Once you try this easy chimichurri sauce, you'll be hooked, truly. It's bright, zesty, and fresh, and I find myself spooning it onto just about everything.

This isn't just a sauce; it's a vibrant green lifeline for your dinner, a quick splash of joy that transforms the simplest meals.

Why This Sauce Feels Like a Secret Weapon

There's a special kind of magic in a recipe that takes mere minutes but delivers a flavor punch that feels like you've been cooking for hours.

That's chimichurri, for you. It comes from Argentina and Uruguay, a bold, herby sauce born to accompany fire-kissed grilled meats.

But honestly, its true genius lies in its rebellious spirit. It refuses to be pigeonholed. Our easy version captures that spirit perfectly—fresh parsley, grassy olive oil, sharp vinegar, punchy garlic, and just a whisper of heat.

It’s less of a strict recipe and more of a vibrant principle you can make your own.

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

• Fresh Parsley (2 cups packed): The verdant, grassy heart of the sauce. Use both leaves and tender stems for maximum flavor.
• Garlic (3 to 4 cloves): Provides that essential, zesty kick that mellows beautifully as it sits with the vinegar.
• Shallot (1 medium): Offers a brighter, sweeter onion note compared to regular onion, which blends in seamlessly.
• Dried Oregano (½ teaspoon): Adds a subtle, earthy depth that makes the flavor profile more interesting and complex.
• Fine Sea Salt (½ to ¾ teaspoon): Awakens and balances all the other vibrant ingredients in the bowl.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (½ to 1 teaspoon): Introduces a gentle, adjustable warmth that lingers pleasantly on the palate.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (½ cup): The silky, rich base that brings everything together into a cohesive, lush sauce.
• Red Wine Vinegar (¼ to ⅓ cup): Delivers the essential tangy, bright acidity that defines chimichurri and cuts through richness.

How to make Easy Chimichurri Sauce?

Step 1 - Choose Your Method

You have two wonderful paths here, and both lead to deliciousness. If you enjoy a quiet, meditative moment in the kitchen, grab your favorite chef's knife.

Chopping by hand gives you a beautifully rustic texture where you can see every fleck of herb and shallot. If you're short on time, or just love a good kitchen gadget, the food processor is your brilliant ally.

Step 2 - Prepare the Aromatics

For the hand-chopped route, start by mincing your garlic and shallot as finely as you can manage, and toss them into a medium bowl.

If using the processor, simply pulse the peeled garlic cloves and roughly chopped shallot until they're nicely minced, pausing to scrape down the sides.

Step 3 - Incorporate the Herbs and Spices

Now, finely chop your mounds of fresh parsley, then add it to the bowl with the aromatics. Sprinkle in the dried oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes.

For the processor method, add the parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper flakes to the bowl, and pulse until everything is finely chopped but not pureed.

Step 4 - Bring It All Together

Pour the glistening olive oil and the sharp red wine vinegar over your herb mixture. Stir everything vigorously with a fork or spoon until it's beautifully combined.

In the processor, with the motor running, drizzle in the oil and vinegar through the feed tube and just pulse a few final times to emulsify.

Step 5 - The Most Important Step: Wait

This part requires a little patience, but it's non-negotiable. Let the sauce sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before you dive in.

This waiting period is where the alchemy happens—the vinegar softens the raw edge of the garlic and shallot, and all the flavors cozy up and meld.

The Simple Joy of Serving Chimichurri

This is where the fun really begins. Of course, it’s legendary spooned over a perfectly grilled steak, its acidity cutting through the rich fat.

But please, don't stop there. Drag a piece of crusty bread through it for an instant appetizer. Drizzle it over roasted carrots or pan-seared cauliflower steaks.

It wakes up simple baked fish or shrimp with incredible zeal. I’ve even been known to swirl a spoonful into my morning scrambled eggs, and I have no regrets.

Tips

• Taste as You Go: After it rests, always give it a final taste. You might want an extra pinch of salt, another dash of vinegar for more zing, or more pepper flakes for heat.
• Herb Flexibility: While parsley is classic, feel free to swap in up to half a cup of fresh cilantro or mint for a different, equally delightful herbal character.
• Vinegar Varieties: Red wine vinegar is traditional, but white wine vinegar or even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice can work in a pinch for a slightly different brightness.

Navigating Substitutions and Swaps

No shallot? A quarter of a small red onion, minced very fine, can stand in, though its flavor will be a bit more assertive.

If you have a fresh chili pepper like a jalapeño on hand, finely chop it (seeds removed for less heat) and use it instead of the dried flakes for a vibrant, fresh kick.

And for the oregano, if you have a fresh sprig, two teaspoons of chopped fresh leaves will be lovely, though the dried version offers a more concentrated, earthy note that I really enjoy.

Storing Your Liquid Emerald

This sauce is truly at its peak the day you make it, when the parsley is its most vibrant green and the flavors are sharp and distinct.

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The color will dull, inevitably, but the flavor remains wonderfully tasty.

For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays. Once solid, pop the cubes into a freezer bag. They’ll keep for about a month, ready to thaw overnight and bring a burst of summer to a future meal.