This Gluten Free Chimichurri sauce recipe is our most beloved grilling sauce and marinade. It is packed with fresh herb-y flavour, a tangy taste, and garlicky goodness. You cannot go wrong by serving this Argentinian inspired recipe with your steaks, grilled veggies, as a sandwich spread, or burger topper.
Jump to:
- The Quick Lowdown:
- Why We Like This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Chimichurri Main Ingredients Low Down
- 2 Methods to Make Our Gluten Free Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
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- Variations & Substitution Ideas
- Equipment
- Storage Instructions
- FAQ
- What To Pair With Allergy Friendly Chimichurri Sauce
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Have You Made Our Allergy Friendly Chimichurri Sauce? Please Leave a Comment Below.
- Rate our Recipe.
- We Love To Hear From You!
- Food Safety
- Allergy Resources
- 💬 Comments
Our chimichurri recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan, as well as free from the top 9 ingredients!
The Quick Lowdown:
Flavour: tangy, herby, acidic with a garlic punch perfect with chicken, pork, or beef.
Texture: the chopped method can be made chunkier with more texture to it. While the blender directions will yield a smoother sauce.
Speed: for the blender method the chimichurri sauce is recipe in 5 minutes.
Difficulty: two methods are included in this recipe. The quick blender method is the easiest and beginner friendly.
Return for effort: beyond a doubt! Packed with flavour in 5 minutes.
Why We Like This Recipe
This is one of the most versatile sauces to add a ton of flavour to a meal in 5 minutes. You can use our gluten free chimichurri sauce recipe as a marinade for meat, served on cooked steak, a spread on sandwiches or avocado toast, and so much more.
Traditional Argentinian chimichurri is chopped finely. When we are in a rush we pop all the ingredients in a small blender. We love this recipe because it can be adapted to our energy, time, and effort levels.
Ingredients
- Fresh Parsley
- Garlic
- Red Bell Pepper
- Fresh Oregano
- Green Onions
- Lemon Zest
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Crushed Red Chillies, dried
See recipe card for quantities.
Chimichurri Main Ingredients Low Down
Parsley & Oregano
Fresh herbs are the only option for chimichurri. Dried herbs will not work. One bunch is about 1.5- 2 cups of chopped parsley.
Pro tip: Use the leaves and stalks in the blender version. They will be pulsed finely and not woody or chewy.
Garlic & Green Onions
This is another case where fresh is best. Dried green onions, onion powder or dried garlic will not work properly for this recipe.
Pro tip: We only use the greens from the scallions/green onions for this dish and plant the white ends for more green onions in our window sill garden.
Red Bell Pepper
A sweet bell pepper is great to add more flavour to this sauce. Other colours can be used such as yellow, or orange. Green can also be used, they are not as sweet and won't give the same colour flecks in the sauce.
Pro tip: The sweet bell pepper can be switched up for your favourite hot pepper for a spicier kick.
Lemon Zest & Juice
We like to use fresh juice and zest for this recipe. For the best tasting chimichurri we recommend using the same.
When using the zest make sure to get unwaxed fruit or to get fruit that is not treated with soy wax. Always wash any citrus with hot water to remove any coating before zesting.
Pro tip: If you have fresh lemons and want to have some zest or lemon juice on hand at any time - zest the lemons, then juice them. Pop the zest in an airtight container in 1 tablespoon scoops. Pour the juice in 1 tablespoon measurements in an ice cube tray. Freeze both. When the juice is frozen move it to an airtight container and return to the freezer. It can be popped out and used as needed!
Olive Oil
A good quality extra virgin olive oil is best to use in this recipe. If the chimichurri is being used as a meat or veggie marinade, before cooking. Make sure to use an olive oil that is safe for your cooking method.
For more information on cooking with olive oil we found these two great articles on it. The first is from the site About Olive Oil by the North American Olive Oil Association and looks at the findings of the Culinary Institute of America on olive oil in cooking. The other is by Serious Eats and looks at various research.
Pro tip: Olive oil can be changed up for another neutral oil such as avocado, if preferred.
Red Wine Vinegar
This vinegar is made from red wine. If you are concerned with the clarification process of red wine it is best to check with the manufacturer, the food regulation agency, and your allergist/medical team in your area to determine what is best for you.
Pro tip: Red wine vinegar is what gives chimichurri its tangy flavour. If swapping it out for another vinegar, choosing apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar. The flavour profile of this gluten free chimichurri sauce recipe will change with a switch of vinegars.
Salt & Crushed Red Chillies, dried
Like every ingredient we are seeing more and more dried spices and herbs labelled as "may contain" for allergens. Even if there isn't a warning it is always best to check on if they are processed in shared facilities or lines with you allergens, as decided with your medical team.
Pro tip: not all dried chillies have the same heat. Check yours before adding to get the correct balance for your tastebuds-- especially with kids.
2 Methods to Make Our Gluten Free Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Blender Method:
1- Place all the ingredients in a small blender or food processor.
2- Pulse to blend for 10-15 seconds or until just chopped.
3- Transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Note: The texture should not be completely smooth instead it should be slightly chunky or have very small bits.
**BEGINNER Friendly method
Alternate Chopped Method:
1- Finely chop and mince Parsley, garlic, red bell pepper, oregano, and green onions.
2- Place the parsley, garlic, oregano and green onions in a medium bowl. Add in the lemon zest. Set Aside.
3- In a small bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients. Mix the dressing with a fork until well mixed.
4- Pour the mixed dressing over the chopped and minced ingredients from step one. Mix with a fork and serve.
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Variations & Substitution Ideas
- Cilantro - instead of all parsley you can use ⅔ -¾ cilantro.
- Tomatoes - reducing the amount of parsley and replace it with sundried tomatoes for a red chimichurri sauce
- Rice Vinegar or ACV - red wine vinegar can be changed out for unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Spicy - swap out the red bell pepper with jalapeno, serrano pepper or your favourite hot pepper.
- Lime - a squeeze of lime in place of lemon is a fresh alternative
- Avocado oil - trade olive for another safe neutral oil.
- Smokey red - switch out the sweet bell pepper and parsley for roasted red peppers.
Equipment
For this gluten free chimichurri sauce recipe we have two methods. One is a chopped and for that you will need - a good quality knife and cutting board. The other is blended and a small blender, like a smoothie attachment for a ninja or a magic bullet is a easy to use.
Pro tip: If using wooden handled knives, wooden cutting boards, or heavily scarred plastic cutting boards it is always best practice to never use your allergens on them as minute bits of allergens can become trapped in the material. The same applies for any blender with a vacuum process on it as there can be a risk of cross contact with allergens.
Storage Instructions
Fridge
Store gluten free chimichurri sauce in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container. The parsley may dull in colour, especially in the blender over time as it oxidises. It is best when made fresh.
Freezer
We do not recommend freezing the allergy friendly chimichurri sauce. It will not hold up and will turn brown.
FAQ
It can. We don't use it in ou recipe but some recipes do use it. You can also swap out some parsley with cilantro. It is a great way to add a change to the sauce and for a variation on flavour.
Yes. It should be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best food safety practices it is best to not leave it out of the fridge for extended periods of time.
It can be. Our recipe isn't spicy, it is garlicky and tangy. However, depending on if serrano peppers or jalapenos are used in place of some of the sweet bell pepper, it can be spicy. The amount of red chili flakes and how hot they are will impact the spiciness of chimichurri. You can make it spicer or milder as you like.
Yes!! Chimichurri as a sauce is traditionally vegan. It is usually seen drizzled on a steak but it tastes amazing on a cauliflwer steak, a portobello mushroom burger, or a vegan cheeze, avocado, and tomato submarine. If eating chimichuri that you haven't prepared always check the ingredients to make sure they are all vegan, as many variations exist.
What To Pair With Allergy Friendly Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri is one of those sauces that is amazing on just about everything savoury. Most often this sauce is served on a grilled sliced steak. Chimichurri can be used as a marinade for chicken, pork, beef. This use is close to it's Argentinian roots being served as a sauce for beef.
Swipe a bit on a sandwich for extra flavour or as a cheeky salad dressing. It is fantastic on a charcuterie board as a spread with meats and crackers. One way we love to elevate our smashed potatoes is to drizzle a bit of chimichurri on them before serving.
One of our favourite grilling meals is chimichurri chicken skewers. So delicious!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Small Blender or food processor
Ingredients
Mixed Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ Cup Red Bell Pepper minced
- ¼ Cup Fresh Oregano chopped finely
- 2 Tablespoons Green Onions minced (greens leaves only)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest
Dressing
- ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (see notes)
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar (see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Chillies dried (aka Red Chili Flakes)
Instructions
Beginner Blender Method:
- Place all the ingredients in a small blender or food processor.1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, 4 cloves Garlic, ¼ Cup Red Bell Pepper, ¼ Cup Fresh Oregano, 2 Tablespoons Green Onions, 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest, ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Chillies
- Pulse to blend for 10-15 seconds or until just chopped. The texture should not be completely smooth instead it should be slightly chunky or have very small bits.
- Move to in an airtight container for storage.
Alternate Chopped Method:
- Finely chop and mince Parsley, garlic, red bell pepper, oregano, and green onions.
- Place the parsley, garlic, oregano and green onions in a medium bowl. Add in the lemon zest. Set Aside.
- In a small bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients. Mix the dressing with a fork until well mixed.
- Pour the mixed dressing over the chopped and minced ingredients from step 1. Mix with a fork.
Notes
Allergy Note 1
Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person's allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product.
Allergy Note 2
If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons.
Allergy Note 3
This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
"The Allergen Free Kitchen" is not a registered dietician or nutritionist, does not replace a registered dietician or nutritionist and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend you consult with your medical team to find a registered dietician or nutritionist and for you to calculate the nutritional information. Calories and nutritional values can vary vastly depending on which brands were used and any substitutions used.
Have You Made Our Allergy Friendly Chimichurri Sauce? Please Leave a Comment Below.
Rate our Recipe.
We Love To Hear From You!
Food Safety
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Allergy Resources
If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you.
For additional resources please check out the following allergy education and advocacy pages:
In the United States:
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) - Home Page
- Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) - Home Page
- U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Food Allergies - Home Page
- Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in The United States of America
- Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA - Recalls
- US Food & Drug Administration, FDA - Recalls
- Celiac Disease Foundation - Home Page
- National Celiac Association (NCA) - Home Page
- Beyond Celiac - Home Page
- Celiac.com - Home Page
In Canada
- Food Allergy Canada - Home Page
- Celiac Canada - Home Page
- The Government of Canada - Health Site- Food Allergies
- The Government of Canada - Food Allergen Labelling, the List of Ingredients and Allergens on Food Labels, and Allergens and Gluten Sources Labelling
Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in Canada
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