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This easy chimichurri sauce recipe is herby, garlicky, and tangy with a hint of spicy heat. It takes just 10 minutes to make and kicks up of the flavor of churrasco steak (or other grilled meat), vegetables, and more!
The first time I had this sauce was at a Brazilian steakhouse. It was in the salad bar along with a couple other house-made condiments.
I love fresh herb-based sauces like pesto, and as soon as I saw chimichurri I knew I wanted to try it. Spooned on top of grilled ribeye, it was what steak had been missing my whole life!
Hailing from Argentina and Uruguay, this fresh healthy sauce is used there as a marinade or condiment for grilled meat. It packs a bold punch of flavor and is very easy to make, even without a food processor.
But it goes so far beyond just grilled steak. It’s great on chicken and seafood, grilled vegetables, as a dressing for green salads or pasta salads, and the list goes on. If you’ve never had this herbaceous condiment, you’re in for a real treat!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Look for flat-leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley) for the best flavor in your chimichurri. Curly leaf parsley just doesn’t pack the same punch!
- Fresh cilantro – I love using a mix of both fresh parsley and cilantro for this herby sauce. Cilantro adds a fresh, bright note that really bumps up the flavor! However, for the authentic version, omit the cilantro and use more parsley instead.
- Fresh oregano – Oregano is another ingredient in traditional chimichurri. It’s herbaceous with a robust peppery, slightly bitter flavor, so a little goes a long way. If you don’t have fresh oregano, in a pinch you can use 2 teaspoons of dried oregano.
- Red wine vinegar – Adds a touch of acid to brighten the sauce.
- Garlic – Garlic is a key ingredient in authentic chimichurri sauce. It adds complexity that blends beautifully with everything else.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – For a little kick of spicy heat. You can omit the crushed red pepper flakes if you prefer, or add more or less to taste.
- Coarse kosher salt – Salt brings out the flavor of everything else. If you’re using fine salt instead of coarse, just use less.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Go for the good stuff here because its flavor will really shine through.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl.
- Stir everything together. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend before serving.
Pro Tips For the Best Chimichurri Sauce
- For best results, chop the herbs by hand instead of using a food processor. It’s easy to over-process and/or damage herbs in a food processor! Also, note that we don’t want an herb paste here; we just want them finely chopped.
- I add more or less olive oil depending on how I’m going to use this condiment, so feel free to do the same. If I’m using it as salad dressing, I use 3/4 cup olive oil and I’m using it as a sauce for steak, chicken, or fish I use 1/2 cup olive oil.
Storage
This is a great make-ahead condiment! You can store this sauce for up to 2 weeks in a covered glass jar in the fridge. Or pop it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Authentic chimichurri contains parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and sometimes pepper flakes.
This version uses half parsley and half cilantro because I love the fresh, bright flavor that cilantro adds. However, to make this recipe authentically, omit the cilantro and use 1 full bunch of parsley.
This might sound weird, but the garlic, olive oil, and oregano in this sauce paired with parsley give it a garlic-bread-like flavor to me! (Of course without the bread, lol.)
Chimichurri has a fresh, bright flavor thanks to the herbs. It’s garlicky with a slight tang from vinegar and richness from olive oil. Lastly, it has a little kick because of crushed red pepper flakes.
You’re going to love it!
How To Use Chimichurri
Once you try this sauce, you will think of a ton of different ways to use it! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Marinade for steak and chicken (before grilling)
- Sauce for grilled steak and chicken (after grilling)
- Marinade or sauce for seafood, such as shrimp or salmon
- Also, as a marinade or sauce for grilled vegetables (like zucchini, bell peppers, etc.)
- Tossed with pasta (instead of pesto)
- Drizzled on a salad (instead of dressing)
- Dressing for pasta salad (try it in tortellini salad!)
- Dipping sauce for bread (instead of spreading butter on bread)
More Unique Sauces and Condiments to Try
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Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt use less if you're using fine salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil see Notes
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients.
- Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of sauce. Each serving is 2 tablespoons, for a total of 10 servings.
- Cilantro: For the authentic version of this sauce, omit the cilantro and use 1 full bunch of parsley.
- Storage: Store chimichurri for up to 2 weeks in a covered glass jar in the fridge. Or pop it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Red Wine Vinegar Substitute: Swap out the red wine vinegar for lemon juice for a slightly citrusy twist!
- Serving Suggestion: Serve chimichurri along with grilled meat or vegetables, or use it as a marinade (check out the article above for more ideas!).
- Olive Oil Amount: I add more or less olive oil depending on how I’m going to use this condiment, so feel free to do the same. If I’m using it as salad dressing, I use 3/4 cup olive oil and I’m using it as a sauce for steak, chicken, or fish I use 1/2 cup olive oil.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on August 15, 2022 and updated on June 6, 2025.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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