Flavorful and fresh 15-minute cilantro parsley chimichurri sauce for your grilled meat, poultry, and vegetables! Combining the flavors of lemon, garlic, and red wine vinegar, this herby sauce is definitely bound to transform your meals.
If you are just like me and enjoy using flavorful sauces for your cooking, then certainly check out this chermoula sauce recipe.
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why this recipe works
There are so many reasons to love this chimichurri recipe with cilantro! Here are a few of my favorites!
- Tasty - this recipe combines the flavors of coriander (cilantro), parsley, various seasonings and red wine vinegar to create the most amazing sauce!
- Easy - a 15-minute recipe that can be made by beginners and experts alike without difficulty.
- Versatile - use cilantro chimichurri sauce for your steak, fish, chicken or pork, as a marinade, spread or even as salad dresing.
- Okay to eat for those on special diets - you will realize that this recipe uses simple, healthy ingredients making it a great option for the Keto, paleo and whole30 diets. At 0.5g net carbs per serving, this cilantro chimichurri recipe is the perfect low carb sauce.
what is chimichurri?
Chimichurri is a sauce that leans towards being more of a vinaigrette, that has its origins in Argentina and Uruguay. It uses parsley, lime juice or vinegar, garlic, fresh oregano, olive oil, onion, red pepper flakes (or Fresno chile), and salt as a base and is normally used as a marinade or condiment.
It is claimed that the name involves the corruption of English words. The claim goes that an English cattle merchant named Jim asked his Argentinian hosts for some curry sauce. With time, Jim’s sauce became Jimmy’s curry and this later became Chimichurri. There is, however, no documentation to support these claims.
Chimichurri has since evolved to include several variations, such as the cilantro chimichurri which is covered in this recipe blog post. Red chimichurri uses sweet smoked paprika and chile amongst other ingredients.
ingredients
Here is a summary of what you will need for this cilantro chimichurri recipe. You will find the full ingredient list together with measurements on the recipe card below.
- Seasoning - course-grained salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Herbs - fresh cilantro (coriander), fresh oregano, and some fresh parsley. Feel free to use both the stems and the leaves. They carry with them so much flavour, it would be a waste to throw them away. Also means less work, as you don’t have to pick out or separate the leaves from the stems.
- Vegetables and fruit - juice from one lemon, chopped scallions (or red onion), garlic cloves, fresno chille or red pepper flakes. You can also use a combination of fresno and chili flakes for some extra heat.
- Other - you will also need some extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. The vinegar can be substituted for white vinegar combined with some red wine.
how to make parsley cilantro chimichurri with red wine vinegar
A detailed recipe card with measurements and instructions has been provided at the bottom of this page.
While you can use either of the following methods, I prefer the chopped vegetable method as it gives the cilantro parsley chimichurri more of a bite.
- mixing hand-chopped vegetables (used in this recipe) - finely chop the vegetables and combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
- blender or food processor method: Add the cilantro (coriander), parsley, oregano, onion, garlic cloves, Fresno chile, pepper flakes, lemon juice, and the vinegar to a food processor or blender. Pulse in short 1-2 second intervals, scraping the sides using a spatula until smoothely chopped. Also, do not allow it to get mushy. Once smooth, slowly add the vinegar and adjust the amount to taste. You can also add more salt if needed, at this point. As you can see from the picture above, the blender method results in a finer and pulpy sauce, so bear this in mind when choosing a method.
how to use chimichurri
Here is how to use this wonderful sauce:-
- Cilantro chimichurri sauce particularly works well as a sauce for grilled meats and vegetables: drizzle it over your steak, grilled fish, chicken, meat, chorizo sausage or grilled vegetables and allow to rest for some minutes. It gives them a garlicky herby taste.
- As a marinade for your dishes before cooking or baking!
- Use it for basting: Brush or spoon some sauce during the grilling process.
- Spread some on the surface of two pieces of bread. You can also use a sandwich roll by spooning some of the sauce in between the roll. Place some grilled sandwich meat or vegetables on the bread slices then spoon some more sauce on top. Top with some mayonnaise (optional) then cut the sandwich into halves or quarters.
variations
- use basil or mint - for another flavor dimension!
- make chimichurri without red wine vinegar by using some lime juice instead, for the tangy flavor. This also introduces a lovely freshness plus, you can grate some of the rind from the lime into the sauce.
- add some sliced jalapenos for some extra heat!
useful tips
- While you can use the cilantro chimichurri immediately, the flavors tend to intensefy with time so do not be afraid of making double or even triple batches, to get the most out of it.
- To prevent your sauce from turning bitter, avoid using aged parsley. This is because the stems tend to turn tougher and the leaves more bitter, the older the plant gets.
- Since cilantro chimichurri has fresh herbs as part of its ingredients, you should store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
refrigeration and freezing options
Make the cilantro chimichurri sauce ahead and store it as follows:-
- Refrigeration - keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezing - If you want to freeze the cilantro chimichurri, I recommend using ice-cube trays for this. Simply use a teaspoon to scoop about just enough of the sauce to fit each hole of your ice-cube tray. I prefer using silicone trays as it allows me to easily get the sauce out once I am ready to use it. To use, transfer the desired amount of frozen ice-cubed sauce to a bowl and leave on the kitchen surface to thaw.
common questions
The difference between the two sauces is that pesto recipes normally call for the use of nuts such as walnuts or pine nuts. In terms of herbs, pesto uses basil as the main herb. On the other hand, chimichurri does not have nuts and normally uses basil, parsley, cilantro, or a combination of these herbs.
Cilantro chimichurri is a variation of the authentic Argentian sauce by introducing cilantro as an ingredient. It normally also uses other herbs such as basil or mint and lemon or lime juice for some tangy taste.
Chimichurri has a fresh herby, garlicky, tangy taste, a bit like a vinaigrette with a kick. The herby flavor comes from the use of parsley and oregano while the chili gives the sauce its kick. It is, however, not too spicy. The garlic gives the sauce a slightly pungent note, without being too overbearing.
You can reduce the bitter taste by adding a sweetener such as sugar, sugar-free low-carb sweeteners, or coconut sugar. You can also use more of the other ingredients such as garlic and chili, to make them stand out more.
more flavorful recipes to try at home:
You may want to try out the following popular recipes on the blog.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Parsley Cilantro Chimichurri with Red Wine Vinegar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro (use the leaves and stems)
- ½ cup thin-stemmed parsley (use both the leaves and stems)
- ¼ cup red onion (or a small shallot)
- ¾ cup olive oil (or more to get the preferred consistency)
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (fresh or dry)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly ground tastes best)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Fresno chile (alternatively, use red jalapeno)
Instructions
Hand-chopped method
- Finely chop the cilantro (coriander), parsley, oregano, red onion, garlic cloves, Fresno chile, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper.1 cup cilantro, ½ cup thin-stemmed parsley, ¼ cup red onion, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 Fresno chile, 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- Next, add the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Check for salt at this point and add some more, if you prefer. Use a spatula to combine.2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, ¾ cup olive oil
- Serve your parsley cilantro chimichurri immediately or transfer to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for later.
Blender method
- Add the cilantro (coriander), parsley, oregano, red onion, garlic cloves, Fresno chile, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar to a food processor or blender. Pulse in short 1-2 second intervals, scraping the sides using a spatula until smoothly chopped.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season with salt, and ground black pepper then serve or store in the fridge for later.
Notes
- Refrigeration - keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezing - If you want to freeze the cilantro chimichurri, I recommend using ice-cube trays for this. Simply use a teaspoon to scoop about just enough of the sauce to fit each hole of your ice-cube tray. I prefer using silicone trays as it allows me to easily get the sauce out once I am ready to use it. To use, transfer the desired amount of frozen ice-cubed sauce to a bowl and leave on the kitchen surface to thaw.
- use basil or mint - for another flavor dimension!
- make chimichurri without red wine vinegar by using some lime juice instead, for the tangy flavor. This also introduces a lovely freshness plus, you can grate some of the rind from the lime into the sauce.
- add some sliced jalapenos for some extra heat!
Nutrition
Let's keep the conversation going! Let me know in the comments section by leaving a ⭐rating. I love hearing from you!!
Cynthia Priest
I love that you can make this in a mortar & pestle or a blender. This is the first time I've heard of cilantro in chimichurri sauce!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you. It's a wonderful variation to the classic chimichurri sauce.
Josie D.
Wow this looks really simple to make! With the descriptions of the taste, I felt like I could taste what it would taste like too. I’ve never heard of this sauce, so this was a very interesting read. Thanks!
Kate Hahnel
Thanks. Try it out and let me know what you think.