Green Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri is a green sauce that is generally made from fresh oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and crushed red peppers. In this version, I have added fresh mint for extra flavor. This bright green tangy Chimichurri sauce is excellent as a marinade, and makes a delicious sauce. It pairs perfectly with beef, but also goes well with chicken or fish.
There are several different variations of this sauce, all using fresh herbs, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. The mint in this version sets it apart from the traditional recipe. Vinegar is what makes the sauce so tangy and acidic. I LOVE a sauce with vinegar, don’t you?
Chimichurri originally comes from Argentina. The sauce is incredibly flavorful and tangy, often served with beef or lamb. It is amazing with steaks, sausage, chicken, really anything. I love being able to use something for both a sauce and a marinade. It really drives the fresh flavors home, and keeps them consistent throughout the dish.
The stuff is so good I could drink it. It is aromatic, fresh, and so full of flavor! The vinegar and crushed red peppers give it zest and spice, which sets this apart from a pesto.
Sauce Process
When blending the chimichurri, you can use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor. I usually use a food processor because I like to have it a little chunky. For a smoother consistency, a blender or immersion blender would work best.
If you are going to use the sauce as a marinade as well, make sure to set some aside before using it all with the raw meat. It goes so well with vegetables, too! I love to make a lot of this sauce to be able to do different things with it. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays if you have a lot left over.
Things to make with chimichurri sauce:
- Chicken salad
- Salad dressing
- Pasta – add some cream if you want!
- Spread on a sandwich
- Add to a baked potato or sweet potato
- Mix with eggs or an omelet
- Pasta salad
- Homemade pizza or flatbread
- Fancy fries – add feta, diced tomatoes, olives
- Potato salad
- Meatballs
Want more marinade recipes? Check out these:
Green Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 2 bunches flat Italian parsley
- ¼ cup fresh oregano
- ¼ cup fresh mint stems removed
- ¼ of a red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp crushed red peppers add more for more spice
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ a lemon juiced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove mint from steams. Roughly chop all herbs and onion.
- Add all ingredients, besides olive oil, to a food processor. Pulse a few times, then turn on low until mixture looks well chopped and combined.
- While food processor is on low, slowly drizzle in olive oil until you reach a desired consistency. I like mine to be thin and pourable.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors marry.
- Use ½ - 1 cup of sauce to marinade meat, rubbing it all over the surfaces.
- Reserve the remainder of the chimichurri for sauce.