Chimichurri Chicken

Chimichurri chicken is one of my family’s absolute favorite meals, it’s hard to express in words how much they love it! This mouthwatering recipe is completely packed full of fresh, delicious flavor and the polar opposite of bland. It features a heavenly sauce over juicy chicken thighs and will totally make your taste buds dance for joy.

For this recipe, you’ll make your chimichurri sauce a couple hours ahead of time (or even a few days in advance) so everything can marinate. Then, once it’s ready, you’ll be able to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Perfect on a busy weeknight!

Lately, I’ve been serving this chicken with fresh Garlic Bread some crispy Roasted Cauliflower and a simple Arugula Salad with parmesan cheese and pistachios. Of course, you can serve yours with any side you like and use up whatever’s on hand! This meal is fabulously versatile and goes with endless sides.

Fair warning, if this is your first experience with chimichurri sauce, you’re probably going to want more immediately. Thankfully you can add it to just about anything for an explosion of flavor.

Definitely be sure to check out my Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet and Chimichurri Chicken Chopped Salad. If it’s warm and you’d rather cook outside, try this Grilled Chicken Chimichurri or Grilled Lambchops With Chimichurri Sauce. You can also make extra sauce and spoon it over my grilled Cedar Plank Salmon!

How To Make Chimichurri Chicken

Ingredients

• Oil — I always use extra virgin olive oil.
• Chicken thighs — You could also use chicken breasts for this recipe, but I like using boneless skinless chicken thighs because they’re extra juicy and flavorful.
• Seasonings and herbs — kosher salt, ground black pepper, fresh oregano (or dried oregano if this is the only one you can access) and crushed red pepper flakes or red chili.
• Cilantro — You can also substitute parsley, if desired.
• Red onion — Shallots are comparable to red onion and the two can be used interchangeably for this recipe.
• Garlic — You will need two whole, fresh cloves. Jarred, minced garlic can work in a pinch, but I definitely prefer fresh.
• Red wine vinegar — For some serious flavor and zing! Or you can replace it for lemon juice.

Instructions

Make chimichurri sauce:

• Rinse cilantro and fresh oregano, then pat both dry with a clean kitchen towel (or paper towel) and set aside. Next, peel your red onion and garlic cloves.
• Mince everything up into very small pieces, you can choose to do this in a food processor, but be mindful and don’t over-blend. Avoid reducing the chimichurri down to paste status, it should have some rustic texture.
• Place all minced ingredients in a small bowl. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil and vinegar.
• Stir until well combined, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. You can also let it marinate/chill overnight, and this sauce can even be make 1-2 weeks in advance! It will serve as a delicious marinade for your chicken breast, drumsticks, chicken wings, fish or steak.

Marinate chicken:

• When sauce is ready, add your chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl. Season them with salt and pepper, then pour half of the chimichurri over chicken and set aside the leftover chimichurri sauce.
• Stir until each piece of chicken is coated in sauce, then cover and marinate for 15 minutes (or overnight if making in advance).

Cook chicken:

• Add olive oil to a large skillet on the stovetop and place on medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add chicken. Sauté for 3-4 minutes per side, or it’s tender and until the internal temp of chicken reads 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp.

Serve:

• Drizzle chicken with remaining sauce and serve it with all of your favorite sides. Enjoy!

How To Store Leftovers

To Store: Allow Chimichurri Chicken leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To Freeze: Extra chimichurri chicken can also be frozen, simply transfer leftovers to an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight (if reheating from frozen). Add some olive oil to a skillet and sear chicken for a few minutes on each side, until warmed through. You can also reheat chicken in the microwave, if desired!

Want More Flavorful Chicken Recipes?

If you’ve got lots of chicken to use up, there are so many things you can make! Give these recipes a try:

• Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad
• Roasted Lemon Chicken Leg
• Creamy Parmesan Chicken Skillet
• Mediterranean Chicken Skillet
• Spicy Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
• Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach, and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

Watch the Chicken Chimichurri Web Story here.

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