Herb Chimichurri-Inspired Sauce

Herb Chimichurri-Inspired Sauce is a take on the popular Latin sauce! I’m using lots of herbs for more flavor profiles and yum!

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Chimichurri, a delicious South American and Mexican creation, is a distinctive marinade or sauce. 

Typically it’s used on grilled meat. However, I find that I can use it on so many things. 

Chimichurri Sauce

Traditionally, chimichurri sauce is made with parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and chili pepper flakes. Sometimes cilantro is used. 

Often referred to as the Argentinean barbeque sauce, chimichurri can distinctively influence even the taste of bread! 

How to Make Chimichurri Sauce

Making chimichurri sauce is quite simple and easy. I like to make then let it sit a few hours so those flavors bloom and meld together. 

When making the sauce I like to make a lot, like about a cup and a half or two. That’s because we’ll go through it like gang busters using it on everything from a sliced tomato with salt, pepper and chimichurri for lunch to marinading and grilling shrimp skewers! 

Best Chimichurri Recipe

What I think makes this the best chimichurri sauce? It’s definitely all the herbs! And, if you’re not aware of the powerful health benefits of herbs, well read on. I mean herbs aren’t just for garnish and pretty! 

Why’s it called chimichurri! Well,  here’s what the BBC says:

“There are various legends about the birth of chimichurri and its name, with the most famous claiming that it was 19th-Century Irish immigrant James (Jimmy) McCurry, who, longing for Worcestershire sauce – a popular condiment in the UK and Ireland that’s made of vinegar, molasses, garlic, anchovies and other ingredients – decided to create another flavoursome condiment with local ingredients. Supposedly, the sauce took his name “Jimmy McCurry”, which became “chimichurri” with Argentinian pronunciation.

Others believe the name “chimichurri” came about in the early 1800s during the failed British invasion of Rio de la Plata, the estuary that separates Argentina from Uruguay, when captive British soldiers asked for condiments by saying, “give me the curry”, which Argentines translated into “chimichurri”. Still another story alleges that the sauce arrived in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries with Basque migrants, who with their millenary wood-fired grilling culture brought along tximitxurri (pronounced “cheemeechooree”), a Basque-style herb sauce that typically includes herbs, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and Espelette pepper.”

Herb Chimichurri Recipe

By adding the additional herbs, and I’m talking a lot of different ones, you achieve a more intense herby flavor. 

If you want to stick with traditional chimichurri, then stick with the parsley, both flat and curly, and cilantro. You can use this recipe for both. 

Homemade Chimichurri

Of course, homemade is usually always better. And, that bodes well for things like my homemade harissa as well as my za’atar spice mixtures! 

So many things I keep on my counter most all the time, salt, pepper, and chimichurri! 

Herb Chimichurri-Inspired Sauce

Yield: Makes: About 12 ounces

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Ingredients

• 1 cup herbs, finely chopped, packed, 8-10 different herbs, 2-3 sprigs of each and a couple of more of your favorites, basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, chives, mint, oregano, tarragon, marjoram, lavender, dill, chervil, fennel, sage, etc.
• 3 Tbl. sweet onions, finely minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Destem the herbs. Finely mince all together.
2. Add all ingredients into a bowl and blend well.
3. Pour into a storage container like a Mason or Ball jar.

Notes

This will store at room temperature for about 5-7 days. If keeping longer than that, I'd recommend refrigerating.

If refrigerated, remove ahead of time when using as the oils will be congealed and need to come to room temperature.

Don't microwave. It just is too intense for the fine herbs and olive oil in my humble opinion.

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