used small pane di casa)
2 burrata cheese
Arugula/Rocket

Breaded Chicken:
1 chicken breast, halved length-wise and flattened
1/2 cup plain flour
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp parsley, minced
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
Vegetable oil for frying

Romesco Sauce:
2 red bell peppers/capsicums, halved and remove seeds
1/2 cup almond, roasted
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup parsley
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Hot sauce, to desired taste

Method – How to make Romesco Chicken Sandwich

1. Romesco Sauce: Place the capsicum/bell pepper halves onto a baking tray and broil until charred and darkended (around 10-20 minutes). Place the charred bell peppers into and bowl and cover with plastic wrap to sweat for 15 minute and then remove the blackened skin. Add all the ingredients into a bender and blend until homogenous. Set aside to let the ingredients marinade.
2. Breaded chicken: Slice your chicken breast into 2 pieces length-wise. While working with 1 piece at a time, cover the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap and using a meat tenderiser, flatten out the chicken into a thin even piece. Repeat with the other piece. Season the chicken with salt and pepp.
3. Add your breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix in the parsley, onion powder and garlic powder. Prepare your breading station. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place the chicken into your flour and cover it well. Transfer the chicken to your beaten eggs and cover it well. Transfer the chicken to your seasoned breadcrumbs and press it in well. Repeat with the 2nd piece.
4. Bring a pot of oil to frying temperature (180C/ 350F). Carefully drop in 1 piece of breaded chicken at a time and fry for 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken and flipping halfway, or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to drain.
5. Assemble: On 1 piece of toasted bread, spread on a layer of the homemade Romesco sauce, then top with a piece of chicken. Break a burrata on top of the chicken and top with rocket with a drizzle of olive oil. Close the sandwich. Enjoy!