How to Make Chimichurri

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 6, 2021

Chimichurri is an Argentinean green sauce. While traditional chimichurri sauce features parsley and oregano, adaptations substitute the fresh herbs with cilantro. This versatile sauce can be used as a marinade for meats, a dip for veggies, or condiment for tacos.

Ingredients

Making a Traditional Chimichurri Sauce

2 cups freshly minced parsley (packed)
3 tbsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. minced oregano
1 ½ tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 to 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar

Making a Chimichurri Aioli Sauce

¾ cup destemmed cilantro
1 green onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. jarred jalapeños
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp. organic mayo

Making an Avocado Chimichurri Sauce

1 ½ cups freshly minced parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flake
3 to 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 small, ripe avocado

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making a Traditional Chimichurri Sauce

1
Destem and mince the fresh parsley. Remove the parsley leaves from the stems. Place the leaves on a cutting board and mince them with a chef’s knife. Place 2 cups of tightly packed parsley in a bowl and set to the side.
- This will leave you larger pieces of parsley. If you prefer finer parsley, place the leaves in your food processor and pulse until fine.^{[1]
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2
Destem and mince the fresh oregano. Strip the stems of the fresh oregano leaves. Put the leaves on a cutting board and chop finely with a large chef’s knife. Scoop 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of oregano into a bowl and set to the side.
- If you prefer finer oregano, put the leaves in your food processor and pulse until fine.^{[2]
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3
Mince the garlic. Smash the cloves of garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife. This will make it easier to peel the cloves. Remove the peel and mince the cloves of garlic by hand. Put 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of garlic into a bowl and set aside.^{[3]
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4
Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour the minced parsley, oregano, and garlic into a mixing bowl. Add 1 ½ tablespoons red pepper flakes and stir. Pour in 1 cup extra virgin olive oil and ¼ cup red wine vinegar. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. If the sauce looks dry, add up to ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil.^{[4]
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5
Can the sauce and let the flavors intensify. Pour, or decant, the chimichurri sauce into the sealed container of your choice. Leave the sauce on the counter overnight. The longer you wait to use the sauce, the more intense the flavor will become.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Making a Chimichurri Aioli Sauce

1
Destem the cilantro. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stem. For this recipe, you need ¾ cup destemmed cilantro leaves. Measure and pour the leaves into your food processor.^{[6]
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2
Combine ingredients in the food processor. In addition to the cilantro, add 1 green onion and 2 cloves of peeled garlic. Measure and pour 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) lime juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) jarred jalapeños into the food processors. Sprinkle in a ½ teaspoon kosher salt.^{[7]
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3
Pulse the ingredients in the food processor. Cover the food processor with the accompanying lid. Pulse the ingredients until every component is approximately the same size. This will take approximately 30 seconds.^{[8]
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4
Add the olive oil. Measure ¼ cup olive oil. Remove the lid and pour the oil into the food processor. Press pulse until the ingredients and blended.^{[9]
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5
Add the organic mayo. Measure 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) organic mayo. Add the mayo to the food processor. Hold down pulse until the ingredients are combined.^{[10]
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6
Can and store the aioli. Transfer the chimichurri aioli to a sealed container. Store the sauce in the refrigerator. It will last up to one week in the fridge.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Making an Avocado Chimichurri Sauce

1
Destem and mince the parsley. Remove the parsley leaves from the stem. Finely chop the leaves on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Measure 1 ½ cups parsley and pour it into a large mixing bowl.^{[12]
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2
Peel and mince the garlic. Smash 3 cloves garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Remove the skin from each clove. On a cutting board, mince the garlic with the chef’s knife. Scoop the minced garlic into the large mixing bowl.^{[13]
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3
Peel and mince a shallot. Remove the skin from one shallot. Quarter, slice, and then mince the shallot. Add the minced shallot to the large mixing bowl.^{[14]
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4
Combine the rest of the ingredients, excluding the avocado. In the large mixing bowl, add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Measure and pour 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) lemon juice. Stir the ingredients with a whisk. If the sauce looks dry, add up to 1 additional tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.^{[15]
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5
Cube the avocado and add the sauce. Remove the skin and nut from the small, ripe avocado. Cut the avocado into cubes. Add the cubed avocado to the chimichurri sauce and toss. Serve immediately.^{[16]
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6
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

How long should I leave the traditional sauce to sit in order to get the best flavor?

Community Answer

I would suggest leaving the sauce for one to two days.