This famous sauce from Argentina is made with parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil. It’s quick to make and will take your next steak dinner to a whole new level!
Chimichurri Steak
I think of Chimichurri as South America’s answer to pesto. Except…..dare I say it…better. It’s just as flavourful, but fresher, not as rich because of the slight tang from vinegar and plenty of garlic. And here’s the secret about Chimichurri Sauce. By itself, Chimichurri Sauce is kind of bland. However, when you eat it with steak, that is when the magic happens. It is incredible. Seriously SO GOOD. Chimichurri Sauce and Steak are a match made in heaven. Like tomato and basil. Cheese and wine. They are just “meant to be”. Just one bite of Chimichurri Steak is all you need to understand why South Americans are mad for this stuff!
What goes in Chimichurri Sauce
Here’s what you need. It’s especially great if you’ve got an abundant supply of home grown parsley because it’s a great way to use lots of it! You’ll see plenty of variations around the place, but this is a classic version. Some versions use fresh red chilli instead of dried. While fresh chilli looks better because you get more vibrant bits of red in the Chimichurri Sauce, dried pepper flakes adds better flavour than fresh.
Chimchurri Sauce – super easy to make!
Chimichurri Sauce is ridiculously easy to make. If you have a food processor. 🙂 For convenience, I usually throw everything into a food processor but I sometimes chop the parsley by hand too.
Best steak for Chimichurri Steak?
Chimchurri Sauce is brilliant paired with any steak suited to grilling. But in a nod to its Argentinian roots, I like to pair it with cuts traditionally used in South America such as flat iron, flank and skirt steak. Flat Iron is my personal favourite – it’s softly marbled with fat so it’s tender and has a great beefy flavour. I prefer it over more expensive cuts like tenderloin – better texture and flavour!
While Chimichurri Sauce is especially great paired with the strong beefy flavours of steak, it’s also terrific with other proteins – chicken, turkey, fish, prawns/shrimp – as well as vegetables. It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge and freezes very well too. So it’s a terrific one to have on hand for quick steak dinners! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Originally published August 2016. Updated in July 2019 with brand new photos, new video and new writing – no change to recipe, readers love it as is!
How to cut meat “across the grain”
For all proteins, including chicken (especially breast), the best way to cut slices is “across the grain” to ensure every piece is as tender as it can be. It isn’t always easy to see the direction of the fibres in some meats, but it is usually very clear in steaks like skirt, flank and flat iron which are traditionally used for Chimichurri Steak!
Life of Dozer
What torture this must be for Dozer….to be so close and yet so far, from this big juicy Chimichurri Steak….. No garlic loaded beef for Dozer! Garlic is bad for dogs!
