Skip to Content

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce

Sharing is caring!

Chimichurri sauce is a fabulous garlicky green sauce that makes the flavor of so many dishes pop! Originally from Argentina, it is also found in other Latin American cuisines, like in many Cuban dishes, which is how I was first introduced to this versatile condiment.

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky, fresh-flavored condiment perfect to have on hand for a variety of dishes. Ready in minutes with the recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

The first time I recall having chimichurri, even though I know it wasn’t actually the first time, was after I took either the ACT or SAT my junior year of high school. My dad took me to the test, and then he took me out to a Cuban restaurant for lunch afterward. I ordered palomilla I think (a thin cut of steak), and it came with a side of chimichurri that seemed just magical after sitting through a standardized test. I don’t remember much about the test other than I did well enough not to worry about taking it again, and that I was annoyed at the kids who were super stressed. Oh, and the lights cast a rather yellowish tint in the classroom, which I didn’t like either. The lunch date with my daddy after was much appreciated, and I still distinctly remember the chimichurri sauce. It was amazing, and I vaguely remember telling my mom about it I think and wondering if we shouldn’t find some at the store. Only, store bought versions aren’t as good as this one, and chimichurri sauce can be made in literally less than 5 minutes at home. 

I’m not sure we ever found chimichurri at the store. Maybe we did, but the style was different and I probably didn’t like it as much. The Godfather, being Cuban, grew up with chimichurri as a rather regular condiment on steak and chicken, but since he didn’t help with the cooking, he had no idea how to make it. When we married, he know how to make rice in a rice cooker, coffee, and chicken breast and steak in a skillet. That was about it. So we started our chimichurri hunt by buying it in the store.

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky, fresh-flavored condiment perfect to have on hand for a variety of dishes. Ready in minutes with the recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

The thing is, chimichurri purchased in the store wasn’t like what he ate growing up because the store-bought jarred variety is more Argentinian in style and less “Cuban household”, haha. So I started experimenting with recipes and tweaking until we found our perfect match. My chimichurri has a ton of garlic – just the way we like it – and is a beautiful compliment to a variety of dishes.

To make chimichurri sauce, you’ll just need a small food processor and a few minutes. You may store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or spoon it into a silicon ice tray and store the cubes in the freezer for up to 6 months to use as needed.

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky, fresh-flavored condiment perfect to have on hand for a variety of dishes. Ready in minutes with the recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

I hope you enjoy this recipe for a Cuban style chimichurri sauce! I’m so glad to finally be posting as I have some great recipes I can’t wait to share on the blog that use this sauce in one way or another. 😉

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky, fresh-flavored condiment perfect to have on hand for a variety of dishes. Ready in minutes with the recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Chimichurri Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

A Cuban style chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Put the parsley, garlic, and onion in the food processor. Pulse 2-3 times.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and run the food processor 10-20 seconds until well combined. Scrape the sides if needed and pulse 1-2 more times.
  3. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  4. Place the sauce in a glass jar and refrigerate up to two weeks, or place in a silicone mold to freeze in portions for later use.

Did this recipe inspire you?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

 

Pin for later…

Cuban Style Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky, fresh-flavored condiment perfect to have on hand for a variety of dishes. Ready in minutes with the recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Linda

Tuesday 26th of September 2017

Cuban chimichurri does not have parsley! This drives me incredibly insane. Yes, every other country uses parley, but Cubans ONLY USE CILANTRO. It makes the Cuban kind so much better and unique.

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Thursday 28th of September 2017

I made it the way my in-laws make it, and they use parsley usually, cilantro if they don't have parsley. They are most definitely Cuban, and I'm documenting the recipes from my husband's *Cuban* family. As with any ethnic cuisine, there are always variations between households.

Nancy Long

Monday 14th of March 2016

love a good Chimichurri

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe