Chimichurri Chicken

This Chimichurri Chicken is an easy but elevated recipe that can be made with breasts or thighs in under one hour. The fresh herb sauce from Argentina is simple to make in a food processor and is used as a marinade for an extra boost of flavor. A longtime weeknight or entertaining meal in our household, this tried-and-true dinner recipe can be made on the grill or in a skillet.

We’re all about a recipe that has restaurant-like qualities and is easy to make at home. That’s exactly what this grilled chimichurri chicken has to offer. It’s full of vibrant flavor, made with less than 10 ingredients, and will have your mouth watering every single time.

When it comes to chicken, the cut of meat is important. That’s why I made sure we tested grilling both breasts and thighs multiple times to ensure the recipe was foolproof and delicious to always give you juicy, moist meat.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• One Hour Recipe: From start to finish including marinating time, this recipe takes less than one hour. It’s a gourmet recipe that you may see at a restaurant that’s just as easy to make at home.
• Use the Grill or a Skillet: We are sharing all the tricks on how to correctly grill the chicken, but you can also cook it in a cast iron skillet indoors as well. It’s versatile for any season of the year.
• Easy to Customize: Chimichurri is all about using fresh herbs as the base for the green sauce. It’s classically made with parsley, but feel free to customize the sauce with your favorite fresh herbs (I like a bit of oregano).
• Healthy Dinner: This recipe is truly a healthy meal. A great source of protein from the chicken and a boost of freshness from the herb sauce. Add some fiber in the form of a Butter Lettuce Salad or Sautéed Broccoli.
• Great for weeknights and meal prep: With a quick prep time, this meal is perfect to make ahead and store in the fridge for easy lunches and dinners. The sauce is also incredible to use on other delicious meats, as well as sandwiches and salads.

What is Chimichurri Sauce?

Chimichurri is a classic sauce from Argentina made of finely chopped fresh parsley, oregano, onion (I like to use shallot), and garlic all combined with olive oil and vinegar and seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s simple in nature, but bold in flavor.

This thick sauce is used heavily in Argentina with grilled meats but is also delicious with fish and seafood, roasted vegetables, and potatoes.

You can make this sauce easily in the food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also assemble by hand just by finely chopping all of the ingredients and stirring together.

Try my Mexican Chimichurri (made with cilantro—not traditional but delicious) or Red Chimichurri which is made with roasted red peppers and smoked paprika.

Ingredients

When it comes down to it, this recipe is a winner with less than 10 ingredients. I will caution, be sure to make extra sauce, it tends to disappear quickly.

• Chimichurri Sauce: The star of the show, the ingredient list here is pretty simple: parsley, garlic, shallot, fresh oregano, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Feel free to add a dash of red chili flake if you want a kick of spice.

• Chicken Breasts or Thighs: Depending on the cut of meat you fancy more, both can easily be used in this recipe and will be juicy and moist. When purchasing breasts look for boneless and skinless. For thighs you can use bone-in, skin-on or boneless, skinless. Boneless, skinless will cook faster if you’re in a pinch!

How to make Chimichurri Chicken

This recipe is as straightforward as they come! Chimichurri chicken is simply breasts or thighs marinated in chimichurri sauce. Easy peasy ladies and gents. 

When it comes to the choice of breasts or thighs for this chimichurri chicken recipe—the process is slightly different between the two, but neither are challenging. Let’s walk through the process for both cuts of meat.

To Make Chimichurri Chicken Breast:

The key to making realllllly good chicken breast is to thinly slice it and to cook it quickly. This method of cooking the breast ensures that each piece of meat cooks at the same rate, so it stays juicy and tender—not dry and overcooked. I employ this method in this recipe, adding a little bit of marinating time to further promote juiciness and flavor. 

1. Make the chimichurri sauce in the food processor. You can also finely chop all of the ingredients and stir together in a bowl if you don’t have a food processor.
2. Slice the breasts into ½-inch thick slices (pop the chicken in the freezer 15 minutes prior to prepping and it will make slicing easier).
3. Toss the sliced chicken breasts with ¼ cup chimichurri and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Marinate the breasts for 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
5. Grill the marinated meat over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side until opaque and cooked through.

To Make Chimichurri Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin-on):

When grilling thighs it’s best to start skin-side down on the grill grate. The reason for this is that the skin can crisp up for just a few minutes before getting flipped and grilled until cooked through. If grilled too long skin-side down, the skin with burn and become bitter.

By starting skin side down, you can control how crispy and charred the skin gets without worrying if it’s cooked through yet.

1. Make the chimichurri sauce in the food processor. You can also finely chop all of the ingredients and stir together in a bowl if you don’t have a food processor.
2. Lightly loosen the skin from thighs and spoon 1 tablespoon chimichurri sauce underneath the skin.
3. Generously season the thighs with salt and pepper. 
4. Transfer thighs to the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 12 hours.
5. Grill thighs, skin side down, over medium-high heat until charred, 4 minutes. Carefully flip the thighs and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centers, but not touching the bone, registers 165ºF (74ºC), 8–10 minutes.

How Long Should You Marinate the Chicken?

In general, it’s best to marinate chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes and no longer than 12 hours. Any longer than 12 hours in a marinade, and the texture can start to become mealy. If you’re using a super acidic marinade I would keep the marinating time to 8 hours or less.

What to Serve with Chimichurri Chicken

There are so many options for side dish recipes to serve with chimichurri chicken. We have lots of options below, from salads, to beans, to a comforting starch, there’s something for everyone.

• Peach & Burrata Salad: fresh, slightly sweet and perfectly summery.
• Miso Potato Salad: a nice starchy side dish with a unique flavor profile.
• Healthy Mediterranean Pasta Salad: add a veggie-packed pasta salad to the plate.
• Healthy Cornbread: this skillet cornbread is made with whole wheat flour, olive oil and honey, making it a great pairing for this already healthy meal.
• Cilantro Lime Brown Rice: I love a scoop of rice with this chicken. Use cilantro or parsley to the make the rice.
• Browned Butter Pasta: a comforting pasta that’s simple but full of flavor. Everyone will love this one.
• Roasted Green Beans: a classic side dish for grilled chicken! Feel free to grill the beans in a grill basket instead of roasting them.
• Grapefruit Avocado Salad: bright, acidic and fresh, this salad is the perfect side dish for chicken.

Storage & Make Ahead Tips

• For the Fridge: You can make the chimichurri sauce up to one week ahead of time. The sauce will last two weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but it’s best used within the first week. Store any cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

• To Freeze: If you want to make a big batch of sauce for quick meals on the fly, you can also freeze it! To freeze chimichurri, pour the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once solid, transfer the frozen sauce cubes to an airtight container or zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.
  • It’s recommended not to freeze cooked chicken on the bone since it will alter the texture. We like to shred the meat off the bone and freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag to use on salads or in pasta sauces later.
• Reheating Method: Be sure to bring the sauce to room temperature before using or serving so the flavors can open up a bit. Reheat the breasts and thighs by placing in a baking dish with a ½ cup of chicken broth. Cover with foil and warm in a 300ºF oven for 10–15 minutes until hot. You can also microwave the protein for a couple of minutes until warmed through, too.

FAQs

More Easy Grilling Recipes to Try

• Grilled Ribeye Steak
• Grilled Chicken & Zucchini Skewers
• Grilled Shrimp Skewers
• Grilled Pork Chops

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