This Argentinean sauce is the perfect condiment to steak. You can also use the sauce as a marinade for the steak. Serve with a simple salad of spinach, pear and walnuts.
Makes 4 Servings
Total Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
4 steaks (rib-eye, sirloin or flank)
Sauce
1 ½ cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup (240 ml) fresh cilantro
½ cup fresh oregano
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar or lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
Chop fresh herbs and garlic finely. Alternatively, you can blitz them in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, pour onto fresh herbs, stir to combine.
Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan over high heat, cook steaks to your liking - about 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Serve with sauce on the side or on top of steaks.
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Steak with chimichurri sauce is a five-ingredient celebration of fresh herbs — parsley, cilantro, and oregano chopped with garlic and loosened with olive oil and vinegar. Spooned over a hot, properly seared steak, it cuts the richness with something bright and alive. The sauce takes five minutes; the steak takes eight.
Pro Tips
- Chop the herbs by hand rather than blitzing if you can. A food processor bruises the leaves and turns the sauce green-muddy instead of vivid.
- Make the chimichurri first and let it sit while the steaks cook. Twenty minutes of resting lets the garlic mellow into the oil and the flavors marry.
- Get the pan genuinely hot before the steaks go in. A high-heat sear gives you the crust that makes the steak worth serving with such a bold sauce.
- Red wine vinegar gives a sharper bite than lemon juice — pick based on whether you want the sauce to lean Argentine or Mediterranean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does chimichurri keep?
Up to five days in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, and it arguably tastes better on day two. The olive oil will solidify slightly when cold — let it come to room temperature and stir.
Which steak is best for this recipe?
Rib-eye for richness, sirloin for everyday, flank for slicing thin over the sauce. Any of the three sears beautifully in a hot pan.
Can I grill the steaks instead?
Absolutely — grilled steak and chimichurri is the classic pairing. Cook over high heat three to five minutes per side depending on thickness and rest before slicing.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Chop fresh herbs and garlic finely. Alternatively, you can blitz them in a food processor.
- Transfer to a bowl.
- Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, pour onto fresh herbs, stir to combine.
- Season steaks with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan over high heat, cook steaks to your liking - about 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness.
- Serve with sauce on the side or on top of steaks.
