Chicken Pepitoria is a rich, traditional Spanish stew with roots in Moorish cuisine—and it’s unlike any chicken dish you’ve tried. A fragrant saffron broth thickened with a unique blend of toasted bread, walnuts, and hard-boiled egg yolks creates a silky, comforting sauce that wraps every bite in old-world flavor.
It’s a bit more hands-on than your average weeknight dinner, but totally worth it—and still Weight Watchers-friendly at just 4 Points per serving! Explore more of our easy, wholesome Weight Watchers dinner recipes for meals that satisfy without the guilt.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 400 g.
- Number of Servings: 4
- Time to Cook: 45 minutes
- 4 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)
Ingredients in Chicken Pepitoria
For the Chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into large chunks (1½ lbs / 680 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Majado (Traditional Spanish Base):
- 1 slice toasted bread, crusts removed (24 g)
- 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
- ¼ cup ground walnuts (25 g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
For the Stew:
- 1 medium onion, diced (150 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2½ cups chicken broth (600 ml)
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions for making Chicken Pepitoria
- Season the chicken chunks generously with salt and pepper on all sides, making sure each piece is well coated with the seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces on all sides until they develop a beautiful golden color, about 8-10 minutes total, turning them carefully to ensure even browning.
- Remove the golden chicken pieces from the pot and set aside on a plate, leaving the flavorful oil and browned bits in the pot.
- In the same pot, add the minced garlic and diced onion, cooking over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the onion is softened and lightly golden, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- While the onions cook, prepare the majado by placing the toasted bread, hard-boiled egg yolks, and ground walnuts in a mortar and pestle, grinding until you have a smooth paste. Add the flour and about ½ cup of warm chicken broth to this mixture, stirring until it forms a smooth, thick sauce with no lumps.
- Return the majado mixture to the pot with the sautéed onions, stirring well to combine everything evenly and cooking for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Add the remaining chicken broth along with the saffron threads, stirring to incorporate and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, then serve immediately garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg whites.
Tips and Tricks Section for Chicken Pepitoria
As expected, this is the second time I’m making chicken pepitoria. I did a first test to see how it turned out and, if I liked it, I’d repeat it for the blog. So here are my modest tips and what I improved from one preparation to the other:
- Let it brown on all sides until it looks completely golden.
- Make the majado in batches in a mortar, or use a food processor to make it all at once. Just make sure the bread is very well toasted and the egg yolk is well-cooked.
- Keep an eye on it while cooking. The sauce contains bread and wheat flour, it tends to stick to the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape the bottom regularly with a spatula.
- Don’t discard the egg white; cut it into small pieces and use it as a topping when serving.
Related Recipe Chicken Pepitoria
Chicken Pepitoria
A creamy and savory Spanish chicken stew recipe.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into large chunks (1½ lbs / 680 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, 15 ml
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Majado (Sauce base)
- 1 slice toasted bread, crusts removed (24 g)
- 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
- ¼ cup ground walnuts, 25 g
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 8 g
For the Stew:
- 1 medium onion, diced (150 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2½ cups chicken broth, 600 ml
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season the chicken chunks generously with salt and pepper on all sides, making sure each piece is well coated with the seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces on all sides until they develop a beautiful golden color, about 8-10 minutes total, turning them carefully to ensure even browning.
- Remove the golden chicken pieces from the pot and set aside on a plate, leaving the flavorful oil and browned bits in the pot.
- In the same pot, add the minced garlic and diced onion, cooking over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the onion is softened and lightly golden, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- While the onions cook, prepare the majado by placing the toasted bread, hard-boiled egg yolks, and ground walnuts in a mortar and pestle, grinding until you have a smooth paste. Add the flour and about ½ cup of warm chicken broth to this mixture, stirring until it forms a smooth, thick sauce with no lumps.
- Return the majado mixture to the pot with the sautéed onions, stirring well to combine everything evenly and cooking for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Add the remaining chicken broth along with the saffron threads, stirring to incorporate and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, then serve immediately garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg whites.
Notes
4 WW Points per serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 400gCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 44gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2.4gCholesterol: 217mgSodium: 1269mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 3gCalcium: 50mgIron: 1.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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