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.
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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
How to Make Chimichurri
- Finely chop parsley leaves, and mince fresh garlic clove. Add both to a small bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients: oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes then stir to combine.
- Marinate – Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
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.
Common Questions
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.
You can substitute with white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
If you want to use cilantro, try using equal amounts (1/2 cup each) of cilantro and parsley.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Steak – Add sauce over sliced Carne Asada, or Pan-Seared Steak.
- Chicken – Chimichurri Chicken will become your new favorite.
- Salmon – brush over Grilled Salmon and even Grilled Shrimp.
- Pork – top Grilled Pork Chops with sauce
- Potatoes – Drizzle over Roasted Potatoes or Boiled Potatoes.
- Vegetables – spoon over grilled vegetables or roasted vegetables.
Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, (from 1 bunch parsley)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano, or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
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.
Doesn’t Chimichurri usually have cilantro too as well as parsley?
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.
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!
So many pop-ups I can barely see the recipe very frustrating
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.
Way too many advertisements and pop ups on this page!
I wanted the recipe not all the other interferences
Went on to another site
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.
i don’t have red wine vinegar, can i substitute apple cider vinegar
Hi Peg! That would be fine. I hope you love the recipe.
Hi, I could have sworn that this recipe had soy sauce in it? Now it’s red wine vinegar. Am I mistaken?
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!
Very very bland. Needs more flavor, even though it’s “easy” should be good.
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.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Fran. I’m all smiles reading your lovely comment!
The ingredients look differently on your previous recipe that you had for the chimichurri
Just wondering if I would be able to freeze this for using in a marinade? Thank you 😊
Hi Linda! Yes, see my recipe note for instructions on freezing.
Thanks, I’ve recently been seeking for details about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have located so far.
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Would water bath canning change the texture since it will “cook” for 10 mins or so?
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.
Oil and garlic sauces should not be home canned, there is a possibility of botulism which can survive home canning. Don’t risk it.
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.
Hi Mick, what cookbook are you referring to? I don’t have a cookbook for sale yet, I am still working on it.
So easy and quick to make! Had some on my steak last night and loved it.
Good to know that you enjoyed this with your steak! Sounds delicious.
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.
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you for letting me know, I have fixed the error. 🙂
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.
Good to know that you also make this too!
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.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, John!
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.
I hope you LOVE it Roger!
Do you have a peppercorn recipe sauce? I try chimichurri sauce
No, I do not have a recipe for this, but thank you for the suggestion. 🙂
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.
It sounds like you need a double batch next time! Thank you for sharing your great review, Kristen!