10-Minute Romesco Sauce For Fish (& More!)

Name: 10-Minute Romesco Sauce For Fish (& More!)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup roasted red peppers ((chopped, from a jar, drained)); ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes ((or semi-dried tomatoes) drained if necessary); ¼ cup almonds (unsalted (raw or roasted)); 1 slice bread; 1 clove garlic (peeled); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ((make it a heaped one!)); ¼ teaspoon chili flakes ((or a large pinch) or cayenne pepper, but just use a small pinch of this at first); 1 lime ((½ - 1, juice only) plus more for squeezing over the fish at the end, if you like); 1 tablespoon vinegar ((red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar are the traditional choices, but any vinegar will work)); ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ¼ cup olive oil; crispy potatoes ((If you don't want to make potatoes, serve the dish with bread or toast instead.)); green vegetables such as green beans or broccoli; pan-fried white fish

By Helen Schofield

on May 05, 2025

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This is a quick, easy and zesty version of a Spanish romesco sauce. With its bold and zingy flavors, including roasted red peppers, almonds, smoked paprika, and lime juice, it turns an otherwise ordinary fish dinner into a restaurant quality one.

It only takes 10 minutes to make, so give it a try – you’ll be adding it to everything!

Closeup of a blue and white patterned dish with romesco sauce, green beans, white fish and lime in it, with a checked tea towel and more sauce in a dish at the top.

When I first tried romesco sauce (on a humble pub menu, of all places!), it was ‘hidden’ underneath a pile of crispy potatoes, vegetables and pan-fried fish. But the flavors certainly weren’t hidden. I found the interesting and bold flavors, including tangy red peppers and sundried tomatoes, smoky paprika and lime juice perfect together with the mildly flavored fish.

Most recipes you’ll find online suggest serving romesco sauce on top of or alongside meat, or as a dip. You can certainly enjoy it like this – in fact you’ll be amazed how well romesco goes with so many different foods – but in my opinion romesco and fish are a perfect match.

Also, like many classic recipes, there are too many versions of this condiment out there to count. My version focuses on making it the quickest and easiest version of itself, while still keeping those delicious fresh, zesty, and smoky flavors.

Here’s a summary of what I think you’ll love:

Very quick and easy. This pantry version of romesco sauce doesn’t require any cooking. You’ll use ready-roasted peppers from a jar, for instance. Many other recipes suggest this is a 5-minute sauce. I’d say it’s more of a 10-minute one, but you’ll spend most of this time getting the ingredients out of your pantry and measuring them into the food processor! After this, just blend everything until you have a smooth sauce.
Easily level up dinner! You’ll be amazed how this simple sauce turns an ordinary fish dinner into a restaurant quality one.
Keeps for about a week. Pour it into a jar with a lid, and keep in the fridge ready to spoon over fish, meat, potatoes and more.
So versatile! Once again, my favorite way to serve this is with fish. However, that’s by no means the only way to eat it. It’s equally as amazing with meat, potatoes, eggs, crackers and cheese, and more.

Fun Fact

in the past, this vibrant sauce, otherwise known as ‘salsa romesco’ was an easy way for Catalonian fishermen to liven up fish.

About the ingredients
How to make romesco sauce for fish
Helen’s Top Tips
Serving suggestion
Recipe FAQs
More easy sauces to liven up dinner
10-Minute Romesco Sauce For Fish (& More!) Recipe

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

All the ingredients needed to make romesco sauce for fish, including roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt and pepper, almonds, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, vinegar, and optional toasted bread.

Roasted red peppers (jarred): These form the base of the recipe. They are usually sold stored in brine, which you’ll drain before using. I usually go with ready-chopped since they’re easier to measure and then blend. However, if you can only get whole jarred peppers, that’s fine. Just chop them yourself.

Sundried tomatoes: You can use either sundried tomatoes stored in brine or oil (and then drained), or semi-dried tomatoes. Traditionally, romesco is made with roasted or charred regular tomatoes. You can certainly use these instead, or even just regular tomatoes in a pinch. I’ve chosen sundried tomatoes however for their punchy flavor, not to mention the ease of just grabbing them out of the pantry!

Almonds: Almonds give the sauce nutty texture, and also give it ‘pesto vibes’ (yes, you can indeed stir romesco sauce through pasta!). I like to use natural unsalted almonds. Either raw or roasted are fine. If you only have salted almonds, reduce the amount of added salt in the sauce a bit.

A garlic clove: Some romesco recipes suggest more than this, but I think one clove is enough since the garlic stays raw. Also, the garlic flavor intensifies the second day (and beyond) after the sauce is made.

Smoked paprika: If I didn’t have this, I would actually buy some specifically to use in this recipe. Regular paprika is an acceptable substitute, but you’ll lose the characteristic smoked flavor that is key in the sauce.

Chili flakes: Around a quarter of a teaspoon or a large pinch is enough for a mild spicy-ness. I think this is another key characteristic of romesco sauce, but of course skip it if you don’t want it to be spicy.

Lime juice: Traditionally, the acid used to make romesco sauce is vinegar. I do add some vinegar in my recipe, but also plenty of zesty lime juice! This is not at all traditional in a romesco sauce, but I think it complements the other flavors so well in my version of the recipe served with fish. You can substitute the lime juice for lemon juice if you like.

Vinegar: Red wine or sherry vinegar are traditional, but you can use any vinegar. It won’t make much difference to the overall flavor.

Olive oil: The olive oil is drizzled in at the end, so that you can control the thickness of the sauce. This can depend on how much liquid is still left in the peppers and tomatoes, and also how you’re intending to serve the sauce (more on this later!).

Salt and pepper: I go quite heavy on the salt to really bring out all the other punchy flavors, adding about three quarters of a teaspoon.

A slice of toasted bread (entirely optional!): A traditional romesco sauce recipe usually includes a slice of stale or toasted bread, to thicken it and add toasty flavor. When I’m serving the sauce with fish, however, I usually skip it because I want it to be on the thinner side. I’ve still included it in the ingredients list in case you want to try it.

How to make romesco sauce for fish

As mentioned already, you’ll spend most of the 10 minutes you’ll need to make the sauce getting everything out of the pantry and measuring it. Romesco sauce is such a simple dinner hack!

The first thing to do is to put everything except the olive oil into a food processor. A small food processor bowl is best if you have it.

Note: This time, I included the bread, but I often don’t if I’m making a sauce for fish.

All the ingredients needed to make romesco sauce for fish in a food processor.

Pulse/blend until you have a paste. It might take a minute or two.

Finally, blend in the olive oil, little by little. Stop when you think the sauce is smooth and runny enough to spread over your dinner plate. It should be more of a thick sauce rather than a dip consistency.

An overhead view of just-blended romesco sauce in a small food processor.

When I’m ready to serve dinner, I usually heat the sauce gently on the stove (or in the microwave) until hot. I add a drizzle or two of water to loosen it up some more if it needs it.

Helen’s Top Tips

Start with the juice of just half of the lime. You can add more at the end to taste, or you can simply add a segment of lime to everyone’s plate to squeeze over the whole dish before eating.
If you’ve added all the olive oil and still feel like the sauce is a bit too thick, simply blend in a little water until it’s the desired consistency.
For a thicker romesco sauce (perhaps you want to use it as a dip), you can either add a bit less of the olive oil, or you can add the slice of toasted bread for a chunkier result.
You can keep any leftover romesco in a clean jar with a lid in the fridge for up to a week. Serve it with almost everything throughout the week (see ideas below!).

Serving suggestion

Here’s my favorite way to serve romesco sauce with fish:

Spread a generous amount of the romesco sauce over a plate. I usually heat it gently on the stove first, adding a little bit of water to loosen it up if it needs it.

Then top with potatoes (if you like), green vegetables and fish! Try these air fryer smashed potatoes, or parmentier potatoes (crispy cubed potatoes!) if you don’t have an air fryer.

For the green vegetables, broccoli or green beans are a good choice, and these are both great cooked from frozen. Check out my recipes for sauteed frozen green beans and sauteed frozen broccoli if you’re interested in this kitchen shortcut. Asparagus or spinach would work well, too.

Alternatively, skip the pototoes and just serve with these 2-minute olive oil toasts, or your favorite fresh bread.

A blue and white patterned dish with romesco sauce, green beans, white fish and lime in it, with a checked tea towel and more sauce in a dish at the top.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of fish goes well with romesco sauce?

Romesco sauce goes well with any mildly flavored, white fish. Examples are cod, haddock, hake, tilapia, sea bass or barramundi. Go with whatever fish is available where you live and that you enjoy. I like to pan-fry it in olive oil until the skin is crisp and the fish is just cooked through (usually 3 to 5 minutes on each side).

What are some other ways to use romesco sauce?

Romesco sauce is particularly delicious served with fish, but there are many other ways to enjoy it, too. Spoon it over skinless boneless chicken thighs, chicken legs, or any other kinds of meat. Use it as a dip with raw vegetables, crispy potatoes, halloumi fries, zucchini fries, crispy cauliflower, pieces of fresh bread, crackers, and more. You can also try serving it as a sauce/relish with any egg-based dishes, such as frittata, quiche, omelettes (try this Spanish omelette recipe!), or even just scrambled eggs.

Can I make romesco sauce nut-free?

Yes, you can. You can either just skip the nuts altogether, or you can use a substitute such as sunflower seeds or pine nuts. You can also use a different nut instead of almonds, such as walnuts or hazelnuts. The flavor profile will be slightly different, of course, but the sauce will still be very delicious. You can also make sure to add a slice of toasted or day-old bread to make up for the loss of texture from the nuts.

Does romesco sauce freeze well?

Yes, it does. I sometimes freeze it in a jar with a lid. You can also freeze it in another kind of freezer safe airtight container. For best results, use within 1 to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature before heating gently on the stove and serving.