Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce of parsley, garlic, oregano, chilli, vinegar and oil from Argentina and Uruguay, spooned over grilled beef and nearly everything else cooked on the parrilla.
What it is¶
Chimichurri is the table sauce of the River Plate: finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and garlic with dried oregano, chilli flakes, red wine vinegar, oil and salt. It is loose and oily rather than a paste, sharp rather than rich, and exists to cut through the fat of meat cooked over wood embers on the parrilla. There is a green version (chimichurri verde), the one most people mean, and a red one (chimichurri rojo) coloured with paprika.
Origins¶
Chimichurri's origins are genuinely unknown and the subject of several cheerful stories. One says it is named after an Irishman, "Jimmy McCurry", said to have fought in the nineteenth-century Argentine wars; another derives it from the Basque tximitxurri, loosely "a mixture of things", reflecting the Basque settlers of the pampas; a third links it to an English "give me curry". None is documented, and the word itself only appears in print in the twentieth century.
What is clear is that it belongs to the gaucho and cattle-ranching culture of Argentina and Uruguay, where oil, vinegar, dried herbs and garlic were the keeping ingredients available to cooks far from markets. It is a close relative of Spanish and Italian herb-and-vinegar dressings brought by immigrants — much of Buenos Aires is of Italian descent — and of the Spanish salmuera, a simple salt brine still used to baste meat on the grill.
What goes in it¶
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Flat-leaf parsley | The bulk; fresh, grassy and slightly bitter |
| Garlic | Pungency; used generously |
| Dried oregano | Resinous backbone; dried is traditional, not fresh |
| Chilli flakes (ají molido) | Gentle heat and colour |
| Red wine vinegar | The defining sharpness |
| Neutral oil or mild olive oil | Carrier; sunflower oil is common in Argentina |
| Salt, sometimes bay, paprika or shallot | Seasoning and regional twists |
Flavour¶
Sharp, garlicky and green, with a resinous oregano edge and a slow warmth from the chilli. Made a few hours ahead, the garlic mellows and the herbs soften into the vinegar; made a week ahead, it becomes dull and muddy. The balance is closer to a vinaigrette than to pesto — a good chimichurri has noticeably more acid than a European herb oil.
How to use it¶
- Asado. Spooned over grilled steak (bife de chorizo, vacío, entraña), chorizo sausages in a choripán sandwich, and morcilla.
- Provoleta. The grilled provolone cheese of the parrilla gets a spoonful and a pinch of oregano.
- As a marinade. Thinned with extra vinegar and oil for chicken, pork or vegetables, though purists keep it for the table.
- Beyond the grill. Roast potatoes, grilled prawns, fried eggs, a dressing for bean salads.
Making it at home¶
About 250 ml · 15 minutes, plus 1–2 hours resting
You need
- 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 60 g), leaves and fine stems, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1 tsp coarse salt, dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 120 ml sunflower or mild olive oil
- Optional: 1 small shallot, finely diced; 1 bay leaf, crumbled
Method
- Dissolve the salt in the hot water in a bowl; add the garlic, oregano and chilli flakes and leave for 5 minutes so the dried herbs soften.
- Stir in the vinegar, then the parsley (and shallot, if using).
- Stir in the oil. The sauce should be loose, with the herbs suspended in plenty of liquid.
- Rest for 1–2 hours at room temperature before serving, then refrigerate any leftovers.
Variations¶
- Chimichurri rojo: add 1–2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika and sometimes chopped red pepper; popular in Uruguay and for pork.
- Hand-chopped versus blended: Argentine cooks chop by knife, giving a chunky sauce; a blender makes a smooth green purée that is more like a Brazilian or restaurant style.
- With coriander: Coriander in place of some parsley appears in other Latin American versions, but is not Argentine.
- Salmuera: the plain brine of salt, water, garlic and sometimes herbs, used to baste meat as it cooks, is chimichurri's workaday ancestor.
Buying and storing¶
Keep chimichurri in a sealed jar in the fridge and use within about a week; the parsley darkens and loses freshness after a few days. The vinegar makes it more acidic than a herb oil, but it is still raw garlic in oil, so it should live in the fridge rather than on the counter. Bring it to room temperature before serving, as the oil may solidify slightly.