Oil free chimichurri with fresh herbs, fresh lime juice and tangy red wine vinegar is the ultimate topping for all your grilled favourites. It’s wholesome, low in calories and virtually fat free! Ready in 10 minutes or less.
This recipe was originally published in March 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.
This is a Latin classic with a twist.
Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce, made using flat leaf parsley, spices and olive oil.
My low calorie and low fat twist opts for red wine vinegar and lime juice to make this one oil free. Plus I’m adding a little cilantro to the mix.
The flavour is fresh, tangy and absolutely fantastic! It pairs perfectly with all your grilled favourites like grilled tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms!
How to make it
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
This simple recipe is ready in no time, with little skill or effort required. Gather your ingredients. (Full quantities are in the recipe card below.)
NOTE: If you don’t like cilantro, switch it out for more parsley instead.
Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the lime juice and vinegar to your food processor. (photo 1)
Process until very finely chopped. (photo 2)
Transfer the chopped herbs to a bowl or jar. Then add the liquids and stir.
NOTE: Alternatively, you may add the liquids directly to your food processor (AFTER processing the herbs) and pulse once or twice to mix. But DO NOT puree.
Let the mixture rest 1 hour in the fridge to blend the flavours.
How to use it
- Spread over grilled veggies, like tomato, mushrooms, eggplant or zucchini.
- Mix into mashed potatoes for an herby flavour.
- Spread some into a chickpea salad sandwich.
- Use it as a burger topping.
Substitutions + Variations
Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking!
- Do you hate cilantro? We love it, but I know some of you don’t. No problem. Just use all parsley instead, or a smaller ratio of cilantro.
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar also work.
- Want some heat? Spice it up with a pinch of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes.
- Want smoky flavour? Use smoked paprika instead of sweet and/or add a splash of liquid smoke.
- Switch up the citrus if preferred. Use lemon over lime, or a combo of both, or add some freshly squeezed orange to the mix for a touch of sweetness.
Expert Tips
- Process the herbs WITHOUT any liquid. Processing everything together will result in a paste. Then gently pulse ONCE OR TWICE to add the liquid, or stir into a bowl or jar to be safe.
- Raw garlic has a stronger flavour compared to cooked. We like our chimichurri very garlicky, but if you don’t, reduce to 1-2 cloves.
- Let rest 1 hour (or more) before using for the best flavour.
More homemade sauces and dips
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley tightly packed (thick stems removed)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro tightly packed (thick stems removed)
- 3-4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
- 1 tablespoon lime juice approx. half of a lime
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients, except the lime juice and the vinegar to your food processor. Process until finely chopped.
- Then transfer the herbs to a bowl or jar and pour in the lime juice and vinegar. Mix well and let rest for 1 hour to blend the flavours. Serve with your favourite grilled foods.
Shlomit says
I made this and it’s great with everything savoury where you need to jazz up the flavour! I used a combo of sweet paprika and smoked paprika. Made it without food.
Rosa says
Thrilled you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Monique Gravel O'Neill says
Love this low cal version. I didn’t use the food processor, I chopped everything by hand &, that worked fine. It isn’t going to drizzle on the meat like some chimichurries, so some people might let like to add a drizzle of oil but the taste is all there. I use the smoked paprika
Rosa says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Melissa says
Perfect over roasted veggies and as a topping on my veggie wraps and California veggie sandwiches! Thank u
Rosa says
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed Melissa. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Pam says
We love this chimichurri sauce and make it often! Thank you!
rosa says
Thanks Pam! So happy to hear.
Kirsten says
Trying this out today!
Have you ever tried freezing it ?
Rosa says
Hi Kirsten, I haven’t froze this one yet but it should be perfectly fine to freeze. Hope you enjoy!
Zoey Chau says
Hi! Just wondering if there’s any substitutions for the red wine vinegar? This recipe looks amazing!
Rosa says
Hi Zoey, you may try white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead. Whichever is your preference. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
kim says
What a delicious recipe! I love how easy this is too!
rosa says
Thanks Kim! So glad you enjoyed!
Debbie says
I am making this tonight with mostly cilantro. Can I make it ahead of time and refrigerate?
rosa says
Hi Debbie, yes you can absolutely make it ahead and refrigerate. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy! 🙂
Toni says
I loved how delicious & easy this was to make! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Shelley says
I bet this will go great with grilled portobello mushrooms! It’s on my list for our next family get together.
rosa says
Absolutely! Enjoy.