Easy Homemade Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
If you’ve been here for half a minute, you know how much I love cilantro! Now, I know some of you may not be a fan of cilantro. My mom isn’t a fan, so I totally understand! But for fellow cilantro lovers, this recipe for an easy homemade cilantro chimichurri sauce is going to be your “go to” condiment all summer long!
This fun twist on the traditional Argentinian sauce is packed with flavor — red wine vinegar, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, fresh oregano, extra virgin olive oil and, of course, cilantro. It’s perfect drizzled on all your grilled meats, chicken, fish, or jazz up your favorite salad and use it as a dressing, and if you haven’t used it as a sandwich spread you are seriously missing out!
As tempting as it may be to grab a jar off the shelf, or buy premade chimichurri from your favorite fancy food store, trust me when I tell you once you make this yourself, you’ll ditch store-bought forever.
If you haven’t planted cilantro in your garden yet, you still have time! I literally kill most plants, but my cilantro always flourishes. So, if you’re not a green thumb, no worries — cilantro is easy to grow and you’ll save money AND have a constant supply of delicious cilantro chimichurri all summer long!
What is traditional chimichurri made of?
It’s a flavor-loaded sauce from Argentina typically served with grilled meat, chicken, and fish. An authentic chimichurri recipe has parsley, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. But for this cilantro chimichurri recipe, we’re using cilantro, fresh garlic cloves, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and red chili flakes. This recipe shows how a few fresh ingredients can create absolute magic!
What’s fun about cooking around the globe, is being inspired by a classic sauce and discovering ways to switch it up based on your tastes and what ingredients you have on hand.
This is also the best chimichurri recipe if you find yourself wondering what to do with an overabundance of cilantro in your garden, or your fridge!
Tips on making chimichurri:
- Ditch the food processor and use a sharp knife to finely chop the cilantro and garlic cloves. It’s meant to have a chunky texture, and a knife will ensure you don’t wind up with a purée.
- Use good quality olive oil. The Kirkland Italian Olive Oil from Costco is great because it comes in an enormous bottle, and is great quality at a reasonable price.
- Substitute dried oregano if you don’t have fresh available.
- Make this a day, or even two, before serving it. The beauty of this simple sauce is the longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.
- Red chili flakes add a nice bit of heat, but you could easily use diced jalapeño instead.
- Red wine vinegar adds a great tangy punch, but you could also use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or any tangy vinegar hanging out in your pantry. The only vinegar I’d stay away from is balsamic vinegar because it’s too sweet.
How to use chimichurri:
Now that you have a large jar of chimichurri, the skies are the limit for this versatile sauce! There are so many different ways to serve it and here are some of my personal favorites!
- Use it as a marinade for meat, chicken or fish.
- Spoon it over grilled vegetables.
- Serve it with grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or grilled salmon
- Swirl it into Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tasty dip and serve with cucumber, jicama or carrots.
- Add fresh lime juice and drizzle over greens for a fresh herbaceous salad dressing.
- One of my favorite ways is to add a spoonful of chimichurri to mayonnaise for a delicious sandwich spread
FAQs
Can chimichurri be refrigerated?
YES! It absolutely can! Store it in an airtight container (a mason jar works great!) and it will last up to a week. When you take it out to use it, the olive oil will have solidified, but just leave it out at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the oil to loosen up again.
Can chimichurri be frozen?
YES! Because of the fresh herbs, after you spoon the chimichurri into a silicon ice cube tray, top with extra olive oil. Because you’re adding more extra virgin olive oil, don’t fill the cubes all the way — fill them about 2/3 full to leave room to add the oil.
Can I leave out the cilantro?
Of course! Substitute cilantro for flat leaf parsley instead.
Can I use cilantro AND parsley?
Absolutely! One of the best things about this sauce is you can switch it up based on what tastes good to you! Consider the recipe a jumping off point and have fun making it your own! For another fun twist, try out my arugula chimichurri — the arugula adds a really gorgeous peppery bite!
If you find yourself wondering what to do with an overabundance of cilantro in your garden, or your fridge, you definitely need to make this recipe!
This flavorful chimichurri sauce is the perfect condiment to liven up a huge variety of dishes! With the summer months upon us (YAY, finally!!), and grills working over time (because who wants to turn on their oven in this heat!), this homemade chimichurri will become your go-to flavorful sauce of the summer!
I can’t wait for you to make this!! If you do, please leave a comment or review — that really helps my little blog grow and is also incredibly helpful for other hungry readers looking for tasty recipes!
