Chimichurri Chicken Breast
Chimichurri Chicken is vibrant, garlicky, tangy, spicy, oh so tender and about to become one of your go-to chicken recipes! It is marinated in a zesty, herb-infused chimichurri sauce originating in Uruguay and Argentina that takes just 5 minutes to whip up. After marinating, you will love that all you have to do is cook the chicken and dinner is served! The Chicken Chimichurri is stand-alone scrumptious with roasted veggies or grilled zucchini or fabulous in salads, sandwiches or wraps. Let's chimichurri!
Servings 3 -4 servings
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE/MARINADE
- 1 shallot, peeled
- 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-2 small red chilies, seeded (OR sub ½-1 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
ADD LAST
- 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro (may sub flat-leaf parsley)
- 2 tablespoon fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
MAKE CHIMICHURRI
- Add shallot, garlic, chili peppers/flakes, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse, stopping and scraping down sides occasionally until finely minced (or mince by hand).
- Add parsley, cilantro and oregano; pulse until the herbs are almost chopped to desired consistency.
- Pour in the olive oil while pulsing to combine, just until the herb leaves are finely minced but still have some body. Don’t over-process once you add the olive oil or the chimichurri can taste bitter. Add additional red wine vinegar for tangier, red pepper flakes for spicier or salt and pepper if desired.
MARINATE CHICKEN
- Remove 1/3 cup chimichurri for topping cooked chicken. Add remaining chimichurri to a freezer bag or bowl, add chicken and toss to evenly combine. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 12 hours (the longer the better). Refrigerate the reserved 1/3 cup chimichurri sauce seprately.
- When ready to cook, remove chicken and chimichurri from the refrigerator and let rest 15-30 minutes before cooking.
TO GRILL CHICKEN:
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees with the lid closed, clean and grease grates.
- Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through. (Cook to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.)
- Top cooked chicken with reserved chimichurri (that never touched the raw chicken). Season with freshly cracked salt to taste.
TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
- Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowed to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.
- Top cooked chicken with reserved chimichurri (that never touched the raw chicken). Season with freshly cracked salt to taste.
TO BAKE CHICKEN IN THE OVEN:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake the chicken for 14 to 16 minutes (for small/medium breasts that are about 5-6 ounces), 16 to 20 minutes (for medium/large breasts that are 7 to 9 ounces), or 20 to 25 minutes (for larger breasts). As always, I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer for the most accurate/juiciest chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.
- Top cooked chicken with reserved chimichurri (that never touched the raw chicken). Season with freshly cracked salt to taste.
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken: This Chicken Chimichurri will work with any cut of chicken including chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, chicken drumsticks, chicken legs or chicken wings. You will just need to adjust the cooking times if you swap out the cut of chicken, so keep that meat thermometer handy!
- Parsley: Please use flat leaf parsley rather than curly parsley. Flat leaf parsley is bold and aromatic, while curly parsley can be muted and is used more for a garnish. To avoid bitter chimichurri, always taste the parsley before making to ensure you don’t ruin the entire batch.
- Shallot: Shallots enhance the sauce but aren’t traditional in chimichurri, so take them or leave them. One shallot is considered all of the bulbs within the shallot. You may also use ¼ of a red onion.
- Red wine vinegar: I don’t recommend substituting with white or balsamic vinegar. You may, however, substitute the lemon juice with additional red wine vinegar.
- Adjust to taste: If you’re not sure how strong, spicy or tangy you would like your chimichurri sauce, start with small amounts and gradually add more to taste. If the chicken tastes like it's missing something, it is likely salt and/or heat.
- Ways to use Chimichurri Chicken: See post for lots of ideas!
How to Store and Reheat
- To store: Store cooked chicken in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- To freeze: Let the cooked chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken without having to thaw all of the chicken, then wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat in the microwave: Chop up or slice the chicken so it reheats more evenly then transfer a small portion to a microwave safe dish. Heat for 45 seconds then at 15 second intervals as needed.
- To reheat in the oven: Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish. Cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or just until warmed through.