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Chimichurri

Hand-chopped parsley and oregano meet garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chile, and salt in a loose sauce that rests briefly before serving.
A bowl of vivid green chimichurri shows chopped parsley and oregano in glossy oil with red chile flecks.

Chimichurri depends on contrast: leafy herbs stay distinct in olive oil while vinegar and salt sharpen the mixture. Letting the garlic rest in that vinegar first takes away some of its raw bite without asking the green herbs to sit in acid for too long.

Chop for texture

A knife gives parsley and oregano clean, visible pieces that stay suspended in the oil. Dry leaves matter as much as the cut: water can thin the dressing and make it harder for the herbs to cling together.

Give raw garlic a head start

Garlic, vinegar, chile, and salt rest together before the herbs enter. The acidic pause rounds the garlic's sharp aroma, while keeping parsley and oregano out of the vinegar helps preserve their fresh green appearance.

Chopped parsley and oregano sit beside a small bowl of garlic, vinegar, salt, and chile before mixing.
Hand-chopped parsley and oregano remain leafy and distinct before they meet the rested garlic mixture.

Keep the dressing loose

Stir the oil into the vinegar mixture instead of whisking hard. A loose dressing lets the herbs move through each spoonful and keeps the sauce closer to a chopped condiment than a creamy emulsion.

Let the flavors settle

After folding in the herbs, give the finished sauce a short room-temperature rest and stir once more before serving. Spoon it over grilled steak or vegetables, where its acidity and herbal freshness cut through browned, savory flavors.

Distinct green herb pieces and red chile flakes remain visible in the loose glossy chimichurri sauce.
Fresh green herb pieces and a flowing oil-vinegar base show the intended texture of chimichurri.

Chimichurri

1 cup
32 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
  • •  2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
  • •  3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • •  3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • •  1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • •  1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • •  3/4 tsp kosher salt

Method

  1. Wash and dry the herbs

    Rinse the parsley and oregano, then dry them very thoroughly in a salad spinner or with clean towels so water does not dilute the sauce.

    Look for: The leaves feel dry and no water collects on the towel.

  2. Chop the herbs

    Finely chop the parsley and oregano together with a sharp knife, leaving small visible pieces; stop before the herbs become wet or paste-like.

    Look for: The herbs are evenly cut but still look leafy and textured.

  3. Mellow the garlic

    Stir the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and kosher salt together in a small bowl, then let stand for 10 minutes to soften the raw garlic's sharp edge.

    Look for: The vinegar smells less sharply garlicky after standing.

  4. Add the olive oil

    Pour the olive oil into the garlic-vinegar mixture and stir gently until the salt is dispersed; keep the sauce loose rather than whisking it into an emulsion.

    Look for: The oil and vinegar are loosely combined and the mixture still flows easily.

  5. Fold in the herbs

    Fold the chopped parsley and oregano into the oil mixture just until coated, keeping the cut leaves distinct so they retain a fresh green color and lively texture.

    Look for: Green herb pieces remain distinct throughout the glossy sauce.

  6. Rest and serve

    Let the finished chimichurri stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then stir once before serving so the herbs settle back into the oil and vinegar.

    Look for: The sauce smells rounded and herbal, with no harsh garlic bite.