Chimichurri Sauce Recipe (VIDEO!)

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A 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 cauliflower steaks or roasted eggplant. 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.

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

Chimichurri sauce on a spoon over a jar.

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.

Chimichurri sauce recipe ingredients measured out.

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.

Steak next to chimichurri sauce on a plate.

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:

Perfect grilled steak recipe partially sliced.

Grilled Sirloin Steak

Flank steak in the oven, finished and being sliced on a cutting board, with cilantro and lime

Roasted Flank Steak

New York Strip

Air Fryer Filet Mignon

Cast iron rib eye recipe with compound butter.

Ribeye Steak

Chuck Eye Steak

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

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Recipe Video

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Review

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.

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.

Last Step: Leave A Rating!

Rate this recipe

Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram – I’d love to see it!

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 sauce, chimichurri sauce recipe

Calories: 125 kcal

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22 Comments

Karen
0 March 7, 2023Reply

Was 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
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.