Chimichurri – Homemade Argentine Sauce Recipe

Chimichurri is a delicious sauce or a typical marinade eaten in South American countries, as the main companion of the famous roast from the grilled asado ritual, an ideal addition to grilled dishes, mainly used in Argentina. Find out how to create it.

Chimichurri also accompanies popular dumplings from the aforementioned regions and even salads. It generally consists of chopped herbs and spices combined with olive oil and vinegar.

The basic ingredients of chimichurri are parsley, olive oil and spicy spices. However, when preparing it, we can give priority to other ingredients. Chimichurri is therefore very versatile and suited to our flavors.

Although many variations of the original recipe are used in its preparation, it is advisable to stick to the indicated proportions in order to obtain the traditional flavor. In this way, it will perfectly complement and emphasize the flavors of the dishes that accompany it.

Due to its popularity, you can already find commercial versions of chimichurri that can be purchased in the markets of the world. But the ideal solution is to prepare it yourself, at home, from fresh ingredients and adjust their amounts until the desired taste is obtained.

As a consequence, we will see a homemade chimichurri recipe that retains the original proportions of this unique sauce. In addition, we present its 4 short variations.

Etymology of the name chimichurri

In the gastronomic world, there are three potential stories about the origin of this name; however, neither of them explains the origin of this name from beginning to end.

The first is that the sauce was created by James Mc Curry, an Englishman popularly known as Jimmy, who introduced this product to the culinary market in the 19th century. It is said that he created it due to the lack of availability of Worcestershire sauce. Apparently, people who were not native to England stayed with “Yimi Churry” when trying to pronounce his difficult name.

According to the last potential version, it is rumored that it could have come from the Basque term “Tximitxurri” who came to America. It means “mixture” or “jumble” and can allude to a sauce made with ingredients and techniques that was repeated in all cases.

A traditional recipe for homemade chimichuri

This first recipe retains the original ingredients and proportions of an exquisite sauce and is intended for about six people. If you need more, you can proportionally increase the amount of each ingredient.

Ingredients

• 3 bay leaves.
• The juice of 1 lemon (100 ml).
• ½ teaspoon of salt (2 g).
• 1 cup of olive oil (200 ml).
• ½ cup of wine vinegar (100 ml).
• ½ teaspoon of pepper (2 g).
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (5 g).
• 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic (15 g).
• 1 large teaspoon of oregano (10 g).
• 5 tablespoons of chopped parsley (40 g).
• ½ red onion, finely chopped (20 g).
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika powder (5 g).

Preparation

1. Mash the oregano, parsley, garlic and chopped vegetables in a mortar.
2. In a bowl, combine the onion and leftover spices (thyme, pepper and sweet paprika).
3. Prepare the base of the sauce by emulsifying oil, vinegar, lemon and salt.
4. Add the base of the sauce to the mixture you made and stir.
5. Put in a glass jar with a lid.
6. Marinate the sauce in the least cold part of the refrigerator for the next few days.

If the sauce has already been opened after marinating – it can be consumed for the next 3 months. 

Variations of the original chimichurri recipe

With this homemade chimichurri recipe, you can get all sorts of flavors by replacing the traditional ingredients. For example, if a little more garlic is taken to replace the red onion, you will get a tasty garlic chimichurri.

There is also tomato chimichurri, which is obtained by adding 200 g of dried tomatoes to a traditional mixture. We will need enough time for the flavors to percolate.

With this homemade chimichurri recipe – so easy to make, there’s no reason to buy it in stores. It has the advantage that the fresh ingredients ensure quality and longer shelf life, without preservatives and chemical additives.