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4.9 from 24 votes

How to Make Easy Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri sauce is the king of marinades and condiments! Parsley is ground together with oil and vinegar and lots of garlic. It is SO easy to make and requires no cooking. A staple for South American churrasco (grilled meat), it's great with beef, pork, chicken, or your morning eggs.

Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings: 1
Calories: 1523 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: South American

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch parsley* about 1 cup, packed
  • 2-4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves OR 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper OR 1 small red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cumin optional**
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup good quality olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the parsley and trim the stems. I usually leave it in the bundle it came in from the store and work my knife away from the twist tie. Get all the leaves off, then take a minute to remove any really thick stems remaining. Some thin stems are A-okay. You want about a cup of packed parsley, but it's ok if it's not exact.
  2. Crush 2 cloves of garlic with the side of a chef's knife. Peel off the skin (it's easy once the garlic is crushed). If you know you love garlic, toss in 1 or 2 more cloves, otherwise wait until you've tasted the chimichurri before adding more. 
  3. If using fresh oregano, tear off leaves until you have 1/4 cup. I love the flavor of fresh herbs, but 2 tablespoons of dried oregano really does work great in this recipe if you don't have fresh oregano. 
  4. If using a fresh red pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and slice into strips. (1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper also works well. See how versatile this recipe is!) 
  5. Add parsley, 2-4 cloves garlic, oregano, and fresh red pepper (OR 1/2 teaspoon crushed flakes) to a food processor or blender. 
  6. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and 2 teaspoons cumin, if you're using it. 
  7. Add 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 3/4 cup olive oil.
  8. Use the pulse button on your machine to pulse the mixture in 1 second intervals. You want everything to get chopped but don't go so far that it's completely pulverized. (If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can also just mince everything really fine and mulch it by hand with the vinegar, adding the oil slowly while whisking so that it emulsifies.)
  9. Taste the chimichurri and add more garlic, salt/pepper, or whatever you feel it might be missing. 
  10. Enjoy with your favorite grilled meat! Chimichurri makes an AMAZING marinade, so I will often make a batch of this and use a little bit of it to marinate the meat, and save the rest to spoon over the meat when serving. (My favorite is Flank Steak. Click here for the recipe!)

Notes

  • *I've made this recipe with both curly and flat-leaf Italian parsley. I think it's great either way! Use whatever's on sale! 
  • **Cumin is not a traditional ingredient in chimichurri. But I tried it once and I can't go back because I'm in loooove. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 1523kcal (76%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 164g (252%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Polyunsaturated Fat 18g Monounsaturated Fat 119g Potassium 609mg (17%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 5354IU (107%) Vitamin C 79mg (88%) Calcium 329mg (33%) Iron 12mg (67%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1523

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 1523kcal 76%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 164g 252%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Polyunsaturated Fat 18g 106%
Monounsaturated Fat 119g 595%
Potassium 609mg 13%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 5354IU 107%
Vitamin C 79mg 88%
Calcium 329mg 33%
Iron 12mg 67%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.