Skip to content

Meat, European

Pollo en pepitoria with rice

Pollo en pepitoria is a Spanish dish of chicken thighs simmered in white wine, thickened with an almond, saffron, and egg yolk sauce. It serves 4, takes 65 minutes, and sits at a medium difficulty level, for €3.20 per serving. The key is whisking the egg yolk in off the heat so the sauce stays silky instead of curdling.

Tonight, a Spanish classic, pollo en pepitoria, chicken in white wine with an almond and saffron sauce.

Pollo en pepitoria with rice
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall

Pollo en pepitoria smells of saffron and almonds the moment the lid comes off. The sauce, thickened with egg yolk and ground almonds, coats chicken thighs gone fall apart tender after a long simmer in white wine. Plain hot rice soaks up that golden sauce without ever covering its flavor.

This is a Sunday kind of dish, the sort you make when you have a little extra time and want a break from the usual weeknight routine. It asks for patience in the kitchen more than technique, and works well for a meal with adults or with kids open to new flavors. Mon Chou walks you through it step by step, right up to that final sauce.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 4

Pantry

  • Ground almondsoften in the pantry 60 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Chicken brothoften in the pantry 40 cl
  • Saffronoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Bay leafoften in the pantry 1
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Allergens Tree nuts, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Hard boil the eggs for ten minutes in boiling water and set the yolks aside. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. 10 min

    Save the whites to chop into a salad the next day.

  2. Brown the chicken thighs in a Dutch oven with the olive oil, then set them aside. 10 min

    Brown skin side down first and don't move them, they release easily once ready.

  3. Cook the sliced onion and garlic in the pot, deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce by half. 6 min

    Scrape the bottom well with a wooden spoon to lift the browned bits.

  4. Return the chicken to the pot, add the broth, bay leaf, and saffron, cover, and let it simmer. 35 min

    Keep the heat low, the meat should nearly fall off the bone.

  5. Mash the hard boiled yolks with the almonds and a little sauce, stir into the dish with the parsley, and serve with rice cooked in salted water. 12 min

    Cook the rice while the sauce finishes, so everything is served hot together.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick chicken thighs with the skin on, it adds flavor to the sauce while browning and keeps the meat from drying out during the simmer.
  • Use whole saffron threads rather than powder, they infuse better in hot broth and give a cleaner color.
  • Mix the almonds and egg yolks together while the chicken simmers, so you're not rushing when it's time to thicken the sauce.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs for boneless thighs, the cooking time will be a bit shorter and the meat easier to portion.
  • For a meatless version, replace the chicken with roasted pumpkin chunks added at the end of simmering, the almond sauce still carries the dish.
  • For a quicker version, use thighs already cut into pieces, cooking time drops to about 20 minutes instead of 35.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • Bread for the sauce
  • Lemony green salad

Storage

Pollo en pepitoria keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well without the rice, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make pollo en pepitoria ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare it the day before up to the simmering step. Add the egg yolks and almonds when reheating, to keep the sauce silky.

Can you substitute the ground almonds?

Ground hazelnuts work too and give a slightly sweeter taste. Skip nuts entirely if someone has an allergy, and use fine breadcrumbs instead to thicken the sauce.

Why might the sauce curdle?

Egg yolk cooks too fast if added directly over the heat, which gives a grainy texture. Always whisk it in off the heat for a smooth sauce.

Is saffron essential to this recipe?

Saffron gives pollo en pepitoria its signature color and aroma. You can skip it if needed, but the dish loses part of its Spanish character.

How long does it take to make a pollo en pepitoria with rice?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a pollo en pepitoria with rice?

About 520 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pollo en pepitoria with rice cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains tree nuts, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

European Cuisines

See all

Egg recipes

See all