Chimichurri Rojo
Zesty, smoky and full of flavor, Chimichurri Rojo aka red Chimichurri is a condiment that you'll want to use on EVERYTHING! With just a few ingredients and 10 minutes of kitchen time, you'll be able to put this delish sauce together.
Use it as a dip, spread or even as a stir fry sauce- it's SO versatile. I end up making this (and my Turkish red pepper paste) every time I have some extra bell peppers at hand.
This Argentinian sauce is traditionally served with meat, but its flavors are so versatile, you can pair it with pretty much anything.
The oil and vinegar emulsify together beautifully to create a sauce that adds so much sophistication to any dish. I can't wait to team it up with some butter to create a nice Chimichurri butter - and use it for my steak along with my Cafe de Paris butter.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
This sauce is fairly easy to make, and perfect to quickly whip up when you're entertaining and are looking for something fresh, zesty and flavorful. Team it up with some spicy Italian dipping oil, a numbing Schezwan sauce and a simple Air Fryer roasted tomato salsa.
Recipe Ingredients
Red bell peppers: The base for the Chimichurri. Make sure you use fresh, unblemished ones.
Red wine vinegar: For the tanginess. You can also use apple cider vinegar if you don't have this. I love using my spicy pepper vinegar sometimes.
Garlic: For that savory, umami depth. I love using my Air Fryer roasted garlic for this recipe whenever I have it at hand.
Seasonings: To season, I used some salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and paprika. You can also use cayenne if you want an extra kick of heat.
Lemon juice: To tone down the heat and round out all the other flavors.
Oil: Any regular cooking oil will do.
Herbs: I used dried oregano to add a bit of aroma and depth, and some fresh parsley for that pop of color.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Experiment with the seasonings to tweak the flavors to your liking. I love choosing from my favorite infused salts- citrus salt, jalapeno salt, garlic parsley salt, homemade herb salt and celery salt to add some extra flavor.
- Want to bring a bit of sweetness to the sauce? Add some homemade date sugar or a drizzle of honey into the mix.
How to Make Chimichurri Rojo
Step 1: Slice the bell peppers into halves and remove the seeds and white. Rub them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Air fry them until slightly charred.
Step 2: Transfer the roasted peppers to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3: Blend until you get a slightly chunky sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step 4: Transfer to a bowl and use immediately or store for later.
💭Top Tip
I blitzed the bell peppers with the skin on. If you don't like their texture, you can choose to remove the skin too.
How to Store Leftover Chimichurri Rojo
Got some leftovers? Store them for up to a week in the refrigerator. Use an airtight container to keep the Chimichurri fresh. You can also use a freezer-safe container or Souper cubes to freeze the sauce if you want it to last longer.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- To make things quicker, I sometimes end up using my oven roasted Italian peppers.
- If you don't have enough red bell pepper or just want to bulk up the sauce, consider using a tomato or two. I like to add my Air Fryer roasted tomatoes into the mix for some extra tangy and smoky flavor.
- It's a good idea to use a small food processor or blender to make this sauce. A larger device may not chop up the bell peppers properly.
- Got some extra bell peppers left? Use them up to make Air Fryer dehydrated bell peppers or a nice sweet pepper relish.
How to Serve Chimichurri Rojo
You can go the classic way and spoon some of the Chimichurri Rojo over your grilled steak or chicken, or serve it as a dipping sauce and team it up with some crackers and chips.
I love drizzling this sauce over my breakfast eggs, and even spreading this on my homemade sandwiches every time I run out of my cashew tamarind sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Just make sure you drain them before you put them to use.
More Sauce Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Chimichurri Rojo recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chimichurri Rojo
Ingredients
- 2 red bell pepper
- 4 garlic
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup parsley
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice the bell peppers into halves and remove the seeds and white. Rub them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Air fry them until slightly charred.
- Transfer the roasted peppers to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend until you get a slightly chunky sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Transfer to a bowl and use immediately or store for later.
Notes
- To make things quicker, I sometimes end up using my oven roasted Italian peppers.
- If you don't have enough red bell pepper or just want to bulk up the sauce, consider using a tomato or two. I like to add my Air Fryer roasted tomatoes into the mix for some extra tangy and smoky flavor.
- It's a good idea to use a small food processor or blender to make this sauce. A larger device may not chop up the bell peppers properly.
- Got some extra bell peppers left? Use them up to make Air Fryer dehydrated bell peppers or a nice sweet pepper relish.
