What Is Chimichurri Sauce?

What Does Chimichurri Taste Like?

Simple as it is, chimichurri truly tastes like nothing else. The tang of the vinegar combined with herbs (usually parsley and/or cilantro, but often oregano too), punchy fresh garlic and mellow olive oil creates an interesting balance of flavors.

Chimichurri looks sort of like pesto, but the flavor is nothing close. An Indian-style cilantro-mint chutney has a similar hand-chopped consistency, but occupies a different place on the flavor (and culture) spectrum. Parsley-packed Italian salsa verde probably comes closest, but includes capers and anchovies. Chimichurri simply tastes like chimichurri.

How Do You Use Chimichurri?

Purists might say that chimichurri should be reserved for slabs of grilled beef, from cattle raised on the pampas or grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay. For the rest of us, it can be used on roasted or grilled vegetables: asparagus in spring, vegetable kebabs in summer, potatoes or butternut squash in fall and winter. We’ve poured it on fish, bison burgers and steaks, salads, eggs and on our  Sardines + Beans.

We also mix chimichurri with mayo for a hybrid chimichurri to spread on sandwiches and toasts or to use as pizza sauce.

Finally, there’s chimichurri’s original use as a sauce that could travel well for days on horseback, especially when made with dried herbs. That makes it ideal for backpacking or camping. Dried-herb chimichurri can last up to a week unrefrigerated and 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

What About Chimichurri Marinade?

Chimichurri can be used as a marinade as well as a sauce. Consider making a double batch and use half of it to marinate your meat or vegetables, then save the rest for drizzling on at the table. However, only marinate meat for a couple of hours—otherwise the vinegar will toughen it up. We’ve found it’s best to wipe off the marinade before you grill, so you get a good sear.

About Ají Molido

Ají molido simply means ground chile. It can be made from many different types of chiles—red, green and yellow—and is a key ingredient in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and parts of Colombia. In Argentina, ají molido usually comes from dried red ají criollo chiles (pictured above), grown at high altitude in the Andes. This mellow, flavorful spice adds dimension to chimichurri’s well-rounded flavor without overheating it. You can swap in red chile flakes in a pinch, but it just won’t be the same.

Chimichurri Origin Theories

Some say chimichurri was invented by Argentine gauchos out of necessity. These rugged horsemen had plenty of meat to roast over an open fire, but not much else. Chimichurri added herbs and spice to their meat-heavy meals and could also last for days in hip flasks.

Some say the word itself comes from the Basque tximitxurri—a similar but unique sauce whose name translates to “a mixture of several things in no particular order.” Various other theories suggest language mix-ups involving Argentines and Englishmen, but there are few facts to back up these assertions.

What we know for sure is that chimichurri took off in Argentina and Uruguay, and it’s still the sauce of choice for grilled meats and more.