Authentic Chimichurri Recipe
This Argentinian chimichurri recipe easy steak marinade and versatile sauce is the type of thing where once you have it you ask ‘where have you been my whole life’. It is so good and something you will always continue to make once you have discovered it. This sauce is impressive how amazingly it and can go on anything from barbecue meats, grilled vegetables, salads, flatbreads or even eggs in the morning!
I absolutely love the versatility of chimichurri, I first made it for a hanger steak marinade and most recently made it as a sauce to spoon on top a breakfast of corned beef hash and eggs. This was one of the very best breakfast we have EVER had, I highly recommend checking it out.
The BEST breakfast I made that features this chimichurri(psst make extra and use the leftovers for a breakfast like this) includes the following recipes that all made it onto the same plate to make an out-of-this-world breakfast.
Add some eggs and spoon this chimichurri on top!
What is chimichurri you may be wondering? It is an oil, vinegar, herbs and garlic sauce or marinade that accompanies churrasco or grilled meats. Originally created to accompany barbacued meats, but can be applied to so much more if you’re thinking outside the box. Chimichurri origin – tracked back to South America, Argentina, the first known place to make part of food culture. It has been made for hundreds of years and has become a popular condiment all over the world, reaching to Central America, North America and beyond.
The Best Chimichurri Recipe
In my search to find the perfect chimichurri recipe, I have found a great divide that separates a traditional old-school variety from modern day. This big discrepancy is using a food processor versus hand chopping the herbs. It comes down to taking the easy way out – laziness if you will or putting in the extra hands-on effort to make it to emulate the traditional product. The old world way of hand chopping the herbs allows for a more loose-based oil sauce with distinct chunky ingredients that have an integrity on their own. While using an electronic machine creates a consistency that is puréed to the point of a mushy baby food consistency. I’m guessing you can tell which method I am in favor of and will be outlining in the instructions below. Besides over pulverizing the herbs and garlic, the blending whips air into the oil, emulsifying it, which totally changes it away from the loose and silky condiment is has always been.
The other difference in many modern recipes is the type of vinegar used. Its red wine vinegar all the way! I don’t recommend using white vinegar, it’s just not the same. If you want to use something other than the recommended red wine vinegar, I suggest trying lemon juice.
This simple chimichurri sauce for steak or vegetables is easy and can be made in 15 minutes or less. Just 6 ingredients and salt and a little labor of love for the chopping of herbs and you have yourself a healthy chimichurri recipe you can enjoy over and over with many different meals all week long.
Read on to learn how to make this chimichurri recipe easy, simple and quick!
Chimichurri Argentinian Recipe
Yields about 2 cups:
Fresh Chimichurri Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Wash, dry and chop all of the herbs: fresh parsley, fresh cilantro and fresh oregano.
- Finely mince the garlic and shallot.
- Add the garlic, shallot, vinegar and salt to a bowl, mix and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Then add the parsley, cilantro, oregano and jalapeño and olive oil.
- Whisk with a fork and serve with a spoon to ladle over the meat or vegetables.
- If specifically a chimichurri sauce recipe for steak follow the marinading and proportion serving sauce recommendations below.
- *Recommendation for chimichurri sauce recipe for steak: take 1/2 cup and place it aside to serve with the finished meat. Use the remainder as a marinade. Cover all sides of the steak in marinade, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or over night. Spoon excess marinade over the steak while it is cooking. After the steak has rested for 10-15 minutes, slice and then serve with the sauce that you have set aside to be spooned over the steak.
Notes for an easy chimichurri recipe:
-How long to marinate steak in chimichurri? This homemade chimichurri sauce for steak is best overnight, up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
-The most popular for this recipe are hanger, flank, bavette and skirt steak chimichurri marinade.
-If you want to omit vinegar you can certainly make a delicious chimichurri recipe with lemon instead.
-For a traditional chimichurri recipe, cilantro, parsley and fresh oregano are all part of the synergy and herbaciousness that are a must for a perfect recipe. Don’t leave out any herbs!
-Chimichurri sauce for steak- for either or both a marinade and spooned over the top of a finished steak as a sauce or condiment.
-Chimichurri stays good in the fridge for up to two weeks as it has the vinegar and oil preserving it and protecting from oxidation. It can be frozen and thawed for use later also but nothing beats a fresh chimichurri sauce as it is the most bright and vibrant in flavors from the freshness of herbs.
chimichurri sauce argentinian style
- Hand chop the herbs to prevent creating an over-blended whipped pile of mush.
- Use red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar.
- Requires FRESH oregano versus dried.
Popular applications:
- Chimichurri salad
- Chimichurri steak salad
- Chimichurri sauce for steak (on top as a condiment)
- Chimichurri salad dressing
- Chimichurri chicken salad
- Chimichurri chickpea salad
- Chimichurri pasta salad
Thanks for checking out one of my favorite recipes – chimichurri Argentinian recipe. If you liked this one, you may love some of my other favorite recipes such as salsa roja, pico de gallo or chipotle salsa.
Please rate or comment below and if you made any additions or alterations and want to let me in on your classic chimichurri recipes – I would love to hear about it! If you would like to share or pin on Pinterest, I am always thankful. Check out my food journey on Pinterest at Molé in the Wall.
Now you know how to make the best authentic chimichurri recipe easy steak marinade and versatile sauce! I hope you do try this recipe and thoroughly enjoy it as much as we have. I’m pretty sure this simple chimichurri will become a family favorite and become a household staples.
Argentinian Chimichurri Recipe Easy Steak Marinade and Versatile Sauce
Equipment
- Yo hands and a knife! Save the food processor for another day!
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Wash, dry and chop all of the herbs: fresh parsley, fresh cilantro and fresh oregano.
- Finely mince the garlic and shallot.
- Add the garlic, shallot, vinegar and salt to a bowl, mix and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Then add the parsley, cilantro, oregano and jalapeño and olive oil.
- Whisk with a fork and serve with a spoon to ladle over the meat or vegetables.
- If specifically a chimichurri sauce recipe for steak follow the marinading and proportion serving sauce recommendations below.
- Recommendation for Chimichurri sauce recipe for steak: Take 1/2 cup and place it aside to serve with the finished meat. Use the remainder as a marinade. Cover all sides of the steak in marinade, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or over night. Spoon excess marinade over the steak while it is cooking. After the steak has rested for 10-15 minutes, slice and then serve with the sauce that you have set aside to be spooned over the steak.
