Menu
Spanish Chicken and Romesco Dinner
Crispy Spanish chicken thighs with smoky romesco, patatas bravas with authentic-style bravas sauce, and individual Basque cheesecake cups.
Serves 2 | Time ~2 hrs (plus overnight cheesecake) | Oven 425°F
On the menu
A beginner-friendly Spanish-inspired dinner: smoked-paprika roasted chicken thighs with a smoky romesco, crispy patatas bravas with a roux-based bravas sauce, and individual Basque cheesecake cups. Written for 2 people, with the cheesecakes made the night before.
Serves: 2 Total time: ~2 hrs for dinner (5:00pm start for a 7:00pm dinner); make the cheesecake cups the night before Oven: 425°F for everything
Menu
| Course | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Main | Crispy Spanish Chicken Thighs with Romesco Sauce |
| Side | Patatas Bravas with Authentic-Style Bravas Sauce |
| Dessert | Basque Cheesecake Cups |
Shopping list (for 2)
Meat
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Produce
- 1-1½ lb Yukon gold or baby potatoes
- Garlic (a few cloves)
- Lemon, optional
Dairy / Refrigerated
- 8 oz cream cheese
- Heavy cream (about 1 cup total)
- 1 large egg
Pantry
- 1 jar roasted red peppers (about 12 oz)
- ½ cup almonds
- Tomato paste
- Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Smoked paprika
- Sweet Spanish paprika
- Hot Spanish paprika or cayenne
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Olive oil
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Optional: chili flakes, breadcrumbs, orange marmalade, berries
Timeline for a 7:00pm dinner
Make the Basque cheesecake cups the night before (or at least a few hours ahead) so they can chill.
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 5:00-5:10 | Preheat oven to 425°F; line sheet pans; take chicken out; set out tools |
| 5:10-5:30 | Wash, dry, cut, and season potatoes; spread on a sheet pan |
| 5:30 | Potatoes into the oven (20 min timer) |
| 5:30-5:45 | Pat chicken dry, rub with seasoning paste, place skin-side up on sheet pan |
| 5:45 | Chicken into the oven (25 min timer) |
| 5:45-6:05 | Make the romesco (toast almonds, blend, adjust) |
| 5:50 | Flip the potatoes; return to oven |
| 6:05-6:20 | Make the bravas sauce |
| 6:10 | Check chicken temperature |
| 6:15 | Check potatoes for browning and tenderness |
| 6:20-6:35 | Pull chicken at 175-185°F, rest; pull potatoes when crisp, leave uncovered |
| 6:35-6:45 | Rewarm bravas sauce; plate romesco, chicken, and potatoes |
| 6:45-6:50 | Final taste check on potatoes, romesco, and bravas sauce |
| 6:50-7:00 | Set table; bring food to the table |
| 7:00 | Serve; Basque cheesecake cups after dinner |
Notes
- Make the cheesecake cups the night before — overnight chill is ideal; take them out 15-20 minutes before dessert.
- Keep the bravas sauce separate from the potatoes so they stay crisp.
- Dry the potatoes very well before roasting; wet potatoes steam instead of crisping.
- Don’t let the paprika burn in the bravas roux — 10-15 seconds only, or it turns bitter.
- Pull chicken thighs at 175-185°F for the best texture (165°F is the safe minimum).
Source
Distilled from spanish_chicken_romesco_patatas_bravas_basque_cheesecake.md