Best Chimichurri sauce ! This zesty green sauce is bright and full of flavors. Make it fresh at home using this easy 10 minutes recipe ! This all natural Chimichurri Sauce recipe is Vegan ,Gluten-free , Soy free and Dairy free. Similar to Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing , Mint Cilantro Chutney and Cilantro Chickpea Fritters this cilantro recipe is refreshing, herby and delightful.
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What is Chimichurri Sauce?
Chimichurri is a famous sauce from Argentina and used throughout South America. You can use it as a condiment, a salad dressing or a marinade.
Generous amount of fresh parsley along with cilantro, red onion, garlic, olive oil and tangy lime juice all blended in extra virgin olive oil. Little dusting of red pepper. It is a pop of fresh flavors like no other !!
Cilantro Chimichurri
If you are our regular blog reader, you know we like to make recipes with bright and bold flavors. We also love to recreate cuisines from around the world.
Similar to pesto sauce, Chimichurri is a staple sauce in my refrigerator. A simple crusty toast slathered with fresh Chimichurri is my favorite snack.
Chimichurri is a parsley and vinegar based sauce. It tastes amazing on all grilled food - meats, veggies, breads ! You can even drizzle it over plain rice and quinoa for a quick perk up.
The zesty , tangy sauce brings out an instant pop of freshness. It gives a true awakening to all the senses with delightful savory taste.
With the summer coming, it's grilling time. Meet Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce, a delicious marinade for all grilled meats like beef, chicken, or shrimp.
I love smell of cilantro. Cilantro Lime Brown Rice and Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus are my other favorite recipes that use this earthy flavorful herb.
Ingredients
Fresh parsley and cilantro – these two green herbs make this sauce superbly flavorful.
Red onion - small bits and pieces for a nice crunch and pungent taste.
Garlic – adds immense depth to the flavor. I prefer to use fresh garlic.
Red wine vinegar – if you plan to keep it for a few days, adding vinegar helps retain the vibrant color as well as freshness.
Lime juice – I like to use lime juice for a tangy tart taste. You can use lemon juice as well. Fresh is a preference for the best flavor.
Salt : sea salt, kosher salt or Himalayan pink salt are all good options.
Red pepper flakes – adjust to taste and spice tolerance.
Olive oil – we blend everything in it. Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil.
How to Freeze Chimichurri ?
You can make a big batch of homemade chimichurri sauce and freeze it for a longer shelf life. Up to 3 months is ok.
For best results, freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray. Then transfer the frozen cubes to an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Thaw them in the refrigerator when needed.
Cilantro Yes or No ?
Traditional chimichurri sauce recipe is made using parsley and oregano. However, in most of the places in the US, I could distinctly taste cilantro in Chimichurri. Parsley also is robust and strong so I prefer to use a mix of parsley and cilantro.
I often don't have fresh oregano on hand. So I am not adding it. You can however use ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves if you like.
How to Make Cilantro Chimichurri with Mortar Pestle Method
Traditional method of making Chimichurri involves grinding the ingredients using a mortar and pestle. Cut the herbs and onions in small pieces and hand grind it so it forms coarse paste. Add oil , lime juice and vinegar and mix it all in.
Food Processor Method To Make Cilantro Chimichurri
Add red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down sides in between.
Add in parsley, cilantro, oregano and red pepper flakes then pour in olive oil while pulsing several times until everything is well blended but still coarse. Move it to bowl if using right away or store in air tight glass jar.
Ways to Use
- As a topping on grilled meats and veggies
- Mix in with butter and use as a sandwich spread
- Add it to Garlic Cheese Toast or spread it on the crusty baguette.
- As a salad dressing or pasta sauce or veggie dip
- Pizza sauce especially if you make grilled pizza.
I love using it on Vegan Air Fryer Cabbage Steaks. It also goes so well with whole Roasted Cauliflower and Air Fryer Cauliflower. This sauce also is perfect drizzled on Portabella Mushrooms.
Similar to homemade Pesto Recipe without pine nuts and Instant Pot Tomato Sauce, this is our favorite homesteading recipe to preserve and use garden fresh herbs and produce.
Pro Tips
Use fresh herbs - it makes a whole lot of difference in taste.
I prefer to use mostly the leaves of parsley and cilantro. You can use stems but they are stronger and bitter. ( you can save the stems and use them to flavor the soups and broth)
FAQ
Instead of classic cilantro and parsley combination use baby arugula leaves to make Arugula chimichurri. It's bold and peppery.
In addition to cilantro and parsley, use baby kale leaves to make kale chimichurri. Similar to variety of pesto recipes, there are several herbs to make special chimichurri sauce.
Chimichurri sauce can be stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. You can keep it up to 5 days refrigerated.
Adding fresh mint leaves to make mint chimichurri also is great alternative.
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📖 Recipe
Cilantro Chimichurri
Equipment
- Glass Container for storage
- Silicon Ice Cube Trays for freezing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 cup fresh cilantro - mostly leaves well packed
- ½ cup fresh parsley - mostly leaves well packed
- 1 small red onion or one small shallot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, more or less to taste
Instructions
How to Make Cilantro Chimichurri with Mortar Pestle Method
- Cut the herbs and onions in super small pieces and hand grind it so it forms coarse paste. Add oil , lime juice and vinegar and mix it all in.
How to Make Cilantro Chimichurri using Food Processor
- Add red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down sides in between.
- Add in parsley, cilantro and red pepper flakes then pour in olive oil while pulsing several times until everything is well blended but still coarse.
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