This balsamic chimichurri sauce recipe is made with oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, and green onions. I wanted to make a chimichurri sauce with a different consistency than the previous blended chimichurri recipe. Once I started making it, I decided to also change the flavor a little bit by replacing white wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar, and by using more oregano than parsley. I also used olive oil instead of just regular plain oil – which is what is usually used in more traditional Argentinean chimichurri recipes, Â though personally I prefer to use olive oil in mine.Â
Balsamic chimichurri sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbs finely chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 5 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder - optional
- 3 tbs finely chopped scallions or green onions
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a jar or container with a tight lid and shake well.
- Refrigerate until ready to use (but use the same day).
When I think of a chimichurri sauce the first thing that comes to my mind is oregano, thanks to our Argentinean neighbors in Ecuador. I also added some chopped green onions. I really like this sauce to accompany empanadas, Nicolas (the sometimes picky husband), was skeptical about the balsamic vinegar, he was going through a phase where he didn’t like balsamic vinegar. Thankfully he has learned to like since then, if you like balsamic vinegar then you’ll probably really enjoy this balsamic chimichurri sauce.
Balsamic chimichurri photos:
 
Hi! All I have to say is wow!! I made this with the beef empanadas recipe and it totally rocked.. I love your blog! I love cooking for my husband and he really loved these.. I’m planning to make so many more dishes from here.. Thank u
It is such a delight to see these recipes and to the visual effect your pictures have for my forever hunger of delving into different cultures and foods..I am Guatemalan but love anything with that spicy latin flavor…thank you for your recipes….I was wondering about this warning you repeatedly emphasize with the mixing of oil and garlic creating harmful bacteria…not sure but I have seen those homemade Italian dressings where both ingredients are used and kept for longer periods of time sometimes unrefrigerated. I am asking because I have never heard of that before and I am afraid I have done this unknowingly when marinating chicken or steak.
Hi Gladys – I did the same before I knew about this and never had anything happen, same thing for my husband’s family – they make olive oil infused with fresh garlic and also marinated goat cheese in a garlic olive oil mix. It is very rare for this bacteria to develop, but since it is quite dangerous if it does, I try to keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to serve and usually make small batches so that we consume them within 24 hours. Also, if the garlic is cooked or roasted before mixing with the olive oil then there isn’t any danger – which is what I would recommend for sauces/dressings that are going to be kept for longer periods of time.
Hi Laylita,
Great sauce! I made at Christmas with your empanadas mendocinas everybody love it.
Thanks again.
Vicky
I made this sauce a couple weeks ago to go with your empanadas recipe. Even now I am still craving more. Wonderful flavors. Thanks for sharing.
Rick Bayless posted a Mojo de Ajo recipe which features large amounts of olive oil, garlic cloves and lime juice cooked slowly in the oven and then refrigerated for use later on. I keep a jar of the smashed garlic/olive oil/lime juice in my fridge for weeks and sometimes longer. I think the citrus alleviates the potential for the garlic and oil to create harmful bacteria. Don’t you think with the addition of vinegar in this sauce that it would do the same thing? What about adding some lime juice to ensure it? It sounds like a delicious recipe but as a single person, it would be wasteful to use only on the day it was made.
Hi Dianna – I’m not sure about the effect of the citrus/vinegar on the garlic, but I’ve kept it (refrigerated) for up to 3 days, the main thing is the olive oil start to get cloudy and solidify after day 1, but I usually just shake it and it’s fine. My husband told me that in France his family puts garlic in olive oil and keeps it for long periods – without refrigeration. It seems to be one of theses cases where there is a very small chance that it will be harmful, but if it does the danger is high.