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Chimichurri sauce in a ceramic bowl on dark wood

Chimichurri Sauce

A bright, herbaceous chimichurri sauce with parsley, cilantro, and lime. Ready in 10 minutes. The finishing sauce that goes on everything.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chimichurri
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Method
 

Make the Chimichurri
  1. Add parsley, cilantro, oregano, shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and salt to a blender.
    2. Pack in the parsley stems and all. The stems have just as much flavor as the leaves and they blend down completely. No need to spend time picking them off individually.
  2. Blend on low to combine, then slowly stream in the olive oil while blending until the sauce is smooth and emulsified. Do not over-blend.
    3. Streaming the oil in slowly while blending creates an emulsification instead of a pool of separated oil. The emulsified version clings to protein. The separated version slides right off.
  3. Taste and adjust salt, acid, and heat. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
    4. The rest is not optional. Raw herbs straight out of the blender are sharp and one-dimensional. After twenty minutes the acids have worked and the sauce settles into something more complex and cohesive.

Notes

Plating. Spoon chimichurri directly over the protein right before service. Do not let it sit in a warm kitchen for hours or the green will dull. Make it fresh or make it the day before and keep it cold. Color is everything with this sauce.
Wine pairing. Malbec from Mendoza is the classic partner for chimichurri on steak. The grape and the sauce come from the same culinary tradition. For fish with chimichurri, go to Albarino or Sancerre. Both have the acidity and minerality to match. Heavy, oaky wines fight with chimichurri.
Prep ahead. Chimichurri is better after a twenty to thirty minute rest. Make it up to two days ahead, store in an airtight container, and press a thin layer of olive oil against the surface before sealing. Pull it out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before serving. Do not freeze it.
Feeding more people. This recipe makes approximately one quarter cup, enough for four portions as a protein topping. Double freely for six to eight people. For larger groups, make in separate batches rather than scaling further in a single food processor run. Overloading the processor creates uneven texture.
Swaps. No cilantro? Use all parsley and add a small handful of fresh mint for brightness. No fresh oregano? A half teaspoon of dried maximum. Dried herbs are concentrated and will overpower the fresh ones. The lime juice is not decorative. It changes the brightness of the whole sauce in a way red wine vinegar alone cannot replicate.