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You will love how juicy, tender, and delicious this grilled Chimichurri Chicken is. It is easy to make and takes just 15 minutes on the grill. Perfect for lunch, dinner, and outdoor potlucks.
My kids love grilled chicken and this chimichurri chicken is one of their favorite. So tasty, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The chicken breast is marinated with my simple homemade chimichurri sauce, grilled to perfection, and then topped with more chimichurri sauce. Serve it over salads like this mandarin orange salad or as a main dish with roasted veggies.
Recipe Overview
Before you get started
- Try to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones if you can. It makes a huge difference in taste.
- You can swap the chicken breast with boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Do not overcook the chicken. If you have a food thermometer, use it. You can check the internal temperature of the chicken to reach 165°F.
- If you have the time, marinate the chicken for a good 30 minutes.
Ingredients for Chimichurri Chicken
Below you will find the ingredients I use to make this chicken chimichurri. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
How to make Chimichurri Chicken
Here is how you can make a perfect chimichurri chicken each time.
1️⃣ Make the chimichurri marinade
First, you need to chop all the ingredients as fine as possible and have them ready to make the chimichurri sauce. To a small bowl, add the chopped parsley, cilantro, onions, garlic, chili, oregano, and basil. Next, add the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and mix well to combine. Allow the flavors to meld for 10 minutes.
✏️ While you wait for the chimichurri sauce to meld, get the chicken out, clean it, and trim any excess fat off it. If the chicken breasts are too thick, I usually like to slice them in half lengthwise to make them a bit thinner.
2️⃣ Marinate the chicken
Pour about ⅓ of the chimichurri sauce over the chicken breasts and toss them together to coat completely. Reserve the remaining chimichurri to serve with the chicken later on, after it is grilled. Allow the chicken to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
✏️ Do not let the raw chicken touch the remaining chimichurri sauce.
3️⃣ Grill the Chicken
Preheat a grill pan or your outside grill on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through.
✏️ You can use an indoor or outdoor grill. Do not cook the chicken on high heat. I like to cook on medium heat, slow and steady.
4️⃣ Serve and Enjoy
Once the chicken is done cooking and it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, remove it from the grill and set them on a plate. Baste the chicken with the remaining chimichurri sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Common Questions
If you end up with leftover Homemade chimichurri sauce, it has a shelf life of 2 weeks when stored in the fridge. So if you want to double up and save some of the sauce to make more later, you can. The chimichurri chicken itself will last 3-4 days in the fridge.
You can use any other protein that you like. Chicken works great, which can be swapped for shrimp, salmon, tilapia, cod, and even tofu.
It can be made with dried herbs if you cannot find fresh herbs. But honestly, I can’t call it chimichurri if that’s the case, haha. The taste will just not be the same. But, hey, if in a pinch, go ahead.
Anything your heart desires, from salads like this Viral carrot salad, to bread like this cheese garlic bread, to roasted veggies, or potatoes like these baked potato wedges. The options are endless.
How to reheat
I find it best to reheat leftovers in the microwave. Another way would be to wrap the leftover chicken in foil, and place them in a preheated oven for 10 minutes or so until it is heated through.
Grilled Chimichurri Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, green parts only and finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 2 green onions, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1 red chili, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil. Add the 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar, Kosher salt and ground pepper, and mix well to combine.
- Allow the flavors to meld for 10 minutes.
- Pour about ⅓ of the chimichurri sauce over the 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts and toss to coat completely. Reserve the remaining chimichurri to serve with the chicken; ensure it doesn't come into contact with the raw meat.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat a grill pan or your outside grill on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through.
- Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Use lean chicken breasts. If you prefer to use chicken thighs, you can use boneless chicken thighs instead.
- Alternate source of protein could be shrimp or steaks
- You may use an outdoor or indoor grill
- Must use fresh parsley and fresh garlic
- Do not overcook the chicken so it’s not too dry and rubbery
- If you can, do marinate the chicken; unless you are in a rush, you can skip marinating.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More chicken recipes
- Balsamic Chicken Caprese
- Greek Chicken Bowl
- Buffalo Chicken Bake
- Easy Honey Garlic Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Kafta
- Creamy Cajun Chicken
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Omg this was so freaking good. I don’t even have a grill, I just seared it for about 4-5 minutes on each side and it was DELICIOUS. My new favorite meal to make. Thank you!!!
Thanks for the feedback, Brenda. Glad you loved it.
Delicious Chimichurri sauce . . . wait for dinner!
Perfect!
Absolutely amazing. Loved this and it will definitely go into our meal rotation.
Well done recipe I trying tonight t
Gracias
What type of parsley do you use?
Italian (flat) kind
How long can I marinate the chicken in the marinade? Is several hours ok?
Several hours is just fine
I have a question. Is there any other way to cook the chicken if you don’t own a grill of any kind. It looks and sounds delicious!
yes. You can use a grill pan and cook on your stovetop