This Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce recipe is vegan, gluten free, and pairs beautifully with lamb, oven roasted tri-tip, or grilled chicken. It's prepared with fresh herbs, spicy chiles, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. This delicious sauce can also be served as an appetizer or with fresh bread for dipping!
If you haven't heard of chimichurri before, think pesto, but with ten times the flavor and kick! Authentic chimichurri sauce is spicy, fresh, and absolutely delicious!
Traditional chimichurri sauce is sometimes served as an appetizer with fresh bread (similar to chips and salsa). It's also drizzled over steaks, shrimp, and used to make chimichurri mayonnaise.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This authentic chimichurri recipe has a million uses!
- It is super easy to prepare and requires simple ingredients.
- You can adjust the spice level of this cilantro chimichurri sauce based on your preference, but we like it HOT!
- You can add your favorite herbs to put your own twist on this cilantro chimichurri recipe. I know not everyone likes cilantro, so feel free to substitute your favorite herbs!
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
🛒What You Need For This Recipe
🔖Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Herbs: Although it's called "cilantro" chimichurri, I like to include other herbs to give the sauce a well-rounded flavor profile. Feel free to substitute with other herbs you have on hand. I prefer adding fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, fresh mint and fresh oregano. However, if I'm out of any of these fresh herbs, I don't hesitate to substitute dried herbs. You'll notice I used dried oregano in this recipe.
- Peppers: Peppers give this cilantro chimichurri sauce its spicy kick. You can certainly make the sauce without peppers if you need to. Also, you can adjust the amount of Serranos and add more or less to suit your taste.
- Garlic: I sneak in plenty of fresh garlic cloves into this sauce and highly discourage the use of jarred garlic.
- Vinegar: I like to use red wine vinegar because of its milder flavor.
- Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil!
- Spices: You'll need to add sea salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes. Leave the chili flakes out if you're going for a more mild sauce.
- Optional: Sometimes I add onion to my chimichurri sauce. The best options include shallots, red onion, or scallions.
🥗How to Make Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
Step 1: Add herbs, serranos, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse ingredients until chunky.
Step 2: Empty the contents of the food processor into a bowl. Mix in red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and vinegar.
Step 3: Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl and stir until the sauce comes together. Pour the sauce into a pint sized jar and store in the fridge until needed.
Pro Tip: Be sure to bring the sauce to room temperature before serving as the oil will harden once refrigerated.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
As mentioned earlier, cilantro chimichurri goes with so many dishes! It's a match made in heaven with smoked brisket, smoked prime rib, and grilled chicken. It's also excellent with fish, swirled into pasta, as in this chimichurri protein noodles recipe.
It's also excellent as a base for any pizza recipe including my lavash thing and crispy pizza, and to make a spicy slaw that goes in my crispy tilapia fish burritos recipe. Chimichurri can also be used as a salad dressing and as a marinade.
🤷🏻♀️Recipe FAQs
Chimichurri Sauce is made with fresh ingredients like Italian parsley, cilantro, garlic, and chiles. Other herbs that work great in this versatile sauce include mint and oregano. You can also add shallots and scallions.
The other ingredients in Chimichurri include vinegar and olive oil. I've also seen people use lime juice instead of vinegar.
Chimichurri sauce can be served over meat, poultry, and seafood. It is also served as a dipping sauce; all you need is some crusty bread to serve with it.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Similar to pesto, this condiment can be stirred into pasta for a flavor burst.
- Use chimichurri sauce instead of pizza sauce to make homemade chicken pizza. It's to die for!
- Store leftover cilantro chimichurri sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Make sure to bring the sauce to room temperature before serving it.
🌶Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup Italian parsley
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 medium serrano peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add herbs, serranos, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse ingredients until chunky.
- Empty the contents of the food processor into a bowl. Mix in red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and vinegar.
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl and stir until the sauce comes together. Pour the sauce into a pint sized jar and store in the fridge until needed.
Notes
- Be sure to bring the sauce to room temperature before serving as the oil will harden once refrigerated.
- Similar to pesto, this condiment can be stirred into pasta for a flavor burst.
- Use chimichurri sauce instead of pizza sauce to make homemade chicken pizza. It's to die for!
- Store leftover cilantro chimichurri sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
Vee says
So so good! Nice and spicy without being overwhelming. Love it! Can’t wait to try it on chicken 🥰
Hilda Sterner says
Oooh, chicken, great idea! Come see me in Montana so I can feed you more food. 😉
Vee says
Absolutely!!