Paprika Breaded Beans on Romesco

These paprika breaded beans are the second child in my breaded beans family (you can find the first version here), but they are so smokey, crispy and subtly spicy that I just knew I had to make them to pair with my summer romesco sauce. Romesco is traditionally served with seafood, but I consider it the queen of all sauces – it’s bright, acidic, lightly spiced and slightly rich from a small handful of nuts thrown in. But if you are nut-free, a scoop of sunflower or pumpkin seeds works just as well. This might be just a bougie way to eat beans and vegetables, but it is absolutely one of my favorite easy lunches or dinners.

The best part of these paprika breaded beans is that even with the sauce included, they are completely plant-based! Plus, they fit in all the food groups that you need, proteins, carbs and fats are present, and it tastes like eating a super gorgeous entree at your favorite cafe. Yet another reason that I want to open up the cafe we will soon call “Chez Snacks.”

But until Chez Snacks is open, we’ll have to settle for the home made version of these. Read on for how to make them!

What are breaded beans?

To put it simply, breaded beans are my favorite thing in the whole wide world. They are a bean that is made lightly crispy through a very simple breading process, and I promise, there is no dredging required. Breaded beans are beans tossed in a bit of flour, plus any spices you prefer, and then a drizzle of olive oil. They are then roasted in the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are golden and their coating is light and crisp. Some beans pop in the oven, but I consider that an extra treat of crunchy edges, definitely not a casualty.

Ingredients you will need for the paprika breaded beans

For the paprika breaded beans, the ingredients are simple. You will need:

• Butter beans – make sure they are drained and rinsed, but not dried. Dry beans won’t be able to cling to the flour as you bread them, which will make the crisping process much more difficult.
• Whole wheat flour – I prefer whole wheat flour for this recipe, both for the color it lends to breaded beans, as well as the thicker, nuttier texture and flavor it gives. If you can’t get your hands on whole wheat flour, all-purpose is a fine swap, but I promise that whole wheat really makes a big difference!
• Smoked paprika – not to be confused with sweet paprika! Both are delicious, but only one will give you that hickory-smokey-spicy vibe. If you are looking for a good paprika to use, I love this Spanish blend.
• Ground cumin – either whole seeds you grind yourself or pre-ground will work!
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt – I am a Diamond Crystal loyalist, you will find most of my recipes are scaled to Diamond Crystal, so here I just mention the amount to use when it is called out in the recipe instructions!
• Extra-virgin olive oil – often the hero of the food world and most of my recipes, this olive oil is used to make the beans crispy. You want to have enough to coat the beans, but not so much that it pulls any breading off of them!
• Lemon zest – this is optional to have for plating, but it is SO fun to use to make the end result gorgeous.

What is romesco?

Romesco is probably my favorite condiment (I’m sorry ketchup, but it’s true). This Catalonian tomato sauce was made to be eaten with fish, and traditionally it used dry bread to help thicken up the texture. Now we’re past that phase (although it would still be delicious), and the sauce is made up mostly of tomatoes, red peppers, garlic and nuts. I of course add spices and parsley to the mix for a bit of flavor and freshness.

Compared to traditional romesco, I only use vinegar to thin it out. I’ve found oil masks the flavors a touch too much to my liking, but if you want a thinner, smoother sauce, oil is a great addition. Just make sure to use the good stuff!

Ingredients in the romesco for these paprika breaded beans

After talking about romesco, here is what you need to make some!

• Tomato
• Red bell pepper
• Red wine vinegar – this adds a kick of much-needed acid to the sauce, plus it adds a subtle sweetness which plays nicely off of the tomato and red bell pepper.
• 2 garlic cloves – who doesn’t love garlic? This is raw, so that’s why I only call for 2 cloves. But garlic girls, you do you.
• Hazelnuts – almonds are also a great sub here. Any nut will do for this recipe – what it adds is a nice thickness and creaminess to the sauce!
• Parsley – this multi-functional herb adds a nice freshness to the romesco. It’s one of those things that you don’t see it when it’s in there, but you taste it when it’s gone.
• Chili powder – this adds to the subtle spice of the romesco. It’s not a hot sauce, but I want it to be flavorful!
• Smoked paprika – we go over this more in the section above about the breaded beans!
• Nutmeg – I think this adds a touch of interest to the sauce. It’s not mandatory, but it takes the romesco from one-note to ten notes!

How to prepare this recipe for breaded beans

This recipe is all about timing. I start with the sauce, then lower the heat in the oven and finish with the beans. When the beans are still warm, it’s the perfect time to plate everything together.

Here’s a step-by-step on how to prepare and plate everything:

• Position a rack to the center of the oven and set the broiler to high.
• Halve the tomato and remove the top and seeds from the pepper. Place both skin-side-up on a baking sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the skin is very charred. Remove them from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 425°F.
• Transfer these from a baking sheet to a small bowl and cover, letting the steam release the skin from the vegetable/fruits. Ket them sit for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the vinegar, garlic, hazelnuts, parsley, chili powder, paprika and nutmeg to a blender. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Peel the skin off of the pepper and tomato and add the to the blender as well. Blend until smooth and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
• Drain and rinse the beans. In a large bowl, toss them with the flour, paprika, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. The flour should lightly coat the beans.
• Transfer the beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes or until the beans are light and crisp. Some will have popped open, and that’s totally ok!
• To plate, add a swipe of romesco to the plate, then the beans on top. Scatter with parsley and lemon zest and serve!

Looking for other bean recipes?

You came to the right place! You can find some of my favorites here:

And that’s it for these breaded beans!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.