Easy Chimichurri Sauce (or Marinade!)

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This Easy Chimichurri Sauce is a slightly spicy, tangy, and herb-filled sauce that can be used as a sauce or topping for tofu, tempeh and much more. Also use it as a marinade!

A wooden bowl filled with chimichurri sauce topped with crushed red chili flakes on a wood background.

Chimichurri sauce is generally used to add flavor to meat (think steak, chicken). But in our opinion, there are other (and better, healthier) options.

Add a spoonful of this sauce on baked tofu (or air fried tofu), to grilled veggies (portobello mushrooms are a must), use it to marinate tempeh, on pasta, or as a dip for crusty bread, or heck, we’ve even used it as a sandwich spread. As you can see, there are SO many uses for this delicious sauce.

And not only is this chimichurri recipe amazingly tasty, but it’s also super cheap and easy to make!

An overhead shot of a small cutting board with a small wooden bowl on top filled with bright green chimichurri sauce.

WHY WE LOVE THIS Chimichurri Sauce RECIPE:

It’s insanely easy! Add everything to the food processor and blend. Boom. That’s it.
It’s unique. This is not your average green sauce. It looks like a pesto, but the red wine vinegar, parsley, and shallots give it a tangy taste different than any other sauce you’ve experienced. And the red chili flakes give it just a hint of a spicy kick.
It works as a sauce AND a marinade. This recipe is double duty. Spoon it over your favorite foods, or let it marinate for a day or two. Either way, the flavor is on point.
It’s naturally vegan. No substituting required. This classic recipe is already vegan so that’s a winner in our book.
It’s cheap to make. Just a few simple ingredients (see photo below) and you have yourself a fancy sauce that didn’t hurt your wallet.
It has a cool name. Anything that starts with chimi and ends with churri has to be cool right?

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

A bunch of white bowls on a wood background with ingredients for chimichurri sauce, including parsley, red wine vinegar, shallots, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, oregano, olive oil and maple syrup.

INGREDIENTS NOTES:

Parsley– Make sure to use flat-leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley) for this recipe. Flat-leaf parsley will add a great herbal flavor without overwhelming this dish. It also has a more robust flavor than curly parsley.
Oregano– we like fresh oregano for this recipe, but you can also use fresh cilantro leaves and it’s just as good!
Maple Syrup– Add a tiny bit of maple syrup to this sauce to help balance the flavor and make it a little less acidic-tasting. Feel free to omit if you want a stronger flavor profile.
Oregano– We chose fresh oregano for this recipe, but feel free to swap it for cilantro if you have it on hand.

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:

To make this recipe, it’s very simple. To a food processor, add the minced garlic, olive oil, shallot, parsley, oregano, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and maple syrup. Process until blended and smooth to your liking.

Note: You may need to stop the food processor and scrape the ingredients down the side and blend again, to ensure all ingredients are blended thoroughly.

2 photos showing a food processor filled with the ingredients for chimichurri sauce and another with it blended together.

Remove the sauce from the food processor using a spatula, and transfer to a small bowl.

This recipe makes 3/4 cup of chimichurri sauce. Use this sauce on top of baked tofu, tempeh, grilled vegetables, and much more.

To use as a marinade:

Make the sauce per the recipe as-is, then add roughly 1/2 cup water to the sauce; stir. Place the items you will be marinating (sliced tofu or tempeh, or vegetables) in an even layer and cover with the sauce. Let soak overnight for best results.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

Store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

An overhead shot of a wooden bowl filled with chimichurri sauce.

EXPERT TIPS & FAQ’S:

How can I use chimichurri sauce?

This sauce works well as a dipping sauce on-the-side or a dollop right on top of your favorite foods. Try it on baked or air fried tofu, tempeh, vegetables, potatoes, rice, as a sandwich spread, on top of grilled portobello mushrooms, as an amazing dip for bread, or even on pasta. It’s very versatile and will go with many different dishes.

How do I use this sauce as a marinade?

Make the sauce per the recipe as-is, then add roughly 1/2 cup water to the sauce; stir. Place the items you will be marinating (sliced tofu or tempeh, or vegetables) in an even layer and cover with the sauce. Let soak overnight for best results. Check out this recipe for ‘Baked Tempeh with Chimichurri Sauce‘ for detailed instructions.

Can I use a mortar and pestle for this sauce?

Yes!! You can also make this sauce in a mortar and pestle. To do so, add the garlic, oil and shallot first and crush until blended. All all remaining ingredients and crush with the pestle until blended thoroughly. This is a fun way to make this sauce and will bring out the flavors in a different way. Yum. A mortar filled with chimichurri sauce and a pestle on the side.

Doesn’t chimichurri usually use cilantro?

Yes, some recipes use cilantro, but we find the parsley and oregano are such a great combination of fresh herbs, that cilantro is not needed. But of course, feel free to experiment if you wish! Most chimichurri sauces consist of parsley, shallots, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes, but there are slight variations beyond that basic recipe. Cilantro is a great addition or replacement for oregano, so if that’s all you have on hand, it will work well.

A wide shot showing a small cutting board with a small wooden bowl filled with chimichurri sauce, and a small white bowl filled with red wine vinegar and fresh parsley in the background.

Looking for other yummy sauces? Try one of these!

If you try this Chimichurri Sauce, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo with #veggie__chick on Instagram. We love to see our recipes being made in YOUR kitchen!