Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Chimichurri Sauce is an oil-based, vegan sauce, made with lots of parsley, garlic, herbs, spices, and red and green chile for some heat. A colorful and flavorful sauce that pairs well with grilled meats, salads, sandwiches, or simply served as a dip! Ready in minutes, this is one of our all-time favorite sauces!

Authentic Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Chimichurri Sauce comes from Argentina where people encourage making homemade food and where serving it is a sign of affection. It is a tradition for them to pass on family recipes. While this sauce is available in bottles, there is no need to buy those processed ones! You can make your own with this recipe, it is not complicated at all. All you need is a few ingredients and 10 minutes.

After I perfect any recipe, I record it and save it to hand down to my kids so they can hand it down to their kids and so on. I love the tradition of passing on family recipes and I still have many from my great-great-grandmother. Although it’s true, I have changed a few things to update them to my preferences.

The fun thing about this sauce is that it goes great with just about any dish. I like to use it as a condiment when I make ribeyes or strip steaks but my family loves it on top of chicken breasts too. Using it as a dip for veggies, crackers, and chips is also delicious. It is slightly spicy from the red pepper flakes and chilies but mellow enough to spread on sandwiches.

This sauce is similar to salsa verde but it has dried oregano and chilies in it while salsa verde has capers and anchovies so it is saltier. If you want it less spicy, leave out one of the chilies, and for more heat, add some cayenne pepper or jalapenos. With this authentic recipe, you get the true Argentinian taste you love that is better than you can get at any restaurant or grocery store.

Whether you are making it to use as a condiment, sandwich spread, or dip, chimichurri sauce is perfect for any use. My husband loves it with veggies or chicken wings as an appetizer for game day too! Try it on my lemon chimichurri pork chops recipe for an amazing dinner tonight.

The ingredients for chimichurri sauce

You will only need a handful of ingredients to make this scrumptious sauce including:

• Olive oil – The base of the sauce, I use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for a light and mild taste.
• Red wine vinegar – Another base for this sauce, this robust and vibrant vinegar adds some grape tanginess and covers any bitterness you may get from the herbs.   
• Garlic cloves – Using freshly minced garlic cloves will give your chimichurri sauce a slightly sweet and rich garlicky flavor. 
• Medium red chile – This chile is sweet, rather than spicy with just a tiny kick to it.
• Small green chile – Although it is mildly spicy, the flavor is described as more pungent like an onion with a crisp and smokey taste.
• Parsley – Adds a peppery clean flavor with a slight taste of earthiness.
• Dried thyme – As a member of the mint family, this herb gives your sauce a bit of a minty taste with a woodsy floral background.
• Fresh oregano – Similar to marjoram but not as sweet, fresh oregano has a spicy and bold flavor profile. A little goes a long way!
• Red pepper flakes – Made with cayenne, jalapeno, and bell peppers, adding this to your sauce will give it a kick with some sweetness.
• Salt – To balance out all the other flavors. 
• Ground black pepper – Freshly ground is best for the freshest-tasting sauce.

How to make the best chimichurri sauce?

Chop it all up

The first thing to do is to deseed and rinse the peppers. Use disposable kitchen gloves to prevent getting the spicy oil in your eyes. It burns, take it from me! Then, finely chop them and the parsley, garlic, and oregano.

Mix it all up

Now, pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar into a medium mixing bowl and whisk well. Then, add the veggies, herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Let it sit for 15 minutes to release all of the flavors.

Chill

Finally, chill the sauce in a covered jar in the fridge for two to 24 hours before using or serving.

Expert tip

Using chimichurri sauce as a marinade

Besides being a topping, condiment, dip, or sandwich spread, chimichurri sauce is also a wonderful flavorful marinade. You can use it for seafood like salmon or try it with chicken, beef, pork, or turkey. It pairs well with any meat or seafood because the flavors are so versatile.

To marinade steaks, let the chimichurri sauce chill for at least three hours. If marinating seafood, only marinate for one hour. Then, add it to a freezer bag or airtight container. Then, put the steaks into the baggie or container and shake it to cover the entire thing. After, chill it again for one to two hours. The red wine vinegar will tenderize the meat because it is an acid and the flavors that it soaks up are incredible.

For an authentic chicken chimichurri dish, add boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts to a baggie or container with the sauce and shake. Let it chill for two hours and then transfer it to a pan and cook it on the stove over medium heat for five minutes per side. You can also cook it on the grill.

Recipe Variations:

• Red chimichurri – Simply add tomatoes and paprika to the mix. 
• Chimichurri aioli – Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and pulse until fully combined. 
• No heat: Those who do not like spicy food would appreciate you leaving out the red pepper flakes and green chile. It will still taste delicious.
• More herbs and spices: For even more flavor, experiment with your other favorite herbs and spices such as cilantro, rosemary, smoked paprika, or dill.
• Sweeten it up: Add a tablespoon of brown sugar or honey for a rich sweet taste.
• Make it creamy: Make creamy chimichurri by adding some mayo for a mild and creamier-tasting sauce.

Serving suggestions:

You can use this flavorful chimichurri sauce with just about anything. Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions.

• Drizzle chimichurri sauce over grilled veggies for an intensely delicious side dish.
• This sauce is delicious on any grilled meat, I especially like chimichurri grilled chicken.
• I think my favorite way to use chimichurri is as a sauce for steak. Sometimes I put it on them before serving but a lot of times I just set out a bowl of sauce for a dip with steak bites. That way everyone can get how much they want.
• Spread some of this delicious sauce on French bread and broil it to make a unique garlic bread.
• Add it to pasta for a light meal with some breadsticks. Try it with my scrumptious instant pot feta pasta recipe.
• Serve as an appetizer with veggies like broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrot and celery sticks, and crackers.
• This is an extremely versatile dip that you can serve as a side to our other recipes like the Grilled Chicken Wings, or Grilled Pork Tenderloin.
• Use chimichurri sauce to flavor scrambled eggs or on top of fried eggs for an amazing breakfast.

Frequently asked questions

What is chimichurri sauce?

This uncooked sauce originates from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay and has been found all over Latin America for many years. Today, you can find it all over the world. It is made with olive oil, vinegar, oregano, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley, and often has lemon juice and chiles. In Argentina, there is a red variety with red chiles and a green variety with green chiles. My recipe has both!

How can I thicken my sauce?

If you add too much olive oil or vinegar, your sauce can turn out runnier than it should be. This makes it difficult to use as a topping and it will not stick as well as a dip. If you want a thicker sauce, use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin. If it is already made and turns out runny, add a teaspoon of cornstarch to a small saucepan with some water and heat, stirring, until it is dissolved. Then, add it to the sauce and stir well.

Is chimichurri a pesto?

Although they are both made with olive oil and garlic, pesto is an Italian sauce that contains pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and basil. In contrast, chimichurri sauce is from Argentina and is made with red pepper flakes, chiles, vinegar, and parsley. The pesto is saltier and not spicy but they are both incredible on pasta, salads, sandwiches, and meats.

Why is my chimichurri sauce bitter?

Chimichurri can become bitter if the ingredients are not balanced properly. However, it is easy to fix by adding more vinegar or some kind of citrus. Lemon or lime juice will work wonderfully. If you would like it sweeter, add some honey or sugar too. Anything to balance out the herbs and lessen the bitterness.

What does chimichurri sauce taste like?

This Argentine chimichurri recipe is full of flavors because it is made with fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley, and fresh oregano combined with a strong savory garlic flavor making it peppery, refreshing, and earthy. With a bit of tanginess from the vinegar, and heat from the chilis and red pepper flakes.

Is chimichurri sauce healthy?

Yes! It has no dairy, no gluten, and no sugar. Also, it is both keto-friendly and paleo-friendly. All the ingredients are nutritious and beneficial for health. This nutritious blend is rich in antioxidants as well as omega 3 from all the olive oil. Also, you get a lot of benefits from the garlic and parsley which have anti-microbial properties.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: In a glass jar with a lid, chimichurri sauce can be refrigerated for up to 14 days. 
• Freezing: To freeze, put it in small individual freezer bags so you only have to thaw what you need. It can stay frozen for up to 90 days.   
• Defrost: You can thaw in the fridge overnight for the best flavor.
• Reheating: If you want your sauce warm, microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

More homemade sauce recipes:

Recipe Tips:

• Add some cilantro to boost flavor and add more chilis if you want it spicier.
• In addition, feel free to use the food processor to spare you the time of chopping the ingredients.
• For freezing smaller amounts of chimichurri sauce, put it into an ice cube tray and then wrap it with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag.
• Always wear disposable kitchen gloves when handling peppers, chiles, or anything else that is spicy so you do not get it into your eyes.
• As a marinade, you can simply put this in a bag along with the meat and refrigerate for a few hours (if for seafood, limit marinating time to one hour).
• Do not reuse any sauce you have used as a marinade or any sauce you have used for a dip.
• Remember, the longer you let your chimichurri sauce rest and chill, the more flavorful it will be so try to make it in advance.