Chimichurri Chicken
When it comes to summer dinners, nothing is more iconic than a thick, juicy piece of grilled chicken (or steak) topped with delightfully herby chimichurri sauce.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1½ lb chicken breast, trimmed, butterflied
Chimichurri Sauce
- ¼ c fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- ¼ c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
- 4-8 garlic cloves, minced (see notes)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 to 3 tsp crushed red pepper (varies from not spicy to spicy)
- ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Chimichurri Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano, red wine vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse until coarsely processed.
- Transfer the processed ingredients to a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the olive oil over the mixture and let it stand for at least 20 minutes at room temperature before serving. Don’t skip this step, as it allows all the delicious flavors to meld!
Chimichurri Chicken
- Trim the fat off of the chicken. Using a sharp knife, carefully butterfly the chicken by cutting the chicken breast in half horizontally.
- Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag (you can also use a shallow baking dish). Pour half of the chimichurri sauce over the chicken and shake to coat the chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate the chicken and allow it to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but up to 24 hours.
Pan Searing Method
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. You shouldn't need oil since there is olive oil in the chimichurri marinade, but feel free to drizzle a bit extra if desired. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil for 5 minutes to allow the chicken to rest.
- Spoon the remaining chimichurri over the chicken, as desired. Serve and enjoy!
Grilling Method
- Heat the grill to medium-high. Once it is warm, spray with cooking spray and place the chicken breasts on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160°F. Note: Cook time may vary by the type of grill you’re using and the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, so for best results use a meat thermometer to ensure the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F before eating. We seared our chicken 3 to 4 minutes on both sides using a Lion grill.
- Transfer the chicken from the grill to a serving plate and loosely tent with tin foil to rest for 5 minutes. The chicken will continue cooking to its final temperature of 165F. Serve with chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chimichurri can be very pungent due to the garlic. For less sharp chimichurri, just use 4 garlic cloves. For a sharper chimichurri, use the full 8 garlic cloves. It really is personal preference!