Chimichurri Chicken (Grilled, Baked or Fried) - iFoodReal.com - Healthy Family Recipes (2024)

Get ready to taste the best Chimichurri Chicken recipe with this homemade Argentinian-inspired chimichurri sauce. You can grill or pan fry it to perfection and serve with extra chimichurri on a side.

You may also love this chicken bruschetta, yogurt marinated chicken and oven baked chicken thighs.

What Is Chimichurri Chicken?

Get ready to grab those napkins because things are about to get juicy! This chimichurri chicken recipe combines chicken breast or chicken thighs with a garlicky, herby, fresh and summery chimichurri sauce.

The result? A juicy, drippy, flavor-packed Argentinian chicken your entire family will love!

If you’ve never had chimichurri sauce before, I compare it to pesto but lighter because it is made with fresh parsley instead of basil. This chimichurri chicken requires as little as 30 minutes marinating or can be left to marinate overnight.

Fun fact is that in Argentina, chimichurri sauce is served as an accompaniment and not used as a marinade. Once marinated, this chicken recipe is ready in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients for Chimichurri Chicken

This chimichurri chicken recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients to make chimichurri sauce plus your choice of chicken.

• Fresh parsley: Only the leaves. I used Italian parsley but curly parsley will work as well.
• Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are the best. I do not recommend to use minced garlic from a jar but it will work in a pinch.
• Olive oil: I always use quality extra virgin olive oil as it contains the most flavor.
• Red wine vinegar: For a zing. You can also use white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
• Spices: Dried oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes.
• Chicken: I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts because the sauce is very rich from addition of olive oil. Of course, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, if you wish.

How to Make Chimichurri Chicken

Here is a quick overview how to make chimichurri chicken from scratch. You can whip up the sauce in practically seconds with a food processor or in a few minutes by hand.

Once prepared, this chicken chimichurri recipe can be cooked on the grill, on the stove or in the oven making it versatile and easy to prepare chicken recipe year round.

• Make the chimichurri sauce: First, combine parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until chopped. Then add olive oil, vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and process into a chunky sauce. You can also mince all ingredients by hand.
• Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, add the chicken and most of the chimichurri sauce, then mix to make sure chicken is fully covered. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes or even overnight. Once marinated, make sure to discard any leftover marinade for food safety reasons!

Next, it’s time to cook the chimichurri chicken. You can do this in one of three ways.

• Grilled chimichurri chicken: Preheat grill on medium-high heat to 450-500 degrees F and rub grill grates with oiled paper towel. Place chicken on the grill, close the lid and grill chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes or chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side. Do not overcook.
• Baked chimichurri chicken: Lightly oil the bottom of a large baking dish and lay the marinated chicken in a single layer. Bake uncovered at 450 F for 25-30 minutes for chicken breasts and approximately 40 minutes for chicken thighs.
• Pan fried chimichurri chicken: Preheat large skillet with a bit of oil, and pan fry chicken for 5-6 minutes per side. This method will slightly burn the herbs in the chimichurri sauce though it still tastes delicious!

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for the best chimichurri chicken recipe!

• To avoid overcooked chicken: I like to cook chicken only to 150 F, then allowing it to rest. The residual heat should bring the temperature up to 165 F while meat rests, so your chicken remains tender and succulent. If you’re wary, then allow chicken to reach 165F during cooking time as per USDA guidelines. To check if chicken is ready, insert meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken.
• Let the chicken rest: Cover cooked chimichurri chicken with foil and let it sit for at least 4-5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
• Bone-in chicken: Feel free to use chicken drumsticks or bone-in chicken thighs but cook chicken a bit longer then.
• Experiment with fresh herbs: You can make chimichurri sauce with parsley or cilantro, so feel free to use what you have to hand.
• Shallot: While not traditional, you can add a finely chopped shallot to the chimichurri sauce for extra depth of flavor.
• Red chili pepper: Use one small red chili pepper instead of red pepper flakes.

What Can I Serve Chimichurri Chicken with?

Once cooked, serve the chicken topped with the remaining chimichurri sauce.The chimichurri chicken is tender, juicy, and packed with the fresh and herby flavors. Perfect accompaniment to tons of meals!

Here are some of my favorite ways:

• Grains and potatoes: Serve with a side of quinoa, brown rice or mashed potatoes. It also pairs well with dishes like this Mediterranean quinoa salad.
• Side salads: My favorite option with this chicken is a simple spring mix salad, healthy coleslaw or Mexican bean salad.
• Roasted vegetables: Like baked asparagus recipe.
• Toss leftovers into a salad: You can enjoy leftover chimichurri chicken cold in a simple salad like this cucumber tomato avocado salad.
• Wraps: Chop it up and add it to a wrap along with some greens for a quick and flavorful meal-on-the-go!

How to Store

Store: Allow cooked chicken to cool down, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can enjoy it hot or cold!

Freeze: Allow the cooked chicken to cool before transferring to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying cold or reheating.

FAQs

More Chicken Recipes to Try

• Cilantro lime chicken
• Cajun chicken
• Chili lime chicken
• Greek chicken
• Lemon garlic chicken
• Grilled BBQ chicken breast
• Lemon rosemary chicken
• Grilled chicken thighs
• Grilled chicken burger
• Roasted chicken thighs and potatoes
• Baked boneless chicken thighs