Make Your Own Homemade Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a delicious spice found all over South America, served mainly with barbecue food, primarily in Argentina. In this article we will talk about how to make your own homemade chimichurri.

Chimichurri also goes well with empanadas , a hearty dough that is baked or fried. Likewise, salads that are normal for the area are good. They generally contain chopped herbs and spices mixed with oil and vinegar.

The main ingredients of the spice are parsley, olive oil and chili. However, you can use the ingredients you prefer to customize your own chimichurri.

Even if you adjust the original recipe a bit, follow the original proportions of the recipe to get its traditional taste. By keeping an eye on its traditional taste, your recipe will match perfectly with any other type of food.

This spice is so popular that you can find it in many supermarkets. However, you should do it from scratch with fresh ingredients and adjust them to your liking.

Below you can find a delicious homemade chimichurri that is evenly proportioned according to authentic chimichurri. Likewise, you will find four other variations.

The origin of the name “chimichurri”

In gastronomy, there are three possible stories that may explain the origin of its name; the true story is not yet determined.

The first story claims that James McCurry – popularly referred to as Jimmy – created the spice and commercialized it in the 19th century. As the story goes, he originally made chimichurri as a substitute for Worcestershire sauce. The non-native English pronunciation eventually became “Yimi Churry”.

Another version is around the XIX century British soldiers, who were captured by the Spaniards in the South American colonies. The prisoners requested spices for their meals by asking “give-me-curry” or “che-mi-curry”, which later became “chimichurri”.

The last theory originates from a Basque term that spread to South America, “tximitxurri”. The term means “mix” or “mix together” and it refers to a sauce that uses repeated ingredients and techniques for all kinds of dishes.

Traditional chimichurri recipe, make your own homemade chimichurri like this:

This recipe uses the original ingredients and quantities. This amazing spice makes up approx. 6 servings. If you want to make a larger batch, increase the amount of all the ingredients evenly.

Ingredients

• 3 bay leaves.
• 1 squeezed lemon (100 ml).
• ½ tsp salt (2 g).
• 1 cup olive oil (200 ml).
• ½ cup red or white wine vinegar (100 ml).
• Teaspoon black pepper (2 g).
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (5 g).
• 3 cloves white chopped garlic (15 g).
• 1 generous tablespoon of oregano (10 g).
• 5 tablespoons chopped parsley (40 g).
• ½ finely chopped red onion (20 g).
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili powder (5 g).

Preparation

• Crush oregano, parsley, garlic and bay leaves with a mortar and pestle.
• Add the bowl and the rest of the spices (thyme, black pepper and sweet chili powder) to the bowl.
• Prepare the spices by emulsifying oil, vinegar and salt together.
• Add the base to the previous mixture and stir together.

• It is stored in a glass container with a lid.
• Keep the spice in the least cool area of ​​the refrigerator for a few days.

After using it, it can be stored for 3 months in the refrigerator.

Chimichurri variations

You can make several variations out of this original recipe by adding different ingredients to the mix or by substituting others. For example, if you replace the red onion with a little more garlic, you can make a garlic chimichurri.

You can make a tomato chimichurri by adding 200 grams of dried tomatoes to the original recipe. Make sure to give the tomatoes enough time to re-hydrate themselves.

For a coriander chimichurri, replace the parsley with the coriander, with the same amounts. You end up with a highly aromatic spice that is perfect for a variety of dishes.

Now that you have this easy chimichurri recipe at hand, you do not have to buy it. Take advantage of the high quality and longer shelf life from the fresh and natural ingredients.