Chimichurri Sauce Recipe {Most Flavorful!} - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published June 11, 2019. Updated November 7, 2021

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The only Chimichurrirecipe you’ll ever need! It’s incredibly vibrant and jam packed with fresh flavor. It’s easy to make and it’s the best upgrade to meat and poultry. One of my go-to recipes and for good reason, it will always leave you craving more!

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe {Most Flavorful!} - Cooking Classy (1)

What is Chimichurri Sauce?

Chimichurri is a condiment or marinade similar to pesto but rather it’s parsley and vinegar based. It’s a common dish that you’ll find in South American and Central American countries such as Argentina and Mexico.

My husband lived in Argentina for two years before we were married so he introduced me to a few of the classics that I instantly fell in love with. Among there were breaded Milanesa, flakey beef and olive filled Empanadas, Alfajores cookies layered with sweet dulce de leche, and lively homemade Chimichurri sauce (which he loves on Choripan).

Of course I was smitten after once taste of that refreshing sauce and I’ve been making it regularly ever since. My family loves it and it’s a simple way to upgrade an otherwise insipid chicken or steak dinner.

Plus it’s a healthy recipe jam packed with fresh herbs and it has no added added sugars (unlike bbq sauces and others).

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Is This Recipe Authentic?

Authentic Argentine Chimichurri is made with parsley and oregano, but no cilantro. I prefer the flavor of the added cilantro but to make it authentic you can omit the cilantro and replace with more parsley. The region my husband lived in also never served spicy food (even black pepper) so depending on the area red pepper flakes may not be authentic.

Other additions I added for more flavor were some red onion and a bit of lemon in place of some of the red wine vinegar. They’re the perfect finishing touches!

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What Ingredients go into Chimichurri?

  • Fresh parsley, cilantro and oregano – this trio of herbs makes this incredibly flavorful!
  • Red onion – mince these up itty bitty if going the method by hand.
  • Garlic – use fresh garlic for the most flavor.
  • Red wine vinegar – if you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand white wine vinegar could be substituted.
  • Lemon juice – use fresh lemon juice for best flavor.
  • Salt – kosher salt, table salt or sea salt works great.
  • Red pepper flakes – if you don’t like spicy food just omit this, if you love spicy food add more to taste.
  • Olive oil – I like to use a blend of half extra virgin olive oil and half regular olive oil for a more mild oil flavor but feel free to use either or.

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How do You Make Chimichurri?

Mix and Chop by Hand Method:

  • Finely chop parsley, cilantro, oregano. Add to a mixing bowl along with all remaining ingredients. Stir well to blend.

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Food Processor Method:

  • If using a food processor no need to pre-chop herbs and you’ll only need to roughly chop onion and garlic.
  • Add red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt to a food processor.
  • Pulse, stopping and scraping down sides occasionally until finely minced.
  • Add in parsley, cilantro, oregano and red pepper flakes then pour in olive oil while pulsing several times until herb leaves are finely minced (they should have some body and texture).

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Can I Use Dried Oregano?

Fresh oregano does give the best flavor but I don’t always have it on hand so once it a while I’ll use dried oregano and it will work fine. Use 1 tsp dried in place of fresh.

How to Store it and How Long Does it Keep?

Store chimichurri in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep well for about 5 days refrigerated.

Can I Freeze It?

Yes for longer shelf life freeze it for up to 1 month. You can freeze in an ice cube tray for smaller servings if desired (transfer to an airtight container after frozen through. Thaw in refrigerator.

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Tips for the Best Chimichurri:

  • Use freshest ingredients. Don’t use limp wilting fresh herbs and skip bottled garlic or dried onion.
  • If chopping by hand finely chop the herbs so it’s not overly chunky.
  • If using a food processor don’t over-process it. It should have some body and texture it shouldn’t be pureed.
  • Use good quality olive oil for best flavor.

What Should I Serve it On?

I love chimichurri served over:

  • Steak
  • Chicken
  • Salmon
  • Shrimp
  • Veggies (potatoes and corn)
  • Or try it as a marinade.

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Chimichurri Sauce

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The only Chimichurrirecipe you'll ever need! It's incredibly vibrant and jam packed with fresh flavor. It's easy to make and it's the best upgrade to meat and poultry. One of my go-to recipes and for good reason, it will always leave you craving more! Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Servings: 8

Prep15 minutes minutes

Ready in: 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

By Hand Method

  • Finely chop parsley, cilantro, oregano, onion (should have 1/4 cup minced red onion) and garlic (1 Tbsp). Add to a mixing bowl along with all remaining ingredients. Stir to blend.

Food Processor Method

  • If using a food processor no need to pre-chop herbs and you'll only need to roughly chop onion and garlic. Add red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Pulse, stopping and scraping down sides occasionally until finely minced.

  • Add in parsley, cilantro, oregano and red pepper flakes then pour in olive oil while pulsing several times until herb leaves are finely minced (they should have some body and texture).

  • Spread over meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables or use as a marinade.

Notes

  • *To make a more authentic Argentinian Chimichurri omit the cilantro and increase parsley by an extra 1/2 cup.
  • *With all fresh herbs use mostly leaves and some tender stem.
  • **I like to use a blend half extra virgin and half regular olive oil. Either or a blend will work great.
  • ***Just use about 1/4 of a small red onion.
  • Store in refrigerator about 5 days or freeze for one month.

Nutrition Facts

Chimichurri Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 187Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 152mg7%

Potassium 65mg2%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 689IU14%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Argentine

Keyword: Chimichurri

Author: Jaclyn

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe {Most Flavorful!} - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the bitterness out of chimichurri? ›

Chimichurri can become bitter if the ingredients aren't balanced properly. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to fix bitter-tasting chimichurri. Adding more acidity, like citrus or vinegar, can counteract bitter flavors. You can also add a touch of sweetness in the form of honey or sugar.

How to make chimichurri sauce Jamie Oliver? ›

Chimichurri Sauce
  1. 2 tomatoes (scrape the seeds out, and chop fine)
  2. 1/4 to 1/2 red onion (chopped fine)
  3. 3-5 garlic cloves (chopped fine)
  4. one large handful of flat parsley (chopped fine)
  5. 1/2 cup oliver oil.
  6. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.
  7. 1 tsp ground cumin.
  8. 1 tsp chili powder.
Jun 18, 2021

What is the difference between Mexican chimichurri and Argentinian chimichurri? ›

Chimichurri is a beautiful raw sauce that is used in several Mexican and South American dishes. There are two green chimichurri sauces, a Mexican chimichurri with parsley and cilantro (like in this recipe), or the Argentinian chimichurri that uses parsley and oregano.

Does chimichurri get better with age? ›

8) To give the chimichurri an extra aromatic hit, finely chop a fresh bay leaf and mix it through the sauce before setting aside to develop the flavours. 9) The chimichurri sauce and tomato salsa get better with age. You can make both up to 2 hours ahead and store, covered, in the fridge.

What spice takes away bitterness? ›

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don't be shy. Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat. Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness. Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

How do you add bitterness to sauce? ›

Bitter spices like Fenugreek, Oregano and Turmeric can be used.

What is traditional chimichurri made of? ›

Chimichurri is a popular green or red, Spanish “raw” sauce that originated in Argentina and Uruguay and is used for both marinades and to cook in and as a condiment you add on the side of your dishes. Its ingredients are mainly chopped parsley and/or cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and spices.

How long does chimichurri need to rest? ›

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

It's important to let the chimichurri rest for at least 20 minutes before using it; this allows the garlic, fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes meld with the oil so your chimichurri is extra flavorful.

Why is my chimichurri brown? ›

Use the sharpest knife in your kitchen when making this recipe. A dull knife can pulverize the herbs making the chimichurri look kind of brown.

Is chimichurri inflammatory? ›

Health benefits: Chimichurri seasoning is made with fresh herbs, such as parsley and oregano, which are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, the garlic in chimichurri is known to have immune-boosting properties.

Does chimichurri have onion in it? ›

Authentic chimichurri verde is made with parsley, garlic, red onion, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. These simple ingredients yield a spectacularly delicious green sauce. Some chimichurri recipes call for fresh cilantro in addition to parsley.

Do you use parsley stems in chimichurri? ›

The bulk is parsley and oregano and we'll use a smaller amount of oregano as well. When you're cutting your herbs up, remember you can cut the parsley and cilantro stems and all- just give them a rough chop to measure, but for the oregano, you'll want to pull those little stems off the woody stem.

Why is my chimichurri cloudy? ›

There should be oil present on the spoon when you spoon your Chimichurri out, so make sure it's not too dry. Don't over-chop when adding the oil, as it may start to emulsify and make the final sauce cloudy.

What do you eat with chimichurri? ›

Chimichurri complements any number of meats and vegetables. Here are some of our favorite ways to use chimichurri sauce: Serve it alongside grilled steak or pork chops, roasted chicken, poached salmon or sauteed shrimp. Drizzle it over grilled vegetable kebabs or oven-roasted vegetables.

How do you get the bitter taste out of dressing? ›

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

Does vinegar cut bitterness? ›

Like salt, acids such as vinegar or lemon juice compete with bitter flavor compounds, lessening our perception of these tastes as they “brighten” remaining ones. We use vinegar to enliven the flavor of everything from soups and stews to sauces.

Why is my sauce bitter? ›

Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

How do you reduce bitterness in broth? ›

How to Fix Bitterness
  1. Add an additional ⅛ teaspoon of salt, stir, and taste.
  2. For every quart of stock you can add one chopped apple and cook the stock for an additional two hours.
  3. Try a teaspoon or two of sugar, stir it in, and taste it after two minutes.
  4. Consider adding one to four tablespoons of unsalted butter.

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