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Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

This traditional, versatile chimichurri sauce is SO easy and flavorful. Make it ahead of time and serve it over grilled steak, chicken, or seafood. No food processor is needed to make this delicious sauce. Just toss and enjoy. 

chimichurri sauce recipe, chimichurri recipe
Chimichurri Sauce is super easy to whip up and goes well over chicken, steak, or shrimp

Chimichurri Sauce

If you’re familiar with chimichurri sauce, then you know all about its genius attributes. If you haven’t tried refreshing chimichurri sauce before, you’re in for a delectable treat today.

First of all, chimichurri is ridiculously fun to say out loud. My peeps have to shush me because once I get started, I can’t stop. Feel free to try repeating it aloud and have fun with it, but please don’t be mad at me if people start giving you the eye.

Secondly, this chimicurri sauce recipe is unbelievably easy to make. This recipe requires zero cooking or blending. That’s right; you won’t even need to pull out that food processor for this one. It comes together super fast, it keeps well, and it tastes incredible over grilled steak, chicken, or seafood.

Make a batch of healthy chimichurri sauce to use as a tasty marinade or as a beautiful spoon-over sauce…

chimichurri sauce recipe, chimichurri recipe
Chimichurri sauce ingredients include plenty of garlic and onion

What ingredients do I need for this chimichurri sauce recipe?

  • Plenty of freshly chopped garlic and onion are called for, which melds deliciously into this sauce.
  • Many recipes use parsley as the only fresh green herb, but we’re serious cilantro fanatics, so we use both. Feel free to stick with just parsley if you’re not into cilantro.
  • Good quality extra virgin olive oil helps to bind the sauce together.
  • Dried crushed red pepper provides a zippy kick. You can seed/chop a fresh chili pepper, if you prefer.
  • Dried or freshly chopped oregano works fabulously in this sauce.
  • Red wine vinegar lends that wonderfully tangy flavor.
chimichurri sauce recipe, chimichurri recipe
Chimichurri sauce is a great marinade as well as garnish

What are some ways to serve Chimichurri?

This is the fun part. Anything goes, so let your imagination soar. We love chimichurri sauce paired with a myriad of dishes!

Traditionally, chimichurri sauce is generously spooned over luscious grilled steak. The steaks can be marinated in some chimichurri sauce for a few hours before grilling for extra flavor, as an option. If you use it as a marinade, be sure to have extra chimichurri to generously drizzle on the finished dish.

Chimichurri sauce is delicious over Grilled Chicken, Fish, and Shrimp. It would be beautiful over any variety of grilled foods, including grilled vegetables.

I sometimes toss chimichurri sauce over my grilled chicken salads for an ultra tasty twist. So. Good.

Chimichurri Sauce
Commonly Asked Questions

What does Chimichurri Sauce taste like?

Chimichurri sauce is the quintessential “everything sauce.” Its flavor profile is tangy, savory, slightly spicy, and herb-mixed. It’s refreshing and simple to toss over a myriad of meals.

Is chimichurri basically the same as pesto?

While pesto sauce tends to be basil-heavy, chimichurri indulges cilantro and parsley. Both sauces display a tangy balance, with chimichurri also showcasing a spicy kick.

What culture or nationality does chimichurri come from?

Chimichurri was originally popular in Argentina and Uruguay, but has become popular worldwide, as it’s fresh, flexible, and pairs well with a plethora of cuisines and dishes.

What goes well with chimichurri?

Chimichurri sauce is not only fabulous as a marinade for chicken or beef, but it’s also amazing as a garnish for grilled meats and seafood.


Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Bowl of Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

5 from 3 ratings
This traditional, versatile chimichurri sauce is SO easy and flavorful. Make it ahead of time and serve it over grilled steak, chicken, or seafood. No cooking or blending is needed to make this delicious sauce. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • cup finely chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 TB fresh or dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, not fine table salt
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Instructions

  • Combine: In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss well. Let sit at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld.
    chimichurri sauce ingredients
  • Cover and Chill: If making ahead of time, cover tightly and chill until ready to use. Generously spoon over grilled steak, chicken, or seafood.
    steak chimichurri

Notes

Leftover sauce can be kept covered and chilled for several days.
Try this tender, juicy Steaks with this Chimichurri Sauce.
Recipe makes 6-8 servings of garnish for drizzling over steaks, chicken, or seafood. 
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 236.1mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g
Course: Appetizer, Side
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Mixing

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Recipe Rating




37 comments

    • Laura
    • 5 stars

    Used this to marinate my flank steak for tacos. Reserve some of it to put on the steak after cooking. Marinated for several hours. Slapped the steak on the grill for a few minutes. OH BOY!!! This recipe has so much flavor!!! Much better recipe than what I have tried in the past. Leftover steak tasted even better the next day. I will be keeping this one in my recipe book for sure.

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, so glad you all loved this, Laura! 🙂

    • twinspirational

    We’ve never made Chimichurribefore, but this recipe looks great and healthy. We would love to try to make this.

    • Danielle

    Yum! This sounds so good and I willl have to check it out and try it for myself.

    • Chastity

    So glad you add a lot of flavor to your recipe. So good! I think this would be fabulous on a steak!!

    • Akamatra

    I am one of those who never tried it before! It is so fun to say aloud though!

    • Ogenevwaire Ogaga

    Looks quick to do. Going to try it if I would like it. I can be picky sometimes.

    • Shannon Gurnee

    I’ve never had this before, but I would love to try it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    • Kalyan Panja

    Awesome photography. I hope to prepare this recipe soon.

    • Monidipa Dutta (@MonidipaDutta51)

    The recipe sounds really great and truly it is worth a try. And I will give it a try.

    • Preet

    Wow, I love this recipe it is so delicious and look so easy to prepare. I will def try to make this for the whole family.

    • Clare Minall

    Thank you for sharing this recipe- I adore this but have never tried to make it myself. I will now, seems more simple than I thought and how stunning is yours!

    • Alexandra Cook

    This looks nice and simple to put together but so delicious! Perfect for a weekend treat!

    • eraeholland

    I’m a very big fan of chimmichuri sauce. I’ll be trying your recipe!

    • sarahslyfe

    I love chimichurri sauce. I literally put it on everything, so tasty, has a little kick to it but sooo good. thanks for sharing

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