Made with finely chopped cilantro and parsley, jalapeño, minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice, this Argentinian cilantro chimichurri sauce is the perfect complement for meats and seafood.
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. In fact I might be sharing a certain vegetarian taco recipe in the coming weeks that uses it.
To me sauce is super underrated when adding to the taste of a dish. It really can make or break a recipe and this homemade chimichurri will have you wondering where it's been all of your life. After having it for the first time, I turned to my wife and said it was the best part of the dish. My tune hasn't changed since then.
In fact it's difficult to not only make this cilantro chimichurri sauce. It's hard to explain, but it just tastes fresh! So if you're looking for a good sauce to put your meal over the type, give this one a try. Hope you enjoy!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Cilantro, Italian parsley, jalapeño, garlic, lime - where all the flavor and brightness comes from.
- Olive oil - soaks up the herbs to form a sauce.
- Red wine vinegar - adds some necessary acid.
- Salt - enhances the flavor
What if I Don't Like Cilantro?
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.
How Long Does Chimichurri Last?
You can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. You can always freeze for a couple of months and thaw out when needed.
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.
Other Sauce Recipes
- Kale Pistachio Pesto
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Basil Pistachio Sauce
- Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
If you’ve tried this cilantro chimichurri 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 tbsp red wine vinegar
- juice from 1 lime
- ½ tsp 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.
Chimichurri is great with steak!