Make Chimichurri Yourself At Home

Chimichurri is a delicious sauce that can be encountered all over South America and is usually served with grilled dishes, especially in Argentina.

Chimichurri also goes well with empanados – stuffed dough – that are baked in an oven or pan. It’s also good with a variety of salads. These usually include herbs and spices mixed with oil and vinegar.

The main ingredients in Chimichurr are parsley, olive oil and chili. However, you can use the ingredients you like to build your own chimichurr.

Even if you apply a little bit of the original recipe, you should follow the original proportions of the recipe to get its traditional taste and texture. By following its traditional flavor, your recipe will go perfectly with any food.

This sauce is so popular that you can find it in supermarkets from anywhere in the world.  However, you can make it yourself from the start with fresh ingredients and apply them to your own taste. 

Next, you can read more about the delicious homemade chimichurr and find a traditional recipe to make it. We also give a few tips for converting a traditional recipe.

Origin of the name “Chimichurri”

Three possible stories are known in gastronomy that may explain the origin of the name chimichurr; the right story has yet to be determined.

The first story says that James “Jimmy” McCurry created the spice and commercialized it in the 19th century. As the story progressed, he initially made chimichurr as a substitute for Worcestershire sauce. The pronunciation of poorly speaking English  eventually became “Yimi Churry”.

The second version tells the story of 20th-century British soldiers captured by Spaniards in South American colonies. Prisoners demanded spices in their food by saying  “give-me-curry” or “che-mi-curry” (which gave me curry), which later changed its form to “chimichurr”.

The last theory comes from the Basque term “tzimitxurri,” which spread to South America. The term means “blend” or “mess” and refers to a sauce that uses new ingredients and techniques for all kinds of food portions.

A traditional chimichurri recipe that you can make at home

This recipe uses the original ingredients and proportions. About 6 servings can be seasoned with this awesome sauce. If you want to make a bigger satin, increase the amount of all the ingredients in the same proportion.

Ingredients

• 3 bay leaves
• 1 squeezed lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 200 ml of olive oil
• 100 ml of red or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 generous tablespoon of oregano
• 5 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 finely chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili powder

Manufacturing

1. Crush the oregano, parsley, garlic and bay leaf in a mortar and pestle.
2. Add the onion and the rest of the spices (thyme, black pepper and sweet chili powder) to the bowl.
3. Prepare the base of the spice together with the emulsified oil, vinegar and salt.
4. Add the seasoning base to the first mixture and combine them.
5. Store in a glass jar with a lid.
6. Allow to season in the coldest part of the refrigerator for a few days.

Once you start using it, you can store it in the refrigerator for 3 months. 

Variations of Chimichurr

Several variations of this original recipe can be made by adding different ingredients to the mixture or replacing them with others. For example,  if you replace red onion with a larger amount of garlic, you can make garlic michurr.

You can make tomato chimichurr by adding 200 g of sun-dried tomatoes to the original recipe.

To make coriander, replace the parsley with coriander, using the same amounts. The end result is an extremely aromatic sauce that is perfect for many dishes. 

Now that you have got such an easy chimichurri guide in your hands, there is no need to buy a chimichurri ready-made. Thanks to fresh and natural ingredients, you can enjoy high quality and longer shelf life.