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A good steak or filet mignon doesn’t need much. The best cuts of meat are good on their own! But as cliche as it sounds, variety is the spice of life. And when it comes to steak, few things add just the right spice quite the way an authentic chimichurri sauce recipe does.

I actually made this Argentinian chimichurri sauce together with some amazing steak tips. If you want to pair them together, grab the steak bites appetizer recipe here.

But until then, you can serve this chimichurri sauce over any steak. It will definitely brighten it up!

What Is Chimichurri Sauce For Steak?

Chimichurri is a super simple sauce made with chopped parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and spices. It requires no cooking and takes just five minutes to throw together, making it a quick (and delicious!) addition to any steak dinner.

Some chimichurri sauce recipes use white wine vinegar and others use red wine vinegar. You can use either, but this Argentinian chimichurri sauce recipe uses white wine vinegar. Just a personal preference. You can use the same amount no matter which vinegar you choose.

The most common type is chimichurri verde, or green chimichurri sauce. If you want to know how to make chimichurri sauce in the less common rojo variation – red chimichurri sauce – you can simply add some tomatoes and red bell peppers.

Is Chimichurri Sauce Keto? Gluten-free? Healthy?

Yes, yes, and yes!

Chimichurri sauce for steak is one of the easiest low carb condiments you can possibly make. And, it’s naturally low carb, meaning no unusual low carb ingredients.

With extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and fresh minced garlic, an authentic chimichurri sauce is a wonderfully healthy addition to your steak. This easy chimichurri sauce recipe is made using simple ingredients that are naturally keto, gluten-free, paleo, and whole30 friendly.

And, it’s just as delicious for someone who cares about none of these!

Is Chimichurri Sauce Spicy?

That’s up to you! The spice in this chimichurri sauce recipe comes from crushed red pepper. It’s up to you how much you want to add! I recommend starting with just a bit and adjusting to taste.

How To Use Chimichurri Sauce

The most popular way to use chimichurri sauce is as a condiment for steak. You can drizzle it on top or dip. You can even top your veggie side dishes with it!

Alternatively, you can also use it during the cooking process for your steak. Chimichurri sauce marinade is delicious as well, for both steak and chicken.

What Makes an Authentic Chimichurri Sauce Recipe?

The sauce has origins in Argentina and Uruguay, but today’s authentic chimichurri sauce recipe is Argentinian.

Some non-traditional ingredients you might see in other chimichurri sauce recipes include cilantro, red onion, lemon juice, and cumin. But an authentic chimichurri sauce recipe is actually super simple, and has none of these!

Of course, you can feel free to add in whatever you like. Since there is no cooking required, it’s easy to adjust herbs and spices to your liking.

How To Make Chimichurri Sauce

The best thing about this easy chimichurri sauce recipe is how little cleanup it requires. It’s basically just a knife and cutting board.

And, despite what many chimichurri sauce recipes may lead you to believe, you can make chimichurri sauce without a food processor and without a blender!

My favorite method for how to make chimichurri sauce is to use a glass jar. Simply chop your parsley, add it to the jar along with everything else, cover and shake! The shaking emulsifies the sauce in the same way that a blender or food processor would.

Then, you can just store the sauce in the jar. No need to deal with washing your blender or food processor.

Why Is My Chimichurri Sauce Bitter?

There are a few reasons that chimichurri sauce could turn out bitter. Here are some possible culprits:

Extra virgin olive oil – If you use this, as this chimichurri sauce recipe does, you have an even stronger reason to use the jar shaking method instead of a blender or food processor. If you over-mix EVOO at high speed, the polyphenols in the oil break away from the fatty acids in the oil and can cause a bitter taste.
Bitter parsley – Parsley is naturally bitter, and it’s normal for chimichurri to have a little bitterness to it. But, if your parsley is exceptionally dark and mature, it can be more bitter than younger parsley.
Garlic or oregano – Using too much of either of these can make chimichurri bitter. With the recipe below you should have the right amount.

How To Store Chimichurri Sauce

Argentinian chimichurri sauce is quite easy to store. This should answer all your questions about storing it!

Can chimichurri sauce be made in advance?

Definitely! When to make chimichurri sauce is actually a matter of preference, though.

Some people like to let the flavors mellow for 24 hours before serving, whereas others prefer the flavor of fresh chimichurri. I think both ways are delicious, and often make it ahead for convenience.

Does chimichurri sauce need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Since it contains fresh herbs, it’s best to keep it refrigerated. With my easy chimichurri sauce recipe, just pop the jar in the fridge.

How long does chimichurri sauce last?

You can store chimichurri sauce in the fridge for a pretty long time – at least a week, and as long as 2 weeks! The vinegar in there preserves it pretty well. Just watch for changes in appearance, smell and so on.

Keep in mind that the sauce is a brighter green at first and gets darker over time, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better or worse.

Can chimichurri sauce be frozen?

Yes! The easiest way to do this is to pour it into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Once they are solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag if you’d like.

Defrost the cubes as needed when you want to use the chimichurri sauce for steak night.

The Best Authentic Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

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Ingredients

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1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil ▢
2 tbsp White wine vinegar ▢
1 1/2 oz Fresh parsley (flat leaf; approximately 3/4 cup) ▢
4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
2 tsp Dried oregano ▢
1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper (start with 1/4 tsp and adjust to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Chop the parsley finely.
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake until emulsified.
Adjust sea salt and red pepper to taste, if needed.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 2 tbsp

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 125

Fat 13g

Protein 0g

Total Carbs 1g

Net Carbs 1g

Fiber 0g

Sugar 0g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Argentinian

Keywords: chimichurri, chimichurri sauce, gluten-free, keto, low carb, paleo, vegan

Calories: 125 kcal

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21 Comments

Carol
0 January 14, 2023Reply

Excellent recipe! So quick to make and super healthy! Thank you
Ellan
0 April 12, 2020Reply

Hi, I really appreciated the tip on not over mixing olive oil in a blender— I’ve been doing this and wondering why my chimichurris were bitter. This time I put the ingredients in a jar and shook, as you recommend, and it was delicious! Thanks!
Wendy
0 September 21, 2019Reply

This is so great! I made it tonight with steak. Tomorrow I’m going to use it with chicken! I feel like I could eat it with anything.
- Katie White
  0 January 5, 2021Reply
  
  This was great! Definitely recommend as a sauce with grilled shrimp. I’m excited about what to come up with for leftovers.
Carolina
0 September 15, 2019Reply

Hello. For the parsley. Is it 3/4 after chopped or before?
- Wholesome Yum A
  0 January 16, 2020Reply
  
  This is 3/4 cup before chopping, Carolina.
Connie Saltarelli
0 June 14, 2019Reply

Can I use fresh oregano? I have a bunch in my garden…
- Wholesome Yum
  0 July 25, 2019Reply
  
  That should work, Connie! Keep in mind you’ll probably have to use more than you would with the dried version.
Ray Perez
0 May 22, 2019Reply

Suggestion. Not trying to be overly critical I promise.. Just some honest feedback. Put the recipe up front and then give the history / tips of Chimichurri sauce after. It was so much information.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 May 27, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Ray, Thanks for the feedback. I actually find it more useful to share tips first because people tend to stop reading after the recipe card. But if they are not useful for you, feel free to scroll past. I hope you enjoy the free recipes.
  - Lynette Walters
    0 January 6, 2021Reply
    
    I agree, tips are needed, otherwise people make the recipe and then ask too many questions that could have been answered by reading the tips and recommendations. You have a “jump to recipe” button which is helpful at the beginning.
- timothy
  0 September 14, 2019Reply
  
  The reason that bloggers like these put the recipe at the end is that they get paid money to embed ads on their website. putting the recipe at the end of the post simple means that you are required to ingest more advertising before you get the goods. Just like TV or magazines.
Florencia
0 May 7, 2019Reply

Me as 100% Argentinian say that is pretty authentic!
Abeer
0 January 7, 2019Reply

This looks so good! Totally serving it with steak today.
April
0 January 7, 2019Reply

This chimichurri sauce is sooooo good! We put it on our steaks and everybody raved about it.
Jules Shepard
0 October 26, 2018Reply

I recently found a pasta dish that uses Chimichurri sauce! I bought my last batch but will certainly give this a try – I have everything I need without going to the store. So easy!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 26, 2018Reply
  
  Thank you, Jules! Hope you love it.
Florence
0 October 18, 2018Reply

Sounds delicious. I’m going to try it. Thank You.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 21, 2018Reply
  
  I hope you like it, Florence!
Roberta
0 October 15, 2018Reply

Can wine vinegar be substituted with apple cider vinegar? I do not use wine vinegar, but I like sauces like this (being raw recipes, often use them in my keto/LCHF recipes, often adding a bit aof MCToil if I use the sauce for my meals if consumed alone; if I share them with other people I don’t, because I can’t be sure about theri personal digestive tolerance of them and don’t want to affect their tummies ;-P)
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 15, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Roberta, Yes, you can definitely use apple cider vinegar instead if you’d like.