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If you like bold, fresh flavors, this is for you: juicy grilled chicken with a vibrant sauce you’ll want to slather on everything.
Chimichurri is a bright herb sauce from Argentina, traditionally served with grilled meats, and it comes together in minutes. In this grilled chimichurri chicken, it does double duty as a marinade and a finishing fillet, so you get big, fresh flavor with very little effort. The chicken comes out of the grill juicy and slightly charred, and that vibrant green sauce poured on top really makes it.
Serve it with rice to soak up all that sauce and a simple vegetable or salad on the side: roasted carrots, grilled asparagus or fresh corn salad go well.
Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – My appointment here. They’re juicier, more flavorful, and much more forgiving on the grill than briskets. They also hold up well to acidic marinade, absorbing all that flavor without getting tough.
- extra virgin olive oil – The base of the chimichurri; adds richness and helps the sauce coat the chicken.
- Sherry vinegar + fresh lemon juice – A mixture of the two gives the sauce a lively and balanced taste.
- Garlic and shallot – Garlic for crunch, shallot for a milder, slightly sweet onion flavor.
- Fresh parsley, coriander and mint – A blend of fresh herbs that makes the sauce aromatic and flavorful.
- Salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes – Seasons the sauce with a subtle kick of spice.
- Access the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chimichurri. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, cilantro and mint. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is well combined but still textured.
Pro tip: Pulsing the food processor in short bursts rather than running it continuously prevents the herbs from turning into paste and maintains the coarse texture of the sauce.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Transfer half of the chimichurri (about ½ cup) to a large zip-top bag or bowl and add the chicken thighs. Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Pro tip: If marinating chicken in a bag, squeeze out as much air as possible. This ensures that the marinade remains in direct contact with the surface of the chicken for better flavor penetration.
Step 3: Grill the chicken. Preheat the grill (or broiler pan or broiler) to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until cooked through and nicely charred.
Pro tip: Allow excess marinade to drip off chicken before placing on grill. This helps prevent flare-ups and allows the meat to char rather than steam.
Step 4: Serve. Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve with the reserved chimichurri on top or on the side.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Grilled Chimichurri Chicken made with tender, flavorful chicken and a bold herb sauce – easy enough for weeknights, good enough for company.
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons sherry wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups delicately packed fresh parsley
- 1 cup delicately packed fresh coriander
- ½ cup delicately fresh mint
- 2 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare the chimichurri: In a food processor, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, cilantro and mint. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is well blended but still has some texture.
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Marinate the chicken: Transfer half of the chimichurri (about ½ cup) to a large zip-top bag or bowl and add the chicken thighs. Stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Grill the chicken: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill 5 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and nicely charred.
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Serve: Transfer the chicken to a plate, spoon all the reserved chimichurri on top or serve on the side (be generous with the sauce). Serve hot.
Remarks
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken on a skillet over medium-high heat or under the broiler, turning once, until nicely charred and cooked through.
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Sauce variation: For a creamier, milder sauce, add a little mayonnaise (about 1 part mayonnaise to 2 parts chimichurri, or to taste).
Nutritional information
Per serving (6 servings)Calories: 361kilocaloriesCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 31gFat: 24gSaturated fat: 4gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 495mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional information on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. Data is calculated via an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these numbers should only be considered estimates. Various factors such as types of produce or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and how ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information of a given recipe. Additionally, different online calculators provide different results based on their own nutritional data sources and algorithms. To get the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your favorite nutritional calculator.
Gluten-free adaptable note
To the best of my knowledge, all ingredients used in this recipe are gluten free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; If you are following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with a gluten allergy, always read the labels on your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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