Argentina's iconic herb-and-garlic sauce — finely chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil for every grilled meat.
Chimichurri is Argentina's national table sauce — a vivid green slick of finely chopped parsley, dried oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, served alongside every cut of grilled meat at the asado. The sauce is uncooked; the only 'work' is finely chopping the herbs by hand (food processors bruise them and turn the sauce muddy). The acid cuts through fatty short ribs, the garlic punches the slow-rendered fat, and the oregano adds a high-pitched herbal lift. Beyond steak, chimichurri is used on grilled chicken, sausages, vegetables, and even as a marinade. The name's origin is debated — possibly from a Basque immigrant called Jimmy Curry, possibly from the Quechua. Either way it's the most-stocked condiment in any Argentine kitchen.
Serves 8
Wash and dry the parsley very thoroughly — wet parsley dilutes the sauce. Chop the leaves very finely with a sharp knife. Do not use a food processor: it bruises the herbs and turns the sauce muddy gray. Place in a bowl.
Rub dried oregano between your palms to release the oils, then add to the parsley.
Mince garlic very finely — almost to a paste. Add to the bowl along with red pepper flakes, paprika (if using), salt, and black pepper.
Pour in vinegar and lemon juice. Stir. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while stirring. The sauce should be loose, vivid green, slightly oily on top.
Cover and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes minimum, ideally 2 hours. The flavors marry — garlic mellows, oregano hydrates, parsley relaxes.
Should taste bright with acid, sharp with garlic, slightly hot. Adjust salt and vinegar. Stir before each serving — chimichurri separates as it sits.
Spoon over grilled steak, chicken, sausages, or roasted vegetables. Bring to the table in a bowl with a small spoon — diners help themselves. Keep extra at the grill for basting.
Hand-chop the parsley — food processors bruise and discolor. This is the entire trick.
Use the BEST olive oil you have — chimichurri is mostly oil, so its character matters.
Rest at room temperature, not the fridge — cold dulls the herbs and seizes the oil.
Chimichurri rojo: add 1 small roasted red pepper, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp tomato paste.
Chimichurri verde with cilantro: replace half the parsley with cilantro — more Uruguayan.
Marinade version: increase oil to 200 ml, use as a 4-hour marinade for skirt steak.
Refrigerate in a glass jar up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving — the oil solidifies cold. Color dulls slightly with age but flavor improves.
Chimichurri is documented in Argentine cookbooks from the 1880s, when Basque immigrants and gauchos developed it as a portable condiment for long cattle drives across the pampas. By the 1950s it had become an inseparable accompaniment to every asado and remains the most-stocked sauce in Argentine pantries.
Yes — use 3 tbsp fresh leaves instead of 2 tbsp dried. Texture is different but excellent.
Mildly so — Argentines use about 1 tsp red pepper flakes for a noticeable but not aggressive heat. Adjust to taste.
Per serving (40g) · 8 servings total
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