What is Chimichurri Sauce Made Of?
Chimichurri sauce is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, and most recipes call for fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. It’s almost like a red wine vinaigrette, but with more of a garlicky herb-forward flavor. (If that sounds weird, you’re just going to have to trust me when I say that it’s delicious.) Here are the ingredients in my chimichurri recipe:
Fresh parlsey Fresh cilantro Garlic Red pepper flakes Red onion Zucchini Olive oil Red wine vinegar
Each ingredients adds its own layer of flavor to this sauce, so I hope you’ll try it as written. I could eat it with a spoon! My version is also made healthier because I swap some of the oil for chopped zucchini, which blends seamlessly into this delicious sauce. It’s already green, after all.
Should I refrigerate Chimichurri?
Since chimichurri sauce is made with plenty of fresh ingredients, like herbs, garlic, and onion, it definitely needs to be refrigerated when you store it for later. It will thicken up a bit when chilled, so you may want to let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving it again, or you can thin it out with a little extra water.
Is Chimichurri served hot or cold?
I don’t heat up chimichurri sauce to serve it, but you can serve it over a hot or cold entree. It makes a great marinade for your favorite protein (which you can later grill), but I use it most often as a condiment over practically anything. I think it tastes best the first day you make it, so in that case I’m usually serving it at room temperature, but you can also serve it straight from the fridge.
Recipe Notes:
If you don’t have zucchini on hand, you can replace it with up to 1/2 cup of olive oil for a more traditional oil-based chimichurri, or you can try using another neutral-flavored vegetable instead. (Let me know if you try one!) Don’t care for cilantro? Use more parsley instead, and vice versa. But, I really recommend the blend of both! Since you can taste this sauce as you go, feel free to use your intuition and add as much or as little of the ingredients as you like. (For example, use less garlic if you’re not a fan.)
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too! We can all benefit from hearing about your experience. – Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried chimichurri sauce before? I had it over tacos during our recent vacation to Milwaukee
