Classic Chimichurri Sauce

Name: Classic Chimichurri Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients: 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (leaves from 1 large bunch, about 1.2 ounces—a few small stems are ok); 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste; 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 small)

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It’s grilling season! Let’s talk all about chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is a bold and refreshing herbed sauce hailing from Argentina.

There are two kinds of chimichurri sauce, green and red. This recipe is for the more common green variety (chimichurri verde).

Authentic chimichurri verde is made with parsley, garlic, red onion, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. These simple ingredients yield a spectacularly delicious green sauce.

Some chimichurri recipes call for fresh cilantro in addition to parsley. However, several Argentineans have told me that they don’t actually add cilantro in Argentina.

I took their word for it and made my chimichurri sauce with just parsley. You’ll also see some recipes with oregano, whether fresh or dried; I like it better without.

Uses for Chimichurri

Chimichurri verde is typically served on steak in Argentina and throughout South America. It’s not just for steak, though. Chimichurri sauce brightens up smoky grilled vegetables. It also goes great with mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes, no matter how they’re prepared.

I love chimichurri on scrambled or fried eggs, too, and whole grains like brown or wild rice, farro and quinoa. I think it might even be nice as a salad dressing or on grilled corn on the cob.

How to Make Chimichurri

Chimichurri is so quick and easy to make! I love how my chimichurri turns out after a whirl in my food processor.

Traditionally, chimichurri is made by hand in a mortar and pestle. I don’t have the patience or the time to make it by hand, and I think you’ll be thrilled with the results if you make it in a food processor as directed in the recipe below.

Chimichurri Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make chimichurri sauce:

Fresh flat-leaf parsley
Red onion
Garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Red pepper flakes

Please let me know how you put this delicious chimichurri recipe to use! I love to hear from you in the comments.

For more fresh, herbed sauces, don’t miss my recipes for basil pesto, tzatziki and shatta (herbed jalapeño hot sauce). You might also enjoy my favorite guacamole and green goddess hummus!

Classic Chimichurri Sauce

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 cup 1x
Category: Sauce
Method: Food processor
Cuisine: Argentine

★★★★★

4.5 from 11 reviews

You’ll love this traditional chimichurri recipe! Chimichurri verde is a popular parsley sauce in Argentina with bold, fresh flavor. It’s easy to make, too. Recipe yields 1 cup.

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Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (leaves from 1 large bunch, about 1.2 ounces—a few small stems are ok)
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
½ cup finely chopped red onion (about ½ small)

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Instructions

In a small food processor, combine the parsley and garlic. Process until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes to the food processor (don’t add the onion just yet). Process briefly to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a small jar or bowl and whisk in the red onion until the mixture is well blended. Let the sauce rest for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste, and if necessary, add additional salt (sometimes I add another ¼ teaspoon) and/or red pepper flakes (for more heat).
The sauce tastes best when served fresh, but it keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days. To prevent the sauce from turning a darker color (which doesn’t affect flavor), press plastic wrap directly against the surface before storing. If the olive oil solidifies in the refrigerator, don’t worry—let it warm up for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature and then whisk to recombine.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook and Food and Wine.

Food processor notes: If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the parsley (the finer, the better) and press or mince the garlic. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together in a bowl until blended, then add the remaining ingredients and whisk again!

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