Once you try this easy chimichurri sauce recipe, you’ll be hooked! This zesty, fresh sauce is incredible with grilled meats, but honestly, I love it so much that I use it on everything!
Authentic chimichurri sauce is a fresh sauce that originated in Argentina and Uruguay. Our easy recipe takes inspiration from authentic recipes and combines fresh parsley with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and spices.
My chimichurri sauce is bright and zesty with a bit of heat. It’s absolutely perfect with grilled meat, like grilled steak, but is also excellent with shrimp, fish, veggies, chicken, and grilled bread. We’ve already shared these chimichurri chicken and our incredible chimichurri cauliflower steaks. I’ve even spooned it over my scrambled eggs and loved it!
Key Ingredients
- Parsley and Oregano: I use a generous amount of fresh parsley as the base of my chimichurri. I prefer finely chopping it by hand, but you can use a mortar and pestle or food processor. A bit of dried oregano makes this sauce more interesting. Fresh is fine, but you do not need much. See tips in the recipe below. Feel free to experiment with herbs like cilantro and mint for a different twist.
- Garlic and Shallot: I use a tablespoon of minced garlic and a medium shallot to give this sauce a bright, zesty kick. Don’t worry, the raw flavor mellows out when it mingles with the vinegar, so it won’t be overpowering.
- Chiles or Pepper Flakes: For a touch of heat, I like to use crushed red pepper flakes. If you have fresh chiles on hand, that’s even better! Red Fresno chiles add a beautiful pop of color, but jalapeno or serrano work well too. Remember to remove the seeds and membrane before mincing them for a milder heat.
- Olive Oil: This is what brings the entire sauce together, so use your favorite high-quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Vinegar: I typically use red wine vinegar, but white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar is also excellent.
How to Make Chimichurri Sauce
When making chimichurri sauce, you have two options: by hand or using a blender or food processor. I prefer the hand-chopped method, as I love the rustic texture and the ability to see all the individual ingredients shining through.
If you’re going this route, simply chop everything as finely as possible and give it a good stir. Let the sauce sit for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, and then it’s ready to serve!
For a quicker method, you can use a food processor or blender. Start by adding the garlic and shallots, pulsing until they’re chopped. Then add the parsley and pulse a few more times. Finally, add the remaining ingredients and process until a sauce forms. If you’d like a visual demonstration, you can watch my video for chimichurri cauliflower steaks.
Chimichurri is at its best the day it’s made, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. You might notice the parsley’s color dulls slightly over time, but it will still taste delicious.
Easy Chimichurri Sauce
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Chimichurri sauce livens up pretty much anything you throw at it, and you can use it 100 different ways. Try spooning it over steak, shrimp, chicken and vegetables. You can also toss it with pasta or rice. We like our sauce on the tangy, vinegary side. If you prefer things to be a bit more tame, reduce the amount of vinegar to 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 cups (50g) packed parsley leaves and tender stems
3 to 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 jalapeño or Fresno chili pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (60ml to 80ml) red wine vinegar, adjusted to taste
Directions
1Mince the garlic and shallot, and then add to a medium bowl.
2Finely chop the parsley, then add to the bowl along with the oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
3Stir, taste, and season with more salt or red pepper flakes if needed.
4Let the sauce stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
5The sauce is excellent the day you make it, but it will last a few days in your refrigerator (you might notice the color of the parsley dulls slightly).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Food processor or blender: Pulse the garlic and shallots until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes, pulsing until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then pour in the olive oil and vinegar. Pulse a few more times to combine, but avoid over-processing for the best texture. Finally, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Oregano: Use 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves as a substitute for dried.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Hiya, I’ve just made this delicious sauce, it’s standing in the fridge for now but I agree with Cindy too much red wine vinegar but I did add more garlic as I love the garlic plus I’ve added more red peppers so next time I’ll reduce the vinegar by half to see if it improves the taste plus maybe less olive oil too to suit my pallet.
So happy you gave our recipe a try! Thanks for coming back, Sue.
Made this last night. It was delicious and this is an easy recipe to doctor up with a little more garlic, spice or herbs, based on personal preferences. I now have a new condiment in my repertoire. I actually spread this on the black bean burgers and it was great. Will try this on eggs as well. Thanks
Wonderful! I love spooning this over just about everything. Glad you are experimenting, too.
Good basic recipe but too much vinegar…the parsley & pepper add enough bite so next time will use either lime juice or cut the vinegar way back
Hi Cindy, We do add a tip that some may find the vinegar too “hot.” It’s going to depend on your vinegar and what you serve it with. For example, if you spoon this over a hearty, grilled and fattier steak, the extra punch from vinegar will probably be needed. If you are going with chicken, you might want to hold back.
I just made this and it worked out so well for me! Delicious on top of my tri-tip lunch and I can’t wait to try it on other things. So easy and straight forward to follow your instructions! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Megan! Thanks for coming back.