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Chimichurri is the bright, garlicky green sauce that makes any grilled steak taste like a steakhouse, and it comes together in one quick whirl of the food processor. I keep a jar in the fridge all summer long to spoon over everything from ribeyes to roasted veggies, and it is the fresh, herby answer to our London broil marinade.
Fresh parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and good olive oil blend into a punchy sauce in under ten minutes.
Chimichurri Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 8 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 8 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 1.5 cups
- ⚡ Calories: 149kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Bright, herby, garlicky, and tangy
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, no cooking required, on par with our London broil marinade
Quick Answer
To make chimichurri, add fresh parsley, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper to a food processor or powerful blender. Rough chop a few garlic cloves and toss them in, then start pulsing while you slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until the mixture becomes a thick, spoonable paste. Taste and adjust the salt, then let the sauce rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours so the garlic mellows and the flavors meld together. Spoon it over grilled steak, chicken, roasted vegetables, or warm crusty bread.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Bright and fresh. Raw parsley and garlic keep the flavor lively and herby, the way real chimichurri should taste.
- No cooking required. Everything goes into one food processor, so there is no stove and no cleanup beyond a single bowl.
- Even better the next day. Resting overnight lets the garlic mellow and the flavors meld into a deeper, more balanced sauce.
- Goes with everything. Spoon it over steak, chicken, fish, roasted vegetables, eggs, or bread for instant flavor.
- Ready in minutes. From cutting board to fridge, this sauce takes under ten minutes of hands-on time.
- Naturally simple. Just herbs, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil, with no additives or anything you cannot pronounce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh parsley, garlic, and good olive oil blend into a bright, punchy sauce in minutes.
- It is completely no-cook and keeps in the fridge for over a week, ready whenever you fire up the grill.
- It turns a simple steak into a steakhouse dinner, like our air fryer ribeye steak.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of fresh, simple ingredients come together for this bright Argentinian sauce.
- Fresh parsley: Flat-leaf parsley is the herby green base, so use a full, loosely packed cup of leaves.
- Garlic: Raw garlic gives chimichurri its signature punchy bite, mellowing as the sauce rests.
- Red wine vinegar: Adds the tangy acidity that brightens the sauce and cuts through rich grilled meats.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A good fruity oil carries all the flavor and gives the sauce its rich body.
- Salt and pepper: Season and balance everything, so taste and adjust after the sauce has rested.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this chimichurri your own with a few easy swaps and add-ins.
- Add cilantro: Use half parsley and half cilantro for a fresher, more herbaceous twist.
- Make it spicy: Stir in red pepper flakes or a finely chopped fresh red chili for heat.
- Add oregano: A teaspoon of fresh or dried oregano gives a more classic Argentinian flavor.
- Chop by hand: Finely mince everything with a knife for a more rustic, textured sauce.
- Use it as a marinade: Thin it with extra oil and use it like our London broil marinade on steak or chicken.
How to Make Chimichurri
- Add the parsley, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper to a food processor or powerful blender, then rough chop the garlic cloves and toss them in.
- Pulse while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until it forms a thick paste, then let it rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours and adjust the seasoning to taste before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use flat-leaf parsley for the best flavor, since it is more robust and less bitter than curly parsley.
- Do not over-blend, pulse just until you have a thick, slightly chunky paste rather than a smooth puree.
- Let it rest at least 24 hours so the raw garlic mellows and the flavors have time to meld together.
- Use a good olive oil, since it makes up most of the sauce and carries all of the flavor.
- Pat the herbs dry before blending, because excess water can dilute the sauce and shorten its shelf life.
- Bring it to room temperature before serving, as the olive oil firms up in the fridge, just like with our air fryer ribeye steak.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chimichurri was made for grilled meats, so spoon it generously over steak, chicken, pork, or fish. It is incredible drizzled over a juicy air fryer ribeye steak or brushed onto grilled steak kabobs right off the heat.
Do not stop at meat, though. Chimichurri is fantastic spooned over roasted or grilled vegetables, swirled into scrambled eggs, dolloped on roasted potatoes, stirred into grain bowls, or simply scooped up with warm crusty bread.
Store leftover chimichurri in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it in an ice cube tray for longer storage. For another easy way to dress up dinner, try our brown sugar grilled pork chops next.
Chimichurri FAQs
Chimichurri is a fresh, uncooked green sauce from Argentina made with finely chopped parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, often with oregano and chili flakes. It is traditionally served with grilled meats, especially steak, where its bright, garlicky, tangy flavor cuts through the richness of the beef. There is also a red version made with tomatoes and red peppers, but the classic green chimichurri is the most popular.
Classic chimichurri is more tangy and garlicky than spicy, with just a mild kick from raw garlic. Many recipes add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a fresh chili for gentle heat, but you control exactly how much goes in. If you prefer no heat at all, simply leave the chili out, and if you love spice, add more to taste.
Stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, chimichurri keeps well for about one week. The flavor actually improves after the first 24 hours as the garlic mellows and the ingredients meld. The olive oil may firm up and look cloudy when chilled, which is completely normal, just let the sauce come to room temperature and give it a stir before serving.
Yes, chimichurri freezes very well. Spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag for up to three months. This way you can thaw just the amount you need to drop onto a hot steak or stir into a sauce. Thaw the cubes in the fridge or at room temperature and stir before using.
Chimichurri is most famous with grilled steak, but it pairs with so much more. Try it on grilled or roasted chicken, pork, fish, and shrimp, or spoon it over roasted vegetables, potatoes, eggs, and grain bowls. It also makes a wonderful sandwich spread or dip for crusty bread, and you can even thin it out to use as a marinade.
Traditional chimichurri uses flat-leaf parsley, which gives a fresh, peppery, grassy flavor. Swapping in cilantro, or using half parsley and half cilantro, makes the sauce brighter and more citrusy, leaning toward a Latin American style. Both are delicious, so the choice comes down to taste, and you can always blend the two herbs together for the best of both.
Love a good cookout sauce? Try our grilled steak kabobs next for another easy, flavor-packed grilling favorite.
Pair the skewers with creamy mashed sweet potatoes for an easy dinner.
Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 1 cup parsley leaves loosely packed
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except the garlic and olive oil into a food processor or powerful blender.1 cup parsley leaves, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Rough chop the garlic and toss that in.3 garlic cloves
- Start pulsing the mixture and drizzle in the olive oil until it is a thick paste.3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Let this sit in the fridge at least 24 hours before using. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Start with a smaller amount of extra-virgin olive oil and add more if needed. You can always thin it out, but it’s hard to take oil away once it’s in there.
- A pinch of kosher salt or black pepper can change the sauce completely. Add a little, taste, then add more if you need to.
- Drizzle it on skirt steak, use it as a BBQ sauce alternative, or even turn it into a salad dressing by whisking in a little more vinegar.
- If you like spicy food, don’t be shy about tossing in more red pepper flakes or diced chili.
- If the sauce looks dull after a few days, stir in a little bit of fresh parsley or oregano. That helps bring the color and flavor back.
- If you prefer a chunkier sauce, go easy on the bowl of a food processor. Or just grab a sharp knife and chop everything by hand.
Nutrition
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