Chimichurri sauce brings finely chopped herbs together with raw garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. This version uses both parsley and cilantro, keeping the site’s equal one-cup measures. It is a chunky condiment mixed in a bowl, rather than a cooked gravy or a smooth cream sauce.
Allow a thirty-minute refrigerated rest for chimichurri sauce after mixing. The eight portions are condiment portions shared from the batch, not eight cups or a precise tablespoon yield. Use a clean spoon to pass it at the table, with separately prepared grilled food or vegetables.
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Why This Recipe Works
Fine chopping distributes the herbs and garlic through the oil without making a puree. Red wine vinegar provides acidity, and a measured teaspoon of pepper flakes gives a starting heat level. Chimichurri sauce is stirred again before serving because the oil can separate while it rests.
The sauce is uncooked, so washing and drying the herbs is part of preparation. Drying also limits the rinse water carried into the bowl. This cilantro-containing version is described as inspired by the style rather than presented as the only traditional formula.
Ingredients for Chimichurri Sauce
Measure each herb after finely chopping it, using loosely filled cups rather than a tightly compressed lump. Remove tough stems and keep tender leaf pieces. Chimichurri sauce uses four garlic cloves minced finely, a half cup olive oil, and a quarter cup red wine vinegar; red wine itself is not the listed ingredient.
Salt and pepper are to taste. Begin modestly, stir, and taste the clean sauce before adjusting. The pepper flakes are part of this version, but their heat varies. Use a clean covered container large enough to stir without spilling and label it with the preparation date for storage.
Fresh Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (one loosely filled cup measured after fine chopping; washed and dried)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (one loosely filled cup measured after fine chopping; washed and dried)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Adjust based on heat preference)
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Sauce Base
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (Add more for acidity if desired)
How to Make Chimichurri Sauce
Rinse parsley and cilantro under running water, drain, and dry thoroughly. Chop with a sharp knife on a clean board, then measure the cups. Mince garlic so one large raw piece does not dominate a spoonful.
Combine herbs and garlic in a bowl. Stir in olive oil and vinegar until the chopped pieces are distributed, then add pepper flakes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Chimichurri sauce should remain visibly chopped; a blender can turn the same ingredients into a different texture.
Cover and refrigerate for thirty minutes so the flavors have time together. Stir again, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. A short refrigerated rest belongs in the total schedule; there is no stove stage and no heating instruction to follow.
Take out only the chimichurri sauce needed for serving. If using some as a raw-meat marinade, transfer that portion to a separate container before it contacts meat. Never return a used brush or raw-meat marinade to the clean table sauce.
How to Serve
Pass chimichurri sauce alongside cooked steak, roasted vegetables, or a bean dish, and start with a small spoonful. Oil and vinegar can collect underneath, so stir gently before spooning. Eight shared condiment portions is the recipe yield, while the main dish and its cooking time are separate. Do not label a full plate’s nutrition from the sauce alone.
Storage
Keep chimichurri sauce refrigerated at 40°F or below and use within four days, or freeze promptly in small portions for longer storage. The raw garlic and herbs in oil require cold storage; this vinegar measure is not a verified preservation process. Do not can it or keep it as a room-temperature pantry condiment. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator and use clean utensils each time.
For storing raw garlic and herbs in oil, follow Oregon State University Extension’s four-day refrigeration or freezing guidance.
Tips and Variations
Chopping by hand gives control over texture, and consistent garlic pieces make the sharpness easier to manage. Chimichurri sauce may look greener when fresh and darker after storage; appearance or smell cannot establish that an improperly stored batch is safe.
Do not extend refrigerator storage because vinegar is present. Keep the conservative four-day maximum for this unvalidated herb-and-oil mixture. Freezing small portions is useful when only a little sauce is needed, because repeatedly leaving the whole container out warms more food than necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are herbs measured before chopping?
Measure the one-cup portions after finely chopping for this chimichurri sauce version.
Does the sauce need cooking?
No. It is mixed and given a thirty-minute refrigerated rest.
Can I keep it in a cupboard?
No. Chimichurri sauce with raw garlic and herbs in oil needs refrigeration or freezing.
Does vinegar guarantee long storage?
No. This recipe is not a verified acidification or canning process.
Can table sauce double as a marinade?
Set aside a separate portion before raw-meat contact; keep the clean serving sauce separate.
More Recipes to Try
- Cowboy Butter Steak Bites with Garlic and Smoked Paprika
- Perfectly Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
- Roasted Green Beans with Garlic and Parmesan
- Greek Bean Salad with Lemon Marinated Beans
Parsley Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
Fresh Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped one loosely filled cup measured after fine chopping; washed and dried
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped one loosely filled cup measured after fine chopping; washed and dried
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Adjust based on heat preference
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Sauce Base
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar Add more for acidity if desired
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and finely chop herbs; measure 1 cup parsley and 1 cup cilantro. Mince garlic separately.
- Stir herbs and garlic with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add pepper flakes, then salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and rest in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Stir before serving eight shared condiment portions.
- Refrigerate promptly and use within 4 days or freeze. Separate any raw-meat marinade portion from the clean table sauce.
