Chimichurri Doesn’t Need a Recipe. It Needs Rules.

When I was running my private chef business and doing custom in-home dinners, summertime always meant chimichurri. I genuinely cannot count the number of times someone asked me for the recipe. And the truth? I didn’t have one. I still don’t. What I have are rules — and rules, it turns out, make a better chimichurri than any recipe ever could.

The four rules: it needs to be FRESH, BRIGHT, SEASONED, and have a LITTLE KICK. Let me break those down.

Fresh

Fresh means herbs, and a lot of them. We’re talking a full bunch of flat-leaf parsley and a full bunch of cilantro. If you’re in the cilantro-tastes-like-soap camp, just double up on parsley — no judgment, that’s a real thing. Beyond the base, don’t be shy about throwing in other delicate herbs: mint, dill, chives, and oregano all belong here. What you want to avoid are the resinous ones — rosemary and thyme have their place, but it’s not in this sauce.

One more thing: please don’t use a food processor. Chimichurri should have texture. You want to be able to see what’s in it.

Bright

Bright means acid, and I’m not picking one. I use fresh lemon juice AND red wine vinegar together, because why choose? White wine or champagne vinegar are great swaps if that’s what you have. From there, consider adding chopped pickled red onions or capers — both are fridge staples, both add a little brininess and depth that plays beautifully with all those herbs.

Seasoned

Salt is obvious, but here’s something that might surprise you: fish sauce. I know, I know — stay with me. The only two ingredients in Red Boat Fish Sauce are anchovies and sea salt. A couple of teaspoons quietly boost the whole thing — more salt, more umami, no fishiness. It does not have to live exclusively in Asian cuisine, and once you try it here, you’re going to start putting it in a lot of other things too.

A Little Kick

This is where you can really have fun. Calabrian chili peppers are my go-to, but finely chopped pickled jalapeños work great, and Cento Hoagie Spread is a sneaky-good option too. Fresh or confit garlic both belong here — I usually use two to four cloves depending on my mood. And freshly cracked black pepper, always. Not the stuff from the pre-ground jar — actually crack it.

How to Balance It All

Here’s the thing about chimichurri: the measurements are yours to figure out. Go heavy on the herbs — they’re the backbone. Go lighter on the pickley and spicy elements so they add punch without taking over. The acid and salt are all about tasting as you go. There’s no “right” amount. There’s only the amount that makes you stop and eat a spoonful straight from the bowl.

For this batch, I used parsley, cilantro, chives, dill, pickled red onions, Calabrian chilies, freshly cracked black pepper, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, enough olive oil to cover everything, a touch of fish sauce, and kosher salt until it tasted exactly how I wanted it to taste. It is to die for.

Spring and summer just beg me to serve it over vegetables — squash and zucchini are the perfect neutral-sweet carrier for something this zingy and bright. But honestly, chimichurri doesn’t really need a reason. It just needs to be made.