Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (2024)

You are here:Home Recipe Index Barbecue Sauces

Mary

4.55 from 51 votes

Sep 25, 2022, Updated Feb 23, 2024

Jump to Recipe

This super easy Chimichurri Sauce recipe is made in the food processor with fresh herbs and comes together in under 5 minutes. It’s fantastic over grilled meats and vegetables!

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (2)

Recipe Highlights

  • We make it for catering events all the time and serve with grilled steak as an alternative to BBQ sauce and it’s always a HIT.
  • You can use Chimichurri sauce as a salad dressing or it makes a great marinade.
  • This green sauce can be made with any protein or you can modify ingredients, like our Jalapeño Chimichurri.

Growing up I remember my folks using A-1 or other similar steak sauce to douse over grilled steaks. Not my thing these days. A good steak doesn’t need much to jazz it up. That being said, I simply cannot resist a good authentic chimichurri sauce drizzled over some grilled or smoked meats!

And while steak can be great on its own, chimichurri sauce can do wonders for beef, chicken, pork, fish, and so much more! One of the most popular dishes we serve at Ember & Vine catering events is Smoked Tri Tip served with Chimichurri Sauce. It’s popular for a good reason. It’s damn delicious, that’s why!

Table of Contents

  • Recipe Highlights
  • What is Chimichurri Sauce made of?
  • What to Serve Chimichurri Sauce on
  • How to Store Chimichurri Sauce
  • Hand Chopping
  • Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

What is Chimichurri Sauce made of?

Chimichurri sauce may look like an Argentinian version of pesto of sorts, but it’s quite different (and made without any nuts). It’s more of a salsa or sauce originating from South America, but without tomatoes.

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (3)

The classic version is a mix of simple ingredients. The important part is making sure they are fresh ingredients.

  • fresh parsley – Use flat leaf parsley versus curly parsley for better texture and the best flavor. It’s the main herb and important to be fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves.
  • shallots (or red onion)
  • cloves of garlic
  • fresh oregano
  • red pepper flakes – You can adjust the heat level by increasing or decreasing the dried red chili peppers. This recipe is low heat.
  • red wine vinegar – You can substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar depending on how much vinegar flavor you want.
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional: You can add fresh cilantro if you like the flavor. Simply sub out some of the parsley for cilantro based on your personal preference.

There are certainly variations, but this is its most basic form. Traditionally you would hand chop everything and layer it together.But you can also can take a little help from the food processor (like I do for large catering events) and toss everything in to let it do it’s thang!

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (4)

Using the food processor you can make a big batch of chimichurri sauce in under 5 minutes. The difference in flavor between hand chopping and food processing is minimal. Nobody will ever know by taste! Boom.

Tip: If you want that classic hand chopped look, but still want a shortcut, pulse all of the dry ingredients in the food processor, then transfer to a bowl and slowly mix in the wet ingredients.

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (5)

What to Serve Chimichurri Sauce on

  • Grilled steak of any kind
  • Picanha Steak
  • Smoked beef, especially Smoked Tri Tip
  • Grilled Chicken
  • Grilled Fish (great on Cod) or with shrimp skewers
  • Reverse Seared Pork Chops
  • And so much more (I’m not kidding, I even serve it on scrambled eggs)
Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (6)

How to Store Chimichurri Sauce

Place in a sealed glass container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you pull it back out it may harden up due to the oil, but it will soften back when you leave it out for a few minutes at room temperature.

Hand Chopping

If you don’t have a food processor, or prefer a chunkier style of Chimichurri, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Prepare a medium bowl. Start by hand chopping the parsley, garlic, shallots, and oregano and add to the bowl. Then add the salt, pepper, and red chili pepper flakes.
  2. Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Stir, and then add slowly stir in olive oil until you get your desired texture. You don’t want too much oil as it will become too wet. Stop adding oil when the consistency becomes paste-like.

For a variation on this chimichurri sauce recipe try our jalapeño chimichurri sauce as well.

*This recipe was updated from this post in 2014 with new pictures and content. The recipe remains the same.

If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (7)

4.55 from 51 votes

Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

By Mary Cressler | Vindulge

Super easy homemade chimichurri sauce recipe made in the food processor and comes together in under 5 minutes. Great on grilled meats and vegetables!

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1 cup

Save RecipePin RecipeRate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh Italian parsley, loosely packed
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped , (dry works okay too, but fresh is more fragrant)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • ½ – ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients except olive oil in the food processor and pulse a few times until everything starts to break up.

  • Start slowly adding the olive oil. Start with just ½ cup, and then slowly add more and pulse a few more times.Don't puree, just a few pulses will do. If it’s too thick add more olive oil until you get to your desired consistency.

    Serve over grilled or smoked beef, chicken, pork, fish, and even vegetables.

Video

Notes

Chef’s tip: If you want that classic hand chopped look, but still want a shortcut, pulse all of the dry ingredients in the food processor, then transfer to a bowl and slowly mix in the wet ingredients.

Hand Chopping – If you don’t have a food processor, or prefer a chunkier style of Chimichurri, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Prepare a large bowl. Start by hand chopping the parsley, garlic, shallots, and oregano and add to the bowl. Then add the salt, pepper, and red chili pepper flakes.
  2. Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Stir, and then add slowly stir in olive oil until you get your desired texture. You don’t want too much oil as it will become too wet. Stop adding oil when the consistency becomes paste-like.

Nutrition

Calories: 1062kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 109g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 79g | Sodium: 2404mg | Potassium: 914mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 10227IU | Vitamin C: 179mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 11mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American, Argentinian

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 1062

Keyword: chimichurri, chimichurri ideas, Chimichurri Sauce in the Food Processor, chimichurri Sauce Recipe, Easy Chimichurri Sauce

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Categorized as:

Barbecue Sauces, Food, Popular Posts, Recipes

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (8)

Vindulge

About Mary

I'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, founder of Vindulge, and author of Fire + Wine cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!

About Me

You May Also Like:

Poultry

BBQ Turkey Meatballs (on an Actual Smoker)

Poultry

Delicious Smoked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Pizza

Sourdough Pepperoni Pizza Recipe

Pizza

Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe

Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a chimichurri sauce made of? ›

Chimichurri sauce hails from Uruguay and Argentina. It's commonly made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, finely chopped parsley, and dried or fresh oregano.

How long is homemade chimichurri? ›

How long does chimichurri sauce last? Shelf life: Chimichurri evolves in its flavor as it ages. The fresh stage lasts about 2 to 3 weeks when refrigerated, and about 7 days if not.

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.

What is chimichurri good with? ›

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.

What is chimichurri seasoning? ›

3 tablespoons dried oregano leaves. 3 tablespoons dried basil leaves. 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes. 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves. 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt.

What is similar to chimichurri sauce? ›

Picture chermoula as being somewhat similar in nature to chimichurri, the popular Argentinian herb sauce. Both have a base of olive oil and fresh herbs (commonly parsley and cilantro), and are flavored with garlic and red pepper flakes.

Does homemade chimichurri go bad? ›

Dried-herb chimichurri can last up to a week unrefrigerated and 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. For a shortcut, consider our dried Chimichurri Spice Blend, which needs just olive oil, salt and vinegar to make a long-lasting sauce.

Why is my chimichurri brown? ›

Recipe Tips

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.

Why is my chimichurri watery? ›

Don't over-puree the ingredients, and you will have a wonderful homemade chimichurri. Make sure the herbs aren't wet – After washing your herbs, make sure to dry them thoroughly. Excess water will make the sauce watery and less flavorful, and the oil and water won't mix.

Why does my chimichurri taste bitter? ›

One possible cause is an overuse of parsley stems or garlic, which can have a slightly bitter taste. Another reason could be the use of spoiled ingredients. So, make sure you use fresh ingredients and stick to the listed amount in the recipe.

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.

Does chimichurri go bad? ›

Chimichurri sauce can go bad when not refrigerated. It's made from fresh herbs, which don't have a long shelf life to begin with. The best part of Chimichurri is the fresh flavors, so you want to serve it as fresh as possible, anyway.

What meat do you eat with chimichurri? ›

An essential part of Argentinian cuisine, Chimichurri Sauce is steadily growing in popularly throughout the rest of the world - with good reason! It's fresh, zingy with a bit of a bite, and pairs so perfectly with a simple grilled steak. It's also fantastic with fish, chicken and pork!

How healthy is chimichurri? ›

And from a health standpoint, chimichurri is loaded with good-for-you benefits, including calcium, carotenes, iron, and vitamins A and C (from the parsley) and calcium, fiber, iron, and vitamins E and K (from the oregano), as well as heart-healthy garlic and the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, which may help to ...

What vegetables go well with chimichurri? ›

You can use whatever vegetables you want and love on the grill. I've got eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. They're grilled as simply as possible, with just a coating of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

What does chimichurri taste like? ›

The tang of the vinegar combined with herbs (usually parsley and/or cilantro, but often oregano too), punchy fresh garlic and mellow olive oil creates something like the perfect dinner party in your mouth: interesting and balanced—with no single element dominating the conversation.

Why do they call it chimichurri? ›

The origin of its name is uncertain, though it is probably derived from the Basque tximitxurri, which means something like “a hodgepodge.” It has long since been internationalized, however, with a taste that reflects the manifold flavours brought by immigrants from different European countries.

How is chimichurri different from pesto? ›

Pesto is an Italian sauce made with basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil. Chimichurri is an Argentine sauce made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and red chili peppers or flakes. Chimichurri doesn't contain nuts or cheese. Basil pesto is smooth, salty, and slightly nutty.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rob Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 5596

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rob Wisoky

Birthday: 1994-09-30

Address: 5789 Michel Vista, West Domenic, OR 80464-9452

Phone: +97313824072371

Job: Education Orchestrator

Hobby: Lockpicking, Crocheting, Baton twirling, Video gaming, Jogging, Whittling, Model building

Introduction: My name is Rob Wisoky, I am a smiling, helpful, encouraging, zealous, energetic, faithful, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.