This Chimichurri Sauce Recipe is so fresh and flavorful! A mixture of delicious herbs, tangy vinegar, and spicy pepper flakes, you’ll love the zesty, garlicky taste of this popular sauce.
If you love Chimichurri sauce, then try it on your favorite proteins, like on this our cast iron ribeye steak or grilled cedar plank salmon.
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Chimichurri sauce is a green Argentinian sauce that is commonly used for grilled meats like steak and grilled fish. It gets its vibrant green color from the parsley, cilantro, and fresh oregano, which are also the components that make this sauce taste so fresh. Some even say it tastes like grass (but in a good way!). It is also quite a strong tasting sauce due to the pepper flakes and garlic that are blended into it. We love to serve this over our juicy grilled chicken kabobs and pork shashlik (VIDEO).
What this sauce is made of
Chimichurri is commonly mistaken for pesto. However, the difference is that pesto is made with basil and pairs well with pizzas and pasta salads, while chimichurri is made with cilantro and oregano and goes well with meat and fish.
- Parsley, Cilantro, and Oregano- these add an incredibly fresh taste to the sauce
- Red Pepper Flakes- this makes it a little spicy
- Cumin- complements the other herbs, rounding out the flavor
- Salt & Pepper- season to taste
- Garlic cloves- adds a pungent, garlicky flavor
- White wine vinegar- adds tanginess
- Olive oil- the smooth base for the sauce
How to make this Chimichurri sauce recipe
1. Blend the herbs and spices. Place the parsley, oregano, cilantro, red pepper, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until the different ingredients are a uniform size and consistency.
2. Add the vinegar. Add the vinegar to the blender and mix until it has been fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
3. Then add the oil. Pour the olive oil into the blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.
4. Serve. Serve this sauce on top of or on the side of your favorite dishes, like this salmon or this ribeye steak. And you can also serve it over a juicy prime rib roast along with creamy mashed potatoes!
How long does it last
This sauce recipe will last for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. It needs to be kept in the fridge to keep the fresh herbs used to make it from spoiling.
Does chimichurri freeze well
Yes, you can freeze this sauce. If you have leftover chimichurri, then pour it into ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can place the cubes in a ziplock freezer bag. Defrost only the amount you need. This frozen sauce will last for up to 3 months.
Why is my chimichurri sauce bitter
Chimichurri sauce can taste bitter either because the parsley has a bitter taste and tainted the sauce, or because the oil was over-mixed. Because of the composition of oil, if you mix it at too high a speed, then the polyphenols break away from the fatty acids, resulting in a bitter taste in your chimichurri.
To avoid any bitterness, test your parsley to make sure it is not bitter before blending it and mix your oil into the sauce ingredients at a low speed.
Full Recipe Instructions
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian parsley compacted
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 cup cilantro compacted
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place parsley, oregano, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic in a blender or food processor.
- Add the white wine vinegar and blend.
- Add the olive oil and blend until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on June 13, 2016, but we have tweaked it a bit since then to improve the recipe.
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Anna says
Hmm, I’ve heard of chimichurri but have never tried it. What does it typically go with?
simplyhomecooked says
Chimichurri goes really well with grilled meats and fish 🙂