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Packed full of herbs, extra virgin olive oil, a touch of crushed red pepper flakes, vinegar and fresh lemon juice, this easy chimichurri sauce is amazingly fresh and flavorful and absolutely perfect served on meat, chicken, fish and veggies!
I'm not going to claim this recipe is authentic, it's not. Traditional chimichurri sauce from Argentina is made with just parsley - I like a sauce made of fresh parsley, fresh cilantro and fresh basil (you could even add herbs like fresh oregano if you'd like) with a touch of fresh lemon juice.
The flavors are so tart and delicious, we just couldn't get enough. The tartness from the vinegar and freshness from the herbs is just perfect and we LOVE this sauce served over grilled meats like this grilled flank steak or this sous vide steak.
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Why this easy chimichurri sauce works
- The herbs give the sauce an incredibly fresh flavor - the perfect condiment to serve with heavier meat dishes and seafood like sous vide short ribs.
- The red wine vinegar and lemon juice (non-traditional) add the perfect tangy flavor to complement the herbs.
- A good quality olive oil and fresh cloves of garlic and shallots really brings the flavors home.
- A touch of dried chili flakes adds the perfect amount of heat - and can be adjusted depending on your preference!
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Ingredients to make chimichurri sauce
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This 5 minute chimichurri recipe is made with parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic, shallots, red wine vinegar, hot chilies and lemon juice.
Finely chopped herbs: We use parsley, basil, and cilantro in this recipe. When making chimichurri, always use fresh herbs.
Olive oil: I always recommend using the best quality olive oil you can afford here. Because olive oil is such a big part of the sauce, one that tastes good is important to the overall flavor.
Red wine vinegar: Again, a good quality red wine vinegar is going to be best as it imparts a lot of flavor to the sauce.
Seasonings: A touch of red pepper flakes, a little coconut sugar (you can substitute brown sugar or honey if needed as well) for just a hint of sweet, and some salt to bring all the flavors together and make them pop.
Step by step instructions to make this recipe
This is going to one of the easiest things you've ever made.
Step 1: Combine the garlic, shallot, lemon juice and vinegar in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes (this is an optional step - leave it out if you're in a hurry). This step helps to take the bite out of the shallots and garlic before we blend it all together.
Step 2: Next step is to add all ingredients (except olive oil) to a food processor and blend together. Don't blend it too much as we want the sauce to be slightly chunky.
Step 3: Stir in the olive oil at the end (not using the food processor) and let it sit for about 15 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld together. Serve at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Wash the herbs thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Always use fresh lemon juice and a good quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Don't use dried herbs - fresh herbs should always be used when making chimichurri.
- I don't recommend substituting the red wine vinegar. However, if you HAVE to, substitute it with white wine vinegar.
- For a spicier sauce, add more red chilies or chili flakes.
- Don't blend the sauce until totally smooth, you want it to be slightly chunky.
- You can experiment with different herbs like oregano, thyme, etc.
How to use chimichurri sauce
- Can be used as a marinade or a sauce, and is great on meats and chicken - try it on these Brazilian chicken thighs or this sous vide picanha.
- While it may seem different, chimichurri is great on tacos - try it on these pork belly tacos or this sous vide carnitas!
- Serve it on vegetables like roasted frozen broccoli, oven fried squash, air fryer french fries or sous vide potatoes.
- Try it over air fryer garlic bread, drizzle it over some pasta or rice, or even serve it on your air fryer baked potato!
Frequently asked questions
If you use too much parsley or purchase older parsley, you may end up with a bitter taste. If that happens, you can balance it out by adding more vinegar and lemon juice, and perhaps a touch more sugar if you're still finding it is bitter.
Basically, chimichurri does not have nuts or cheese, while pesto is made with herbs, nuts, and cheese and has a creamier texture with nuttiness and slight sweetness that is typically served over pasta like this creamy pesto pasta. Chimichurri is made with vinegar to provide a tartness and is often used as a sauce for meat and chicken.
I recommend letting the chimichurri rest for about 15-20 minutes before using it to give time for the flavors to meld together.
Chimichurri can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for 2-3 weeks. Let it come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving it.
To freeze chimichurri, I recommend putting the sauce in an ice cube tray and freezing individual cubes. Once frozen, the cubes can be stored in a freezer bag. You can freeze the sauce in larger airtight containers as well. It will keep it's flavor in the freezer for about 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and serve at room temperature.
More chimichurri recipes
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Recipe
Easy Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves smashed or roughly chopped
- 2 shallots sliced or roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup fresh cilantro packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley packed
- ½ cup fresh basil packed
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (red chili flakes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coconut sugar substitute honey or brown sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, shallots, lemon and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. This step is optional, but will add a slightly better flavor to your sauce.
- Combine all remaining ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor and blend until a sauce forms. Don't blend until totally smooth, you want some chunks in the sauce.
- Stir in the olive oil at the end (not using the food processor) and let it sit for about 15 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld together. Serve at room temperature.
Expert Tips:
- Wash the herbs thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Always use fresh lemon juice and a good quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Don't use dried herbs - fresh herbs should always be used when making chimichurri.
- I don't recommend substituting the red wine vinegar. However, if you HAVE to, substitute it with white wine vinegar.
- For a spicier sauce, add more red chilies or chili flakes.
- Don't blend the sauce until totally smooth, you want it to be slightly chunky.
- You can experiment with different herbs like oregano, thyme, etc.
Nutrition
Barbara
Not a fan of parsley, can I cut down or omit totally? Can I use brown sugar?
Danielle
Parsley is one of the main ingredients, however, you can replace it with cilantro if you like cilantro. You can certainly use brown sugar. Let me know how it comes out!
Marvellina
This sauce loks so refreshingly good Danielle.
Danielle
Thanks Marv! It's the perfect light and fresh sauce for steak IMO 🙂
Susie
I can't wait to make this! I want to grill some flank steak and smother it in this sauce! Pinning now.
Danielle
Do it Susie! It's just so good smothered on steak 🙂
Amanda
I love chimchurri sauce, and your version looks so good! I’m trying to grill as much as possible these last days of summer, so I’ll definitely have to make a batch next time I throw some flank steak in the grill.
Danielle
It's soooo delicious on a grilled flank steak.
Cindy Gordon
Let's be honest, you had me at the 5 minutes! Phew, that sauce is delicious and easy! Thanks for sharing and I do truly love how easy and quick it is!
Danielle
LOL, right? That's the best part about chimichurri -it's quick and easy!
Kelly Anthony
We love chimichurri at our house. Thank you for your freezer tips, I know that will come in handy.
Danielle
Anything to make life a little easier 🙂
Catherine Brown
I'm super excited to make this! We love chimichurri sauce and each one is slightly different. This one is so vibrant and looks delicious!
Danielle
Thanks catherine - I hope you like this version 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo
This sauce looks fantastic, I have never had anything like this and I know I will love this!
Danielle
Thanks Claudia!
Thao Williams
This chimichurri sauce looks divine, Danielle! I can eat by the spoonful!! I need to make this! Pinned.
Danielle
Thanks Thao! It's so addictively good!