My easy chimichurri sauce recipe uses simple ingredients and has the best flavor thanks to cooking the onion, garlic and spices.
If you like this recipe, check out my Pineapple Marinated Steak Tacos next!
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Traditional chimichurri is the best condiment for adding to a grilled or pan seared steak, in my opinion. I like a little melted and flavored butter on my steaks too. But there’s something about this combination of simple ingredients that compliments a rich, buttery steak so well.
Authentic chimichurri is a tangy condiment full of fresh herbs originating from Argentina and Uruguay. My version of chimichurri sauce isn’t traditional. I took some liberties in changing around a few of the ingredients. But my biggest “secret” is charring the onion, garlic and spices before combining them with the rest of the sauce. The cooking mellows the harsh bite of raw onion and garlic, while also helping to build the best flavor.
More traditional recipes with a twist
Ingredients for easy chimichurri recipe
- Fresh Parsley – Do not substitute dried parsley. Only fresh will do. You can chop it in the bowl of a food processor. But I prefer to chop it finely by hand with my chef’s knife. I like using curly leaf parsley for this recipe. But you can choose to use flat-leaf parsley instead.
- Olive Oil – Use the best quality extra-virgin olive oil for chimicurri sauce.
- Red Wine Vinegar – The more often used choice. You could use white wine vinegar instead if you prefer and that’s what you have on-hand.
- Lemon Juice – Love the extra brightness fresh lemon adds to the other flavors in this sauce.
- Red Onion – Not a traditional ingredient in homemade chimichurri. Cooking the red onion gives it a mellow, sweeter flavor. This is a nice compliment to the tangy flavors from the vinegar and lemon.
- Garlic Cloves – I think the raw flavor of fresh garlic can sometimes overpower a recipe. So that’s why I’ve chosen to cook it for this recipe.
- Seasonings – Salt, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper help to round out the flavor profile.
- Variations – Mix and match your favorite fresh herbs. Fresh oregano is found in a lot of recipes for chimichurri. You could also add some cilantro and swap the lemon for lime juice for a Mexican flair.
Instructions for the best chimichurri
Finely chop the red onion and mince the garlic. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of the olive oil (from the 1/2 cup). Add the onion and cook until it is starting to look charred, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the onion mixture to cool.
Wash and finely chop the fresh parsley with a sharp knife. Mix it together in a small bowl with the cooked onion mixture, olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, keep scrolling to the bottom of this post for my free, printable recipe card.
Serving suggestions
Chimichurri sauce practically goes with everything! Grilled meats, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, pasta salads, crostini, etc. It adds fresh, tangy flavor and can even be used as salad dressing. I recently discovered it is delicious mixed with cottage cheese too! Blend a container of cottage cheese with a few tablespoons of homemade chimichurri and you’ve got a delicious, high protein veggie dip! Here’s some of my recipes for adding chimichurri to –
Storage directions
Store any leftover chimichurri sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. The olive oil might become solid when chilled. Be sure and set it out on the counter to get to room temperature before serving.
Kitchen tools
- My favorite inexpensive chef’s knife
- Non-stick skillet for cooking the onion, garlic and spices
- Airtight containers for storage
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add one tablespoon of the 1/2 cup oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is cooked and starting to look charred.
- Add the minced garlic, salt, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove the onion mixture from the hot pan and allow it to cool.
- Meanwhile, wash, dry and finely chop the parsley. I use kitchen shears to cut the curly tops from the stems. Then I wash the cut parsley in a salad spinner - so that I can spin it to dry.
- In a clean bowl, mix together the chopped parsley with the cooked onion and garlic mixture, the red wine vinegar and lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Stir until very well combined.
- The sauce gets better as it sits. It will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container. After refrigeration, the olive oil might get solid. Just set it out to come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
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