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Chimichurri sauce is one of the healthiest, most versatile, and refreshing sauces you can serve over grilled meats and vegetables or as a refreshing topping to any meal.
If you're looking for other great sauces for grilled food, try these: Kale Pesto, Sweet Chili Sauce, Honey BBQ Sauce, Creole Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce, or Tzatziki Sauce.
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How do I make the easiest chimichurri sauce?
A chimichurri recipe is pretty simple, but if you want to make it even easier, toss everything into a food processor for a few seconds, and you're done.
Chimichurri Ingredients
Always use fresh ingredients for the best chimichurri sauce.
Garlic
Always use fresh garlic, and avoid anything in a tube or glass jar.
Fresno Chili Pepper
You can find Fresnos near the peppers in the grocery store. It looks like a red jalapeno, and they have a mild heat compared to jalapenos.
Fresh Oregano Leaves
Fresh oregano smells and tastes fantastic, plus it's loaded with incredible medicinal properties. Dried oregano does the job too.
Kosher Salt
I love using kosher salt because the larger salt flake allows me to use less than table salt.
Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar gives chimichurri its signature zing, brightness, and bite.
Lemon
Not a traditional ingredient, but it dances beautifully with the red wine vinegar on your tongue.
Fresh Parsley
Only use Italian flat-leaf parsley. The flavor is superior to curly leaf parsley.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The flavor of pure cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil is similar to freshly ground black pepper.
If you're trying to do an authentic Argentinian chimichurri, I suggest you keep the food processor in the cabinet. Pull out a knife, bowl, and cutting board and start chopping.
How to make Chimichurri recipe?
Wondering how to make chimichurri? It's super easy and takes only 5-10 minutes, depending on how fast you can slice and dice.
Traditionally this would be made in a mortar and pestle, but in America, that's a rare tool found at home, so make sure you have a sharp knife and a good cutting board.
After you have finely chopped the garlic, Fresno peppers, oregano, and chopped parsley. Add them to a medium bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.
The sauce should be smooth and slightly chunky. Serve immediately in a small bowl or cover in an airtight container for 24 hours for the best flavor.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I had from making this delicious chimichurri sauce.
- If you cannot find Fresno peppers, use 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes or 2 tablespoons of finely chopped red bell pepper instead.
- Curly leaf parsley flavor is inferior to fresh Italian parsley.
- You don't need to add black pepper to this recipe because the olive oil and chili pepper will provide the heat.
- If red wine vinegar is too strong for you, swap it for distilled white or white wine vinegar.
- Feel free to use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin. However, do not use any other oil because it will change the flavor dramatically.
- You can use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano instead of fresh.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, greek yogurt, or sour cream for a creamy chimichurri sauce.
- Feel free to use Celtic or sea salt instead of kosher salt.
- Using a food processor is fast and convenient, but it may oxidate(brown) the fresh herbs making the final color unappealing. Once the garlic is finely minced (small), add parsley.
- Add cilantro to your sauce to whip up a Mexican chimichurri sauce.
- You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
- Chimichurri sauce is excellent on grilled chicken, skirt steak, flank steak, scrambled eggs, roasted salmon, or potatoes.
FAQ
Here are the top questions readers have about making authentic chimichurri sauce at home.
Traditional chimichurri is a fresh herb sauce made from all fresh ingredients like parsley, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. It's used as a marinade or condiment in South American cuisine. The flavors meld together to create a zesty, bright, and flavorful accompaniment to grilled steaks, meats, or vegetables.
Chimichurri is a herby, bright, and flavorful sauce. Its smooth and chunky texture from olive oil, red chili flakes, and chopped herbs is excellent on several dishes, from pasta to appetizers to grilled foods.
Pesto and chimichurri sauces are made with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs, but the flavors are absolutely different. Pesto is an Italian condiment made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan. Chimichurri is local to Argentina; it's made with parsley, vinegar, and oregano and contains no cheese.
Chimichurri originates from Argentina and Uruguay. It is a popular condiment in those countries, adding a depth of bright and tangy flavor to grilled meats and vegetables.
Mexican chimichurri is made just like the traditional recipe but uses fresh cilantro and jalapeno.
Yes, chimichurri is keto-friendly and can be used on meats, vegetables, cheese, avocado, and salads. Its high amount of healthy fats (olive oil) and low in carbs (herb-based) is an excellent condiment for people following the ketogenic diet.
Overall, chimichurri sauce is bright and herbaceous. The heat level can vary depending on the chili pepper used (Fresno, jalapeno, serrano, or crushed red pepper) if you use them. Good extra virgin olive oil has a peppery finish, and vinegar tames the heat levels.
Chimichurri sauce is best the next day, so make it a day in advance and keep it in an airtight container (preferably a clean glass jar) at room temperature. It'll last for 3 weeks in the fridge.
The best thing to eat chimichurri sauce with is grilled steaks. Any steak, chicken, seafood, pasta, and vegetables will be glorious. It can be a dipping sauce for empanadas, tacos, vegetable boards, charcuterie boards, hummus, dips, sandwiches, and tacos.
Try these grilled recipes: shrimp chimichurri, salmon sandwich with corn salad, mushroom pesto pizza, t-bone steak, and lamb chops.
More Delicious Recipes
Don't pass up these meals if you need more ideas to accompany this lovely sauce.
- Mediterranean Lamb Meatball Bowl
- Air Fried Green Tomatoes
- Steak Sandwich with Grilled Onions
- Cedar Plank Fish with Grilled Tomato Butter
- Avocado Toast
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Wash your fresh ingredients under running cold water, shake to remove access water, pat dry with paper towels, and drain on paper towels.
Step 2: Measure everything out and pull out all your tools.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for yummy chimichurri.
Making chimichurri at home is easy and delicious. You can create a flavorful accompaniment to grilled meats and vegetables with just a few simple ingredients. Don't forget to share this recipe with your friends and family. After making your chimichurri write a comment and leave a star rating, and tag me on social media! #LezEat
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Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Authentic Chimichurri Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves chopped fine
- 1 Fresno pepper chopped small
- 2 ½ teaspoons chopped small fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- zest of 1 medium lemon
- juice 1 medium lemon
- ½ cup chopped small Italian leaf parsley
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and combine until smooth and chunky. Serve chimichurri with any grilled meats, vegetables, or drizzle over pastas, and salads or use as a dip.
Notes
- If you cannot find Fresno peppers, use 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes or 2 tablespoons of finely chopped red bell pepper instead.
- Curly leaf parsley flavor is inferior to fresh Italian parsley.
- You don't need to add black pepper to this recipe because the olive oil and chili pepper will provide the heat.
- If red wine vinegar is too strong for you, swap it for distilled white or white wine vinegar.
- Feel free to use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin. However, do not use any other oil because it will change the flavor dramatically.
- You can use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano instead of fresh.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, greek yogurt, or sour cream for a creamy chimichurri sauce.
- Feel free to use Celtic or sea salt instead of kosher salt.
- Using a food processor is fast and convenient, but it may oxidate(brown) the fresh herbs making the final color unappealing. Once the garlic is finely minced (small), add parsley.
- Add cilantro to your sauce to whip up a Mexican chimichurri sauce.
- You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
- Chimichurri sauce is excellent on grilled chicken, skirt steak, flank steak, scrambled eggs, roasted salmon, or potatoes.
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