This easy-to-make fresh, tangy and garlicky Chimichurri Sauce is the perfect way to elevate the flavors of your favorite chicken, seafood, and steak recipes.
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
- Fresh bright flavors that compliment steak, chicken or fish
- Tangy garlicky restaurant quality sauce
- Made with a handful of simple ingredients
- Takes just 5 minutes to make
This bright and tangy chimichurri sauce is perfect for drizzling over grilled meats, fish, and vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for bread. While it may seem intimidating to make it from scratch, it actually couldn’t be easier, using a few simple ingredients that can be tailored to your taste.
Regardless of how you decide to use it, one thing is for sure, this recipe packs a punch of flavor you won't find in store-bought brands. And the best part is, you can make this sauce a day or two in advance of needing, it because the flavors are even better after it's had time to sit for a while.
One of the great things about adding sauces to everyday dishes is that each sauce can change the overall flavor of the meal. Once you see how easy it is to make this chimichurri sauce, you should also give this homemade Easy Pesto a try!
🛒 What’s in Chimichurri Sauce
- Fresh parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh cilantro
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh lime juice
- Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make Chimichurri Sauce
Chop the parsley and cilantro leaves and add them to a mixing bowl.
Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil.
Stream in the olive oil while whisking.
Continue mixing until well combined.
Though authentic chimichurri sauce recipes don’t use a food processor, I like to chop everything first, then give it a brief pulse, just to blend all the ingredients a little better.
Tip: You want to only pulse briefly, so that you don't bruise the fresh herbs too much. This is why I recommend first chopping them finely with a knife, rather than using the food processor as you would with a pesto sauce.
Tip: This step is completely optional. You can just use a whisk if you prefer the classic version, as I did in my Chimichurri Steak recipe.
Serve over any steak, chicken or fish that you like.
Store leftovers in an airtight jar for a few days in the fridge.
What Does Chimichurri Taste Like?
The best way to describe chimichurri sauce is that it’s an explosion of freshness on your palate. While there are several versions, this recipe has a fresh, garlicky, herbal, and slightly spicy taste.
Is Chimichurri Sauce Healthy?
One look at the ingredients list, and you can see that this recipe is made with fresh, wholesome ingredients that are healthy and nutritious.
Homemade chimichurri sauce is almost always a healthier choice than store-bought versions, that’s often loaded with sodium, preservatives, and added sugars. Making your own sauce at home allows you to control the amount and quality of ingredients you use.
What Do You Eat Chimichurri With?
It’s typically served with steak, like this Grilled Skirt Steak recipe, but it’s wonderful served in many other ways. Here are some popular choices.
- Toss with hot roasted or grilled vegetables, like this Grilled Broccolini, for a delicious low-carb side dish.
- Stir some into this homemade Mayonnaise for a flavorful creamy spread to serve with these Ranch Crackers or fresh veggies.
- Toast slices of this Keto Braided Herb Bread and serve the sauce on the side as a dip.
- Use it as a tangy topping for a bunless burger.
- Make a wrap with these Keto Homemade Tortillas. Add roasted vegetables, a protein of your choice, and feta cheese, with some of this Chimichurri as the sauce.
- Add some as a topping for this tasty Beef Barbacoa!
- Wake up the flavors of those boring morning eggs with a hearty drizzle of chimichurri sauce.
- Add a dollop to a bowl of Taco Soup.
- Drizzle it over this Caprese Salad to add a new twist on a classic salad.
What's the Difference Between Salsa Verde, Pesto and Chimichurri?
They are all fantastic condiments made with an array of bright and fresh herbs, they have a few key differences that give them different flavors and textures:
- Salsa Verde: Typically includes anchovies and capers to give it a salty, punchy flavor.
- Pesto: Includes parmesan or pecorino cheese, and pine nuts that give the sauce a little more texture than chimichurri sauce.
- Chimichurri: Depending on the version, some type of vinegar is added to give chimichurri its classic puckery tang.
🍽️ More Keto Sauces
- Bearnaise Sauce
- Easy Alfredo Sauce
- Easy Cheese Sauce for Veggies
- Bang Bang Sauce
- Buffalo Cheese Sauce
- Homemade Pesto
- Buffalo Wing Sauce
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Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅔ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Chop the parsley and cilantro leaves and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil.
- Stream in the olive oil while whisking and continue mixing until well combined.
- While I realize that authentic chimichurri sauce doesn’t use a food processor, I do like to chop everything first, then give it a brief pulse, just to blend all the ingredients a little better. This step is completely optional. You can just use a whisk if you prefer the classic version, as I did in my Chimichurri Steak recipe.
- Serve over any steak, chicken or fish that you like.
- Store leftovers in an airtight jar for a few days in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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Rate this Recipe*Originally published on April 28, 2023, updated on February 11, 2025 with improvements to the recipe, new photos, new recipe information and helpful tips.
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