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Get It NowA good sirloin steak or filet mignon doesn’t need much. The best cuts of meat are flavorful 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 easy chimichurri sauce recipe does.
You can also serve this healthy condiment over any steak (or even steak and eggs), use it as a marinade, or even drizzle it over your veggie side dishes, such as a cauliflower steak recipe or roasted eggplant recipe. It will definitely brighten up the flavors!
I actually first made this sauce together with some amazing steak tips. If you want to pair them together, grab the steak bites appetizer recipe here or make my chimichurri steak as a main course.
What Is Chimichurri Sauce?
Chimichurri sauce is a South American condiment that originated in Argentina and Uruguay, made from fresh herbs, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. It is traditionally served with roasted or grilled meats, but can also be enjoyed over other dishes.
Why You’ll Love This Chimichurri Recipe
- Fresh, herby, and tangy flavors
- Just 6 simple ingredients (plus salt)
- Ready in 5 minutes
- No fuss, super easy chimichurri sauce recipe
- Great on grilling recipes and steak
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best chimichurri sauce ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I used extra virgin here, but any plain olive oil would work.
- White Wine Vinegar – Some chimichurri recipes use white wine vinegar and others use red wine vinegar. You can use either. You could also use lemon juice.
- Fresh Parsley – Use fresh parsley (dried is not recommended here). If your parsley is exceptionally dark and mature, it can be more bitter than younger parsley. Some versions of this sauce also include cilantro, so you can replace some of the parsley with that if you enjoy the flavor.
- Garlic – For the best taste, I recommend using fresh minced garlic, but you could use 2 teaspoons jarred garlic for convenience. For more aromatic flavor, you could also include minced red onion, though it’s not authentic.
- Dried Oregano – Dried oregano elevates the flavor, providing a subtle but distinct earthy warmth. You could also use fresh oregano if you prefer (triple the amount).
- Sea Salt
- Crushed Red Pepper – Red pepper flakes can make this chimichurri sauce recipe spicy. I recommend starting with just a bit and adjusting to taste.
VARIATION: Make red sauce!
The less common rojo (red) variation would not be considered an authentic chimichurri sauce, but it’s still delicious. Simply add a few tablespoons of diced fresh tomatoes and red bell peppers.
How To Make Chimichurri Sauce
This section shows how to make this recipe for chimichurri, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Making this chimichurri sauce recipe is super simple! The easiest way is to chop the parsley, then combine the ingredients in a glass jar and shake it. You could also whisk in a small bowl if you prefer.
Add more salt and crushed red pepper to taste, if needed.
TIP: For faster prep, use a food processor.
Instead of chopping ingredients by hand, you can simply add them to a food processor instead. Be sure not to over-process, so the sauce retains some texture.
Storage Instructions
Store this chimichurri recipe in an airtight container in the fridge (such as a mason jar). It will keep for at least a week, sometimes even 2 weeks.
The sauce is a brighter green at first and gets darker over time, but that doesn’t actually matter.
Can You Freeze Chimichurri Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze chimichurri sauce. The easiest way to freeze it is to pour it into ice cube trays and place it in the freezer. Once solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag if you’d like.
Thaw the cubes as needed when you want to use it for steak night.
Recipes To Use Chimichurri Sauce For Steak
The most popular way to use this sauce is as a condiment for steak (or chicken). You can drizzle it on top or dip each bite. Here are some of classic steak recipes to try it with:
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (5 Minutes!)
Want to know how to make chimichurri sauce? It takes just 5 minutes! This easy chimichurri sauce recipe is the perfect topping for steak.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Chop the parsley finely.
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Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake until emulsified.
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Adjust sea salt and red pepper to taste, if needed.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tbsp
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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27 Comments
Healing Tomato
0We love chimichurri sauce for marinating, but would always buy it from the store. Having made this recipe now, I will never get the store bought version again. This was super easy and super tasty!
Jessica
0Chimichurri sauce is probably half of the reason I frequent a particular restaurant in my neighborhood. I was delighted to find a recipe that results in a very similar flavor– but when I make it at home I can turn up the heat! I use the full 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and then some.
Jane
0I love your sauce! It’s so easy to make, and it tastes amazing. I just made a batch of chimichurri sauce that I’m going to serve with some grilled salmon tonight, and my whole family loved it.
Elizabeth S
0This was yummy. I served mine with steak and roasted potatoes which really lightened up the dish. I will make this again. Oh and I had a small amount of cilantro leftover from Taco Tuesday so I added that in as well. YUMMY.
Giangi Townsend
0My favorite sauce to make during the summer months and it goes well with everything. We enjoy it over fish and chicken. A must-have in my refrigerator.
Karen
0Was a little unsure with the parsley quantities given..but went with gut, The bites turned out superb and this was a great addition. Will certainly make again!!
Carol
0Excellent recipe! So quick to make and super healthy! Thank you
Ellan
0Hi, 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
0This 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
0This was great! Definitely recommend as a sauce with grilled shrimp. I’m excited about what to come up with for leftovers.
Carolina
0Hello. For the parsley. Is it 3/4 after chopped or before?
Wholesome Yum A
0This is 3/4 cup before chopping, Carolina.
Connie Saltarelli
0Can I use fresh oregano? I have a bunch in my garden…
Wholesome Yum
0That should work, Connie! Keep in mind you’ll probably have to use more than you would with the dried version.
Ray Perez
0Suggestion. 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
0Hi 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
0I 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
0The 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
0Me as 100% Argentinian say that is pretty authentic!
Abeer
0This looks so good! Totally serving it with steak today.
April
0This chimichurri sauce is sooooo good! We put it on our steaks and everybody raved about it.
Jules Shepard
0I 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
0Thank you, Jules! Hope you love it.
Florence
0Sounds delicious. I’m going to try it. Thank You.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like it, Florence!
Roberta
0Can 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
0Hi Roberta, Yes, you can definitely use apple cider vinegar instead if you’d like.