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When you want to finish your steak with something beyond butter, try this easy, herby sauce straight from Argentina. Chimichurri Steak is packed with flavor, and the sauce is easy to make right in your blender.
Cultures all around the world serve herbaceous green sauces with a bold flavor, and I think each one provides a window into their cooking.
Morocco has chermoula, Thailand has Nam Prik Noom, India has green chutney, Mexico has salsa verde, Yemen has zhoug, and Italy has gremolata and pesto, to name a few. (The United States has Green Goddess, by the way).
These sauces are all made with fresh herbs and spices and they all bring bright flavors to meats, sides, and vegetables.
In Argentina (and Uruguay and Nicuragua, too), the condiment is chimichurri sauce, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled flank steak. On warm summer nights when compound butter feels too heavy for your steak, chimichurri adds loads of flavor without the richness.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- White vinegar: I like to keep things simple with regular white vinegar, but red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar both taste great here, too.
- Steak: The recipe calls for flank steak, but you can use rump or skirt steak, too.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the chimichurri sauce:
- In a food processor or blender, add parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, vinegar, cumin, and pepper flakes. Pulse until finely chopped, about 3 to 5 times.
- Scrape down the sides. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until a thick sauce forms, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Set aside so the flavors can blend while preparing the steak.
To make the steak marinade:
- In a large bowl or zipper-top bag, add the steak, cilantro, and lime juice. Zip bag closed and massage steak to combine marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day (see note 2).
- Pat steaks dry and season each side with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add steak and cook, without moving, until crispy and browned on one side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side, about 3 to 5 minutes longer (see FAQs for doneness temperatures).
- Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak against the grain and serve with chimichurri sauce.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: Depending on the exact piece of meat you get, 2 pounds of flank steak will give you about 20 ounces of cooked steak, enough for 4 servings, 5 ounces each. As written, you will have about 1 cup chimichurri sauce, enough for ¼ cup sauce per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: For maximum flavor, marinate the meat overnight. Too much longer, though, and the steak may become mushy.
- Freezer: Pour leftover chimichurri sauce into ice tray and freeze as cubes, then transfer cubes to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Grill: Chimichurri steak is easy over charcoal on a gas grill. Preheat your grill on high heat, then grill the marinated steak over direct heat, turning occasionally, until you reach your desired doneness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chimichurri sauce is popular in Argentinian, Uruguayan, and Nicaraguan cuisines.
Chimichurri sauce reminds me of pesto but with cilantro instead of basil. And, it can be quite spicy depending on how you make it. It’s delicious on New York strip steaks, ribeye steaks, chicken, and seafood.
I swear by my instant-read meat thermometer, and follow these temperature guidelines for any beef preparation:
Rare: 120 to 125 degrees F
Medium Rare: 130 to 135 degrees F
Medium: 140 to 145 degrees F
Medium Well: 150 degrees F
Well: 160 degrees F
While many chefs (and I) prefer a slightly lower temperature for juicer, more tender beef, the USDA has a more conservative minimum safe cooking temperature of 145 degrees F. Cook to your desired doneness level.
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Chimichurri Steak
Ingredients
For the chimichurri sauce:
- 1 bunch fresh parsley stems removed (preferably flat-leaf Italian parsley)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar or more to taste (see note 1)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 red chili, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 cup olive oil
For the steak:
- 2 pounds flank steak trimmed and slice lengthwise (with grain) into 4 equal pieces (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
To make the chimichurri sauce:
- In a food processor or blender, add parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, vinegar, cumin, and pepper flakes. Pulse until finely chopped, about 3 to 5 times.
- Scrape down sides. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until a thick sauce forms, about 20 to 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Set aside so the flavors can blend while preparing the steak.
To make the steak:
- In a large zipper-top bag, add steak, cilantro, and lime juice. Zip bag closed and massage steak to combine marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day (see note 2).
- Pat steaks dry and season each side with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add steak and cook, without moving, until crispy and browned on one side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
- Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak against the grain and serve with chimichurri sauce.
Notes
- White vinegar: I like to keep things simple with regular white vinegar, but red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar both taste great here, too.
- Steak: The recipe calls for flank steak, but you can use rump or skirt steak, too.
- Yield: Depending on the exact piece of meat you get, 2 pounds of flank steak will give you about 20 ounces of cooked steak, enough for 4 servings, 5 ounces each. As written, you will have about 1 cup chimichurri sauce, enough for ¼ cup sauce per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
