Easy Chimichurri Sauce is incredibly delicious and surprisingly simple to make, bursting with fresh herbs and bold flavors. It’s the perfect vibrant accompaniment to elevate grilled ribeye steak and tender sous vide skirt steak.
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🌿 The Ingredients
Fresh, simple ingredients like parsley, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil combine harmoniously to create a vibrant, deeply flavorful chimichurri sauce. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🍅 Substitutions and Variations
- Herbs – Parsley is the most important ingredient in parsley. Fresh Italian parsley really can’t be substituted, except for curly parsley. Dried will not work. Basil chimichurri is delicious (basil substituted for the parsley), however, it is similar in taste to homemade pesto sauce. Dried oregano is best, but fresh can be used, too.
- Onion – We recommended chopped white or yellow onion; however, red onion or scallions (green onions) are excellent substitutions. The onion flavor is not overpowering at all, but can be omitted if desired.
- Vegetables – Red bell pepper is traditional, but chopped tomatoes can be stirred in after the sauce has been chopped in the food processor.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🍽️ How To Make Easy Chimichurri Sauce
- Step 1: Add the roughly chopped parsley and garlic to your food processor.
- Step 2: Process until finely chopped.
- Step 3: Add the chopped red bell pepper, onion, vinegar, salt, and dried oregano.
- Step 4: Add the red pepper flakes and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Step 5: Process until uniformly chopped (it should still have texture, not puréed completely)
- Step 6: Transfer to a jar with a lid and chill for at least 1 hour.
Expert Tip
You’ll want to let the chimichurri sauce have time to meld the flavors. However, just be aware that the longer the sauce chills, the less vibrant in color, but still very delicious.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chimichurri actually tastes better after resting for a few hours or overnight, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, chimichurri sauce can last up to one week.
Chimichurri is traditionally served with grilled meats like skirt steak and grilled marinated chicken, but it also complements roasted vegetables, seafood, and can be used as a flavorful marinade or dipping sauce.
😋 Other Amazing Sauces and Condiments
Ready to make the best condiment on this side of Buenos Aires? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Easy Chimichurri Sauce
Video
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- ¾ cup parsley fresh, Italian, roughly chopped
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ¼ cup onion roughly chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, for more heat
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the parsley, cilantro, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.¾ cup parsley, ½ cup cilantro, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the onion, bell pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, vinegar, and oil, and pulse several times.¼ cup onion, ½ cup red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Taste and add more salt and/or vinegar, if desired.
- Use immediately, or transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days. (Note: the vibrant green will diminish the longer it sits in the fridge).
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This post was originally published May 2015, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in August 2020!
Chef jimmy says
you can blanche all the herbs quickly to set the color and they will stay a nice vibrant color ,….pro-chef tip.
Kris Longwell says
Thanks, Chef!
Lili Mullins says
Now I’m excited again! Steak and chimichurri! Thank you
Kris Longwell says
A match made in heaven!!! We hope you enjoy the chiimichurri sauce!!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Patience says
Chris and Wesley…you have nailed it again. My family loves chimichurri sauce but I have never added red bell pepper or red wine vinegar. The addition of those two ingredients brings this sauce to a new level. I marinated flank steak in this sauce, then grilled the steak, and finally served it with additional chimichurri sauce over the top of the steak. Absolutely delicious. Thanks again for making my family’s taste buds dance.
Kris Longwell says
Wow!! That sounds so amazing, Patience!! We are so glad you enjoyed the chimichurri sauce and the meal you prepared sounds divine!!
Chris says
Love fresh chimichurri sauce and this recipe is spot on.