Do you love adding some extra flavor to your steak or veggies? Well, you gotta try chimichurri sauce! It’s tangy, herbaceous, and completely gluten-free and vegan.
Plus, the best part is that it’s super easy to make, whether cooking up a storm or needing a small amount.
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What is Authentic Chimichurri?
Chimichurri is a super popular condiment in Argentina and other South American countries.
To make it, you need some red wine vinegar, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, cilantro (optional), garlic, and red chili peppers or red pepper flakes.
It’s earthy and tangy and adds immense flavor to grilled meats like flank steak, skirt steak, or chicken thighs and breasts. Yum!
Follow this super easy chimichurri recipe.
Make A Batch Of Chimichurri Sauce And Freeze It For Simple Meal Planning.
This is especially great when you’re short on time.
Add some extra flavor to your meals by preparing a large amount of chimichurri sauce ahead of time and keeping it in the freezer.
Thawing it as you go, and add it to your favorite pasta. Try these simple and delicious recipes.
You can use it to enhance the taste of your favorite dishes, like Wild Argentinian Shrimp With Chimichurri Pasta or One-Pan Angel Hair Chimichurri Pasta.
When You Freeze Chimichurri It’s Easy To Incorporate Chimichurri Into Your Meals In Other Ways
Use Chimichurri Sauce As A Marinade
My favorite way to use it is as a marinade for chicken or as a seasoning for grilled meats.
If you want the best results, be sure to marinade the chicken overnight to really let those delicious flavors soak in. And if you want to add an extra pop of flavor, try squeezing some extra lime juice on top.
You won’t be disappointed – it’ll turn out super tender and flavorful!
How To Save Leftover Chimichurri Sauce In The Refrigerator?
You might not have a lot to freeze, but it’s just the right amount to keep in your fridge.
Tip: To keep your greens and ingredients fresh, it’s a good idea to store them in a clean, glass container in the fridge.
You can expect them to stay fresh for up to five days, but after that, the greens may lose their bright color, and the ingredients might not be as potent.
Top Tips Before You Freeze Chimichurri:
There are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind for a longer freezer life.
- When preparing your chimichurri recipe, clean, and dry the fresh parsley (or cilantro) well to remove the excess water. This is certainly important when you make a big batch to freeze.
- Just a heads up, it’s not recommended to freeze chimichurri again once it’s been defrosted.
- A thick glass container or silicone bag is recommended to prevent freezer burn.
- This prevents the frozen chimichurri sauce from losing its fresh flavor profile.
- Use a clean bowl of a food processor and clean utensils. Essential Tip: a food processor will cut the preparation time in half.
Best Storage Options to Freeze Chimichurri
- Airtight Freezer Bag
- Airtight Mason Jar
- Silicone souper cubes with a lid or silicone ice cube tray
- Plastic Freezer Bag
1. Airtight Stasher Bags (Airtight bag): Stores: 2-3 months
These airtight stasher bags replace plastic and are reusable. Flexible, air-tight bags are the best way to store sauces and save freezer space.
For easy defrosting and adding to dishes, store in individual portion sizes with small stasher bags.
2. Airtight Mason Jar (Glass): Stores 2-3 months
Air-tight mason jars come in different sizes and quantities. Small, pint, or quart sizes.
Freezing chimichurri in advance is a smart idea, but it can be tricky to divide it up later.
To use it for future recipes, you’ll need to let the entire container thaw at room temperature and then measure out the amount you need.
Just a heads up, it’s not recommended to freeze chimichurri again once it’s been defrosted.
Recommendation: Wrap the jar with saran wrap to extend the life of the chimichurri. Lastly, do overpack; the sauce will expand.
3. Silicone Souper Cubes With Lid: Stores 2-3 months
The first advantage of silicone souper cubes is the ability to save small individual portions similar to ice cubes to freeze chimichurri.
Small enough to use for marinades or a recipe for two rather than a family of five.
The second advantage is the silicone makes it easy to pop the cubes out without much hassle and comes in different sizes, which makes it easy to freeze chimichurri.
Recommendation: Wrap the tray with additional saran wrap or in a freezer zip-loc bag to extend the life and chimichurri taste of the frozen chopped herbs when you freeze chimichurri.
4. Plastic Freezer Bag (Double Bag Preferred): Stores up to 3 weeks
These freezer plastic bags are thinner and will impact the freshness of the sauce.
If you want to keep your chimichurri tasting fresh and delicious, it’s important to know how to freeze it properly.
When chimichurri gets a freezer burn, it can turn brown and lose its fresh flavor, which can make it taste bitter.
To prevent this from happening, it’s best to store your chimichurri in smaller portions in separate plastic freezer bags. One bag per portion is ideal for keeping your chimichurri fresh and ready to use whenever you need it.
Recommendation: Double bag to extend the life of the chimichurri sauce.
If you plan on keeping chimichurri for a while, it might not be as fresh as you need it for certain dishes. However, it’ll still work great as a marinade for grilling!
Try Some Of These Really Delicious Chimichurri Recipes
- Tangy and creamy chimichurri sauce
- Chimichurri steak tacos
- Salad Dressing
- Chimichurri Rice
- Chimichurri Shrimp
Can you freeze Chimichurri sauce?
Equipment
- 1 Mason Jar
- 1 Air Tight Freezer Bag
- 1 Silicone souper cubes
- 1 Plastic Freezer Bag
Ingredients
- 1 pint Chimichurri Sauce
Instructions
- Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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