Authentic Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

There’s nothing like a fresh and vibrant sauce to cut through the richness of a fatty protein like Steak. Which is why one of the most popular Sauces you’ll find at any steakhouse all around the world is the classic Chimichurri Sauce. Loaded with fresh Herbs and Chili, an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce is one of the best accompaniments to protein. In this recipe we’ll show you how to make this famous Sauce easily at home with everyday ingredients

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What ingredients are needed for an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce?

Let’s kick things off with the Herbs, which are what gives this Sauce it’s famous green color. A combination of fresh Cilantro and Parsley is used. For our recipe we use equal parts of each, and you can use some of the stems if you like, as they are loaded with flavor

Fresh Herbs are so readily available these days that you will have no trouble finding them. Their seasonality can affect their flavor. Parsley and Cilantro are best enjoyed during the Spring and Fall, but honestly, they’re going to be great all year round anyway, which is great as you can whip up this Sauce any time you like

Ingredients for Authentic Chimichurri Sauce — The key ingredients in an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce are Olive Oil, Parsley, Cilantro, and Oregano

Oregano is another Herb that is prominent in a Chimichurri Sauce. Now, this one is a little different to the Parsley and Cilantro in that you can use dried Oregano if you prefer. For our recipe we’re opting for this, mainly because fresh Oregano isn’t as readily available in our local grocery store

The other classic ingredient in an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce is Olive Oil. It’s what gives the Sauce it’s body and adds some wonderfully flavorsome fats to the dish. We recommend using some good quality Olive Oil. Regionally it doesn’t really matter, just find some nice Olive Oil you like the taste of raw and it will work amazing in your Sauce

The remaining ingredients

Other than the Herbs and Olive Oil, the other ingredients needed in an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce are Garlic, Salt, Pepper, and Chili. Now, the Garlic will add a little bit of heat to the Sauce, but the real heat naturally comes from the inclusion of Chili

You ‘can’ omit the Chili if you don’t like things spicy, but let’s be honest; it’s just not the same without some heat! For our recipe we use a combination of Red Chili and dried Chili Flakes. You can choose to keep the seeds from the Red Chili in there for more heat. To scale things back, just remove them or only add a few seeds to the sauce

Preparing the ingredients for the Sauce

The key to preparing an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce is that there is no blender or food processor involved. The Sauce is completely prepared by hand and no aggressive mixing with a blender is required. This will ensure that the Olive Oil stays somewhat separate from the Herbs and Spices, which instead are used to ‘flavor’ the Oil instead of emulsifying them all together to create an entirely different Sauce

So, the good news is there’s no blender required, so less cleaning is needed. The bad news, you will be required to be a bit more meticulous when it comes to chopping the ingredients. Try to get a relatively finely diced preparation for all the ingredients, particularly the Garlic and Chili, as we want them super-fine

The Herbs can be a little bit more rustic, but this is still a Sauce after all, so you still want them quite finely chopped. For the best results we recommend using a large, sharp knife and take your time when cutting up the ingredients

The chopping of the ingredients is the most labor-intensive part of this (very simple) dish, so you can afford to take your time making sure you get some nice even cuts for your Herbs. It’s important to begin chopping the Herbs immediately before the final step of the dish to ensure optimal flavor and vibrancy from them

Preparing an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce — To prepare the Authentic Chimichurri Sauce you don’t blend it. Simply mix all the ingredients together with a spoon for the best results

The final step in preparing our Authentic Chimichurri Sauce

With all the ingredients prepared the final step is simple. All you need to do is combine them all into a bowl and mix well. There’s no need to whisk it or anything, just mix well with a spoon so the Olive Oil has a chance to get completely covered with the other ingredients

Because this sauce is primarily Olive Oil based, we want that Oil to absorb as much flavor as possible. Therefore, it’s best to leave the Chimichurri out for about an hour before you serve it. This will allow the Olive Oil to take on as much flavor as possible, ensuring every single drop of that Chimichurri is loaded with great taste

What’s the best dish to pair with Chimichurri Sauce?

The obvious answer here is Steak. Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian Sauce and Argentina is known for their Steaks. The brightness and heat of the Chimichurri is going to pair so well with the richness of the Steak, offering a nice balance of flavors to help amplify the beautiful flavors of a great cooked piece of Steak

Chicken with Chimichurri — Other than Steak, Chicken is another great protein to pair with this tasty Sauce

Other than Steak, another great pairing is with Chicken. When we initially prepared this Sauce we paired it with a simple Grilled Chicken Dish and the results were amazing. If you can achieve a nice char on the Chicken (recommendation – cook it on the BBQ!) the Sauce is going to taste so good with it

The good news is this Sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, which means you can prepare a big batch and try it out with a few different proteins to enjoy all kinds of wonderful meals

Recipe Details

Servings

2 – 4 people

Prep time

15 minutes

Cooking time

Total time

15 minutes