Chimichurri Recipe (VIDEO) - NatashasKitchen.com

This traditional Chimichurri recipe is so fresh, vibrant, and loaded with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. It is excellent as a topping for Grilled Steak, Chimichurri Chicken, vegetables, shrimp, and just about anything.

It requires just a few simple ingredients and 5 minutes to make Chimichurri sauce, but the way you prepare the ingredients is key. We’re sharing all of our secrets to make the best, authentic chimichurri sauce. Watch the easy video tutorial and you’ll see just how easy it is.

Chimichurri Sauce

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What is Chimichurri Sauce?

Chimichurri is a sauce made with fresh parsley, garlic, some acidity (usually red wine vinegar), and olive oil. We also add oregano and crushed red pepper which is considered optional but they definitely elevate this sauce. It is essentially the Argentinian version of a pesto sauce. Authentic Chimichurri originates from Uruguay and Argentina and there are endless variations of chimichurri.

Chimichurri Recipe Video

Watch Natasha make this easy Chimichurri recipe, then grab the ingredients below and make this sauce. You’ll fall in love with the flavors here and it will elevate your grilling recipes.

Chimichurri Ingredients

  • Parsley – you’ll need 1 cup of finely chopped parsley which is about 1 medium bunch of parsley.
  • Garlic – adds tons of punchy flavor. Do not skimp on the garlic.
  • Extra virgin olive oil – use high-quality olive oil with tons of flavor since this sauce is not cooked.
  • Red wine vinegar – adds acidity and helps to tame the fresh garlic flavor.
  • Oregano – you can add this fresh or dried.
  • Salt – we use fine sea salt in 99% of our cooking.
  • Black pepper – freshly ground is best.
  • Red pepper flakes – adds a touch of heat and spice to the sauce
Ingredients for homemade Chimichurri recipe

How to Make Chimichurri

  1. Finely chop parsley leaves, and mince fresh garlic clove. Add both to a small bowl.
  2. Add remaining ingredients: oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes then stir to combine.
  3. Marinate – Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step by step how to make Chimichurri in mixing bowl

Tips for the Best Chimichurri

Here is our best advice for making a more authentic and traditional chimichurri sauce. Even if you’re chopping up the parsley and garlic by hand, it literally takes 5 minutes.

  • Chop by Hand – For the best flavor and texture in chimichurri, you’ll want to chop through the leaves without crushing them in a food processor.
  • Use Fresh Garlic – fresh cloves of garlic will give the chimichurri sauce the spicy kick that you expect in chimichurri. The garlic will really shine after resting at least 2 hours. Mince freshly peeled garlic cloves for the best flavor.
  • Let it Marinate – the sauce will taste best if you let it rest for at least 2 hours or even overnight. The flavors will meld and the garlic will infuse the oil.
Argentinian Chimichurri in bowl with spoon

Common Questions

How much parsley is in 1 cup of parsley?

You will need 1 bunch of fresh parsley, large stems removed, and finely chopped. Make sure to finely chop the parsley and not use the food processor.

Can I substitute the red wine vinegar?

You can substitute with white wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Can I use cilantro?

If you want to use cilantro, try using equal amounts (1/2 cup each) of cilantro and parsley.

Is Chimichurri spicy? 

The fresh garlic and red pepper flakes in this recipe are what make chimichurri seem spicy. If you prefer a milder chimichurri, omit the red pepper flakes.

Can I use a food processor?

For authentic chimichurri, we do not recommend using a food processor. It is more likely to crush or bruise your parsley whereas chopping by hand with a sharp knife will produce cleaner cuts through the herbs.

Flat leaf parsley chopped with a knife

Make-Ahead Tips

Not only is this an easy sauce to make, but you will also love that chimichurri keeps really well in the refrigerator or freezer.

  • Refrigerate – place in a mason jar or tupperware, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 week.
  • To Freeze – you can put chimichurri sauce in ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months. Once the cubes are frozen, you can transfer them to freezer-safe zip bags. Thaw before serving.
  • To Serve – The oil can solidify in the refrigerator. If that happens, bring chimichurri to room temperature before serving.
Made-ahead Chimichurri sauce in a mason jar

How to Serve Chimichurri

This is one of the most versatile sauces and here are our favorite ways to serve it. I’d love to know how you serve this Chimichurri Sauce in the comments below.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

4.97 from 64 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Chimichurri Sauce in black dish with serving spoon
This chimichurri recipe is so fresh and vibrant. It is excellent as a topping for Grilled Steak, chicken, vegetables, and just about anything.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 people as a condiment

Instructions

  • Finely chop parsley and garlic cloves with a knife (do not use a food processor) and transfer to a bowl.
  • Add remaining chimichurri ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight before serving. Store chimichurri for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Per Serving

86kcal Calories1g Carbs0.3g Protein9g Fat1g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat7g Monounsaturated Fat151mg Sodium53mg Potassium0.4g Fiber0.1g Sugar653IU Vitamin A10mg Vitamin C16mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
86
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Sodium
 
151
mg
7
%
Potassium
 
53
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Fiber
 
0.4
g
2
%
Sugar
 
0.1
g
0
%
Protein
 
0.3
g
1
%
Vitamin A
 
653
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
 
16
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Condiments, Sauce
Cuisine: Argentinian
Keyword: chimichurri recipe, chimichurri sauce
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 86

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Talia DeFalco
    April 6, 2024

    Doesn’t Chimichurri usually have cilantro too as well as parsley?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 6, 2024

      Hi Talia, that is a great question, and I hope you enjoy our take on Chimichurri. We address cilantro under the Common Questions section of the recipe post. I hope this helps.

      Reply

  • Angie
    March 26, 2024

    I made this (with ACV, no red wine vin) because we had a dinner of grilled chicken and veggies. Plus, I had a bunch of parsley to use. I loved it on everything, but especially the chicken! Adds freshness and bright flavor. Thanks!

    Reply

  • Nancy
    August 12, 2023

    So many pop-ups I can barely see the recipe very frustrating

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 12, 2023

      Hi Nancy, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.

      I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.

      Reply

  • M
    July 27, 2023

    Way too many advertisements and pop ups on this page!
    I wanted the recipe not all the other interferences

    Went on to another site

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 27, 2023

      Hi M! I’m sorry for the frustration. This is how we can continue providing free recipes to our viewers, so we cannot remove ads. You can look into installing an ad blocker for your device.

      Reply

  • peg duffy
    May 20, 2023

    i don’t have red wine vinegar, can i substitute apple cider vinegar

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 20, 2023

      Hi Peg! That would be fine. I hope you love the recipe.

      Reply

  • Ashley Hoeung
    November 8, 2022

    Hi, I could have sworn that this recipe had soy sauce in it? Now it’s red wine vinegar. Am I mistaken?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 10, 2022

      Hi Ashley, we updated the recipe to make it more authentic. The best way to look at old versions of a recipe is to go to this site and paste the url of the recipe in the search bar. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Jj
    August 31, 2022

    Very very bland. Needs more flavor, even though it’s “easy” should be good.

    Reply

  • Fran
    August 18, 2022

    Natasha, don’t know what I’d do without you. When it comes to cooking I have no imagination. Only for your recipes I’d be living on hamburger and hotdogs!. I’ve learned so much from you and have tried so many of your recipies. All delicious. Keep up the good work. Always your best fan.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 18, 2022

      Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Fran. I’m all smiles reading your lovely comment!

      Reply

  • Mariela
    August 4, 2022

    The ingredients look differently on your previous recipe that you had for the chimichurri

    Reply

  • Linda Schulman
    July 30, 2022

    Just wondering if I would be able to freeze this for using in a marinade? Thank you 😊

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 30, 2022

      Hi Linda! Yes, see my recipe note for instructions on freezing.

      Reply

  • Buddy Zaneski
    July 30, 2022

    Thanks, I’ve recently been seeking for details about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have located so far.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 30, 2022

      You’re very welcome! 🙂

      Reply

  • Lisa
    July 28, 2022

    Would water bath canning change the texture since it will “cook” for 10 mins or so?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 28, 2022

      Hi Lisa, I have not tested this to advise but I assume it would. You might check online to see if anyone has developed a good method for this.

      Reply

    • Ira Goldstein
      January 23, 2023

      Oil and garlic sauces should not be home canned, there is a possibility of botulism which can survive home canning. Don’t risk it.

      Reply

  • Mick
    July 27, 2022

    I got your cookbook from the library and the print was very, very light and in turn hard to read. Don’t know if this was just a group of books printed at one time as I love your recipes but the cookbook was difficult to read.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 27, 2022

      Hi Mick, what cookbook are you referring to? I don’t have a cookbook for sale yet, I am still working on it.

      Reply

  • Krystal
    July 26, 2022

    So easy and quick to make! Had some on my steak last night and loved it.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 26, 2022

      Good to know that you enjoyed this with your steak! Sounds delicious.

      Reply

  • Diane Cloutier
    July 25, 2022

    Hi Natasha, love the recipe but I had to make it twice. I always use the metric measurements. The US version calls for 1/2 tsp of salt, the metric version calls for 1 TBSP of salt. Needless to say I had do a redo. You might want to fix that. Thank you so much for all your recipes, you are my go to first on anything new I want to try.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 26, 2022

      Hi Diane! So glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you for letting me know, I have fixed the error. 🙂

      Reply

  • Laima
    July 24, 2022

    My husband is from Uruguay and we make often. We add a little fresh basil and lemon juice. So delicious to just dip a good bread and enjoy too.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 24, 2022

      Good to know that you also make this too!

      Reply

  • John
    July 23, 2022

    This is an authentic recipe and delicious. I’ve been making one from Uruguay for several years that is similar to Natasha’s, but it includes minced red, orange, or yellow peppers, whose colors really pop against the parley’s green.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 23, 2022

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, John!

      Reply

  • Roger
    July 23, 2022

    Just back from the store with the ingredients I didn’t have.
    Whipped it out in no time. Smells OMG ! yummy.
    Can’t wait to try it tomorrow.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 23, 2022

      I hope you LOVE it Roger!

      Reply

  • Joann
    July 22, 2022

    Do you have a peppercorn recipe sauce? I try chimichurri sauce

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 22, 2022

      No, I do not have a recipe for this, but thank you for the suggestion. 🙂

      Reply

  • Kristen
    July 22, 2022

    I made this sauce for some shrimp I was making for a party and everybody loved it. It was gone so fast I never had the chance to get any.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 22, 2022

      It sounds like you need a double batch next time! Thank you for sharing your great review, Kristen!

      Reply

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