Made with finely chopped cilantro and parsley, jalapeño, minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice, this Argentinian cilantro chimichurri is the perfect complement for meats and seafood.
I'm all about homemade sauces - red enchilada sauce to basil pistachio sauce to Thai basil pesto. But one of the most simple sauces out there is chimichurri.
Chimichurri usually consists of parsley only, but I decided to kick it up a notch by adding some cilantro. So yes it may not exactly be authentic, but to me it's the best chimichurri recipe out there.
This Argentinian sauce is meant for meat, but is so good, you can really use it for anything from seafood to tacos to vegetarian empanadas.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick to prepare - just chop and mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
- Flavorful - you get a bright/herbaceous flavor with a hint of spice from the jalapeño.
- Versatile - this cilantro chimichurri can be used for any recipe from sandwiches to salads to topping proteins like steak or fish.
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Ingredient Notes
- Cilantro and Italian parsley - gives you those herbal flavors you expect from a chimichurri.
- Jalapeño - adds a hint of spice. You can also use use ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garlic - gives the sauce some pungent flavor.
- Lime - adds some necessary acid and brightness.
- Olive oil - soaks up the herbs to form a sauce.
- Red wine vinegar - adds some necessary acid.
- Salt - enhances the flavor.
How to Make
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavors into the oil before using.
FAQs
Gremolata is usually made with parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
Where chimichurri has liquid ingredients like olive oil and vinegar and some heat - whether it is from a pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
I know cilantro is one of those things you either love or hate. Some think it tastes like heaven (like me), while others think it tastes like soap. It actually comes down to your genes.
If you have the gene that codes for the receptor that picks up scent of aldehyde chemicals then you won't like cilantro as it will smell/taste like soap. So if you're in the latter group, you can easily just replace the cilantro with more Italian parsley, which is actually a more authentic chimichurri to begin with.
Yes. You can just throw all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. I personally like the texture of the chopped herbs with this cilantro chimichurri recipe so I chop it.
You can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. But it is best the first day or two, before the herbs start to wilt and become less potent.
You can always freeze for a couple of months and thaw out when needed.
Chimichurri Uses
Yes chimichurri is most well known to go with steak, but it is a very versatile sauce. Some other ways to use this cilantro chimichurri recipe include:
- As a dip for shrimp empanadas
- A light dressing for a vegetable pasta salad
- Brushed on kebabs
- Mixed in with roasted potatoes
- On top of tacos
- A topping for fish like chimichurri salmon
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you like some heat, you can control it by keeping some of the seeds from the jalapeño pepper.
- Use quality olive oil as part of the taste comes from it.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lime and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- The longer you let it the cilantro chimichurri sit, the better. I like to make mine a couple hours ahead of time for whatever meal I'm using it for.
Other Sauce Recipes
If you’ve tried this cilantro chimichurri recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cilantro Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavors into the oil before using. Ideally you want to let it sit for more than 2 hours, if time allows.
- You can also throw all the ingredients except for the olive oil in food processor and puree. Then slowly add olive oil until combined.
Notes
- If you like some heat, you can control it by keeping some of the seeds from the jalapeño pepper.
- Use quality olive oil as part of the taste comes from it.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lime and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- The longer you let it sit, the better. I like to make mine a couple hours ahead of time for whatever meal I'm using it for.
Chris says
Chimichurri is great with steak!