Chimichurri: The Recipe and Which Olive Oil to Use
The best olive oil for chimichurri is a fresh, medium-fruity extra virgin olive oil: one with enough grassy, green flavour to stand up to raw garlic, vinegar and chilli, but not so bitter and peppery that it fights the parsley. Chimichurri is an uncooked Argentine herb sauce, and the oil is roughly half of it, so you taste it directly. Below is our own chimichurri recipe, written for this article in metric and US measures, followed by how to choose the oil, the ratio that makes it work, and the storage rule that many recipes skip: because it is fresh herbs and garlic in oil, keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 days.
For the oil we use ourselves, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).
The Short Answer
- Use a fresh extra virgin olive oil with a medium, fruity character. Chimichurri is raw, so the oil's flavour, good or bad, comes straight through.
- A robust, very peppery oil works if you go lighter on the garlic and chilli; a refined or "light" olive oil adds fat but no flavour.
- Aim for about 2 parts oil to 1 part acid. That is sharper than a salad dressing, which is what lets chimichurri cut through grilled food.
- Chop the herbs by hand, soak the garlic and shallot in the vinegar first, then stir in the oil last.
- Store it in the fridge and use it within 4 days. Oregon State University Extension advises that fresh herbs and garlic in oil be refrigerated and used within 4 days, or frozen.
Chimichurri Ingredients (Metric and US)
This makes about 250ml (1 cup) of sauce, enough for 6–8 people as a sauce for grilled food. It is a deliberately small batch you can finish within the 4-day window.
| Ingredient | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped | 60g (1 large bunch) | about 1 cup, packed |
| Fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano) | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Garlic cloves, very finely chopped | 3 | 3 |
| Shallot or small red onion, very finely chopped | 30g | about 3 tbsp |
| Chilli flakes | ½–1 tsp | ½–1 tsp |
| Apple cider vinegar | 45ml | 3 tbsp |
| Lemon juice | 15ml | 1 tbsp |
| Fine sea salt | ¾ tsp | ¾ tsp |
| Black pepper, freshly ground | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 120ml | ½ cup |
Traditional recipes vary in the vinegar they use. We use apple cider vinegar with a little lemon, which gives a clean, bright sharpness; any mild vinegar you like will work at the same quantity.
How to Make Chimichurri, Step by Step
- Dry the herbs. Wash the parsley and oregano and dry them completely in a salad spinner or a clean tea towel. Water left on the leaves dilutes the sauce and stops the oil coating the herbs.
- Soak the aromatics. Put the garlic, shallot, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl with the vinegar and lemon juice, and leave them for 5–10 minutes. The acid softens the raw bite of the garlic and onion and dissolves the salt.
- Chop the herbs by hand. Use a sharp knife and chop the parsley and oregano finely, but stop before they turn to paste. Hand-chopping keeps the sauce loose and bright; a blender bruises the leaves into a smoother, darker purée.
- Combine. Stir the herbs into the vinegar mixture.
- Add the oil last. Pour in the olive oil and stir. It should look loose and spoonable, with the herbs suspended in oil rather than sitting in a thick paste.
- Rest and taste. Leave it for 20–30 minutes so the flavours settle, then taste and adjust with a pinch more salt, a splash more vinegar or a little more oil.
- Serve, then refrigerate. Put what you will not serve straight into a clean jar in the fridge, and return any leftovers within 2 hours.
Which Olive Oil to Use for Chimichurri
Because chimichurri is never cooked, the olive oil reaches the plate exactly as it left the bottle. It carries the aroma of the garlic and herbs, softens the vinegar and gives the sauce its body. That makes three things matter.
1. Grade: extra virgin, not refined
Extra virgin olive oil is the unrefined grade, with its flavour and aroma intact. Oils sold as "pure", "classic" or "light" olive oil are blended with refined oil and taste of very little; in chimichurri they give you a greasy sauce without the green, fruity note that makes it taste fresh. Some cooks use a neutral oil, or a mix, for a lighter sauce, and that is a matter of taste, but if you want the oil to contribute flavour, use extra virgin.
2. Intensity: medium-fruity is the safe choice
Extra virgin olive oils range from mild and buttery to robust, bitter and peppery. That peppery catch at the back of the throat comes largely from oleocanthal, one of the phenolic compounds in fresh extra virgin oil, which our article on oleocanthal explains.
| Oil style | How it tastes in chimichurri | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mild, buttery extra virgin | Lets the parsley and garlic lead; can taste a little flat against strong vinegar | Fish, eggs, a gentler sauce |
| Medium-fruity extra virgin | Green and fresh, balanced against garlic, chilli and acid | The all-round choice, from grilled vegetables to steak |
| Robust, peppery extra virgin | Bold and grassy; with lots of garlic and chilli it can turn harsh | Rich grilled meat; use less garlic and chilli |
| Refined or "light" olive oil | Fat without flavour; the sauce tastes thin | Not recommended here |
| Flavoured "chimichurri olive oil" | A seasoned oil for drizzling, not a substitute for fresh herbs | Finishing a dish when you have no fresh parsley |
3. Freshness: it decides whether the sauce tastes green or stale
Olive oil loses its aroma with age, heat and light, and an old oil that tastes waxy or of crayons will make a chimichurri taste of exactly that. Choose a bottle in dark glass with a named origin and a harvest date, keep it somewhere cool and dark, and taste a little on its own before you use it. Our guide to choosing a quality olive oil covers what to check on the label. The same reasoning applies to other raw sauces, such as the oil in pesto.
The Ratio That Makes Chimichurri Work
The recipe above uses about 120ml (½ cup) of oil to 60ml (¼ cup) of vinegar and lemon juice together: roughly 2 parts oil to 1 part acid. A classic vinaigrette is closer to 3 to 1, as our olive oil salad dressing guide sets out. Chimichurri is deliberately sharper, because it is spooned over rich, charred, salty food and needs the acid to cut through.
- Too sharp? Add olive oil a tablespoon at a time.
- Too oily or flat? Add vinegar or lemon a teaspoon at a time, and a pinch of salt; salt is what makes the herbs taste of themselves.
- Too thick? Loosen it with a little more oil, or a tablespoon of water if you want it lighter.
- Too raw and garlicky? Next time soak the garlic in the vinegar for the full 10 minutes, or use 2 cloves instead of 3.
How Long Does Chimichurri Last?
Home-made chimichurri should be kept in the fridge and used within 4 days. Many popular recipes say it keeps for a week or two. We take the more cautious line, and the reason is what chimichurri is: fresh herbs and raw garlic sitting in oil.
Oregon State University Extension's publication Herbs and Vegetables in Oil (SP 50-701, revised January 2025) advises that fresh herbs and garlic in oil be refrigerated and used within 4 days, or frozen for longer storage, and that oil made with dried garlic or herbs must also be refrigerated. It explains that these low-acid foods can carry Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium found in soil, water and air, and that low-acid foods stored in oil create an oxygen-free environment. That is the setting in which the bacterium can produce botulinum toxin, which you cannot see, smell or taste.
Chimichurri does contain vinegar, which adds acidity. But a home recipe like this one has not been tested to show it is acidic enough throughout to be kept safely for longer, so we follow the 4-day guidance for herbs and garlic in oil rather than assume the vinegar protects it.
| Where | How long | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Counter or cupboard | Never for storage | Fresh garlic and herbs in oil can carry botulism spores; warmth lets bacteria grow |
| On the table while serving | No more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F) | USDA rule for perishable food left at room temperature |
| Fridge | Up to 4 days from making | Oregon State University Extension guidance for fresh herbs and garlic in oil |
| Freezer | For longer storage | Oregon State University Extension allows freezing; ice-cube trays make handy portions |
In the fridge the olive oil will thicken and turn cloudy. That is normal for extra virgin olive oil and clears as it warms, as our article on why olive oil goes cloudy in the cold explains. Take the jar out 15–20 minutes before you need it, spoon out what you will use, and put the rest straight back. The parsley will also darken a little over the days; that is oxidation, not spoilage, but it is another reason to make small batches.
To freeze, spoon the chimichurri into an ice-cube tray, freeze until solid, then tip the cubes into a freezer bag. Thaw what you need in the fridge and use it within the day. The same fridge-and-4-days rule runs through our guides to garlic infused olive oil and olive oil marinades.
How to Use Chimichurri
In Argentina chimichurri is the classic sauce for grilled beef, but it is far more versatile than that. A few ways to use it:
- Over grilled food: steak, chicken, lamb chops or fish, spooned on just before serving.
- With vegetables: over charred cauliflower steaks, grilled courgettes and peppers, corn on the cob or roast potatoes.
- As a marinade: loosen 2–3 tablespoons with a little extra oil and coat chicken, prawns or vegetables for 30 minutes in the fridge before grilling. Discard any marinade that has touched raw meat or fish.
- With eggs: spooned over fried or scrambled eggs, or folded through a shakshuka at the end.
- As a dressing: whisked with a little more oil and lemon for a grain salad, or stirred through warm white beans.
- With bread: as a herby dip for crusty bread, alongside a plain dipping oil.
Variations
- Chimichurri rojo (red): add 1 tsp smoked paprika and 2 tbsp very finely chopped roasted red pepper; use a little less parsley.
- Coriander chimichurri: swap half the parsley for fresh coriander (cilantro) and use lime juice instead of lemon.
- Mint chimichurri: swap a quarter of the parsley for mint; good with lamb and grilled vegetables.
- Milder chimichurri: use 1 garlic clove, skip the chilli and use a mild extra virgin olive oil, for children or for fish.
Every variation follows the same storage rule: fridge, 4 days.
Why Sidr & Stone
In chimichurri the olive oil is eaten raw and in quantity, so its freshness and flavour are on show in a way they are not in cooking. That makes where the oil comes from, and how it was handled, worth knowing. Sidr & Stone's extra virgin olive oil comes from one place, our own farm on the plains outside Marrakech, and we control every step from tree to bottle.
- Single-estate — Sidr & Stone grows its olives on its own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — no irrigation; the trees take what the season gives.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch, picked when the fruit is ready; once it is gone, it is gone until the next harvest.
- Cold-pressed — to preserve flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed and never refined; a little natural sediment in the bottle is normal.
- 100% natural — one ingredient, olive oil, with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label — a 500ml bottle that protects the oil from light.
- 10% of profits to charity, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you ours is the best olive oil for chimichurri; the right oil is the one that suits your garlic, your chilli and your taste. What we will say is that it is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed, and that the product page carries the details of the current batch, so you can judge its freshness for yourself. Taste it on its own first, then decide how much garlic and chilli it wants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best olive oil for chimichurri?
A fresh, medium-fruity extra virgin olive oil. It has enough green flavour to carry the garlic and herbs without the bitterness of a very robust oil. Avoid refined or "light" olive oil, which adds fat but no flavour.
Can I use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin?
You can, but the sauce will taste flatter. "Regular", "pure" and "light" olive oils are blends based on refined oil, so they bring little of the fruity, grassy flavour that a raw sauce like chimichurri relies on.
What is the secret to a great chimichurri?
Dry herbs, chopped by hand rather than blended; garlic and shallot soaked in the vinegar first to soften them; a fresh extra virgin olive oil added last; enough salt; and 20–30 minutes' rest before serving so the flavours settle.
How long does homemade chimichurri last in the fridge?
Use it within 4 days. That follows Oregon State University Extension's guidance for fresh herbs and garlic in oil, which should be refrigerated and used within 4 days or frozen. Never store it at room temperature.
Can you freeze chimichurri?
Yes. Freeze it in an ice-cube tray, then keep the cubes in a freezer bag. Thaw portions in the fridge and use them the same day. The herbs soften a little, but the flavour holds well.
Is Sidr & Stone's olive oil good for chimichurri?
It is a single-estate, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil with a fruity character, which suits raw uses like chimichurri where the oil is tasted directly. Taste it first, then adjust the garlic and chilli to balance it.
Why did my chimichurri go solid in the fridge?
Extra virgin olive oil thickens and turns cloudy when chilled. It is harmless and clears as it warms. Take the jar out 15–20 minutes before serving, and put it back within 2 hours.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Chimichurri takes ten minutes with a knife and a bowl, and it turns plain grilled food into something with real life in it. Get four things right: dry, hand-chopped herbs; garlic softened in the vinegar; about 2 parts oil to 1 part acid; and a fresh, medium-fruity extra virgin olive oil stirred in last. Then treat it like the fresh food it is: keep it in the fridge, serve it for no more than 2 hours at a time, and finish it within 4 days, or freeze it. For a different way to put a good oil to work on the grill, our guide to olive oil marinades is a natural companion.
Because the oil is eaten raw here, it is worth using one with a clear origin. Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and unfiltered — is available to pre-order as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Disclaimer: This article shares a home recipe and general food-safety information drawn from published extension-service and USDA guidance at the time of writing. Home-made chimichurri is not a tested shelf-stable product: keep it refrigerated and use it within 4 days, or freeze it. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, or preparing food for young children or older people, follow your local food-safety authority's advice. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.