Do you know the quickest and tastiest way to liven up chicken thighs? I do! It’s this easy chimichurri chicken recipe! You might not think of pairing chicken with chimichurri sauce, but I promise you, it’s absolutely delicious – not to mention super easy.
I’m a condiment lover, I must have some sort of sauce with just about everything. These chimichurri chicken thighs fall right into that category and give me the perfect excuse to use this yummy green sauce I keep in my fridge at all times.
What Is Chimichurri Chicken?
Chimichurri chicken is simply chicken with chimichurri sauce!
The chimichurri sauce is typically a green sauce, but you can also make a red version too. Chimichurri sauce is made with olive oil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar and has intense flavors. Each chimichurri recipe is a little different, but they all have herbs and seasonings.
How To Make Chimichurri Chicken
If you want to make chimichurri chicken, you need chimichurri sauce first!
Make The Chimichurri Sauce
To make the chimichurri, simply blend together fresh parsley, cilantro, cloves of garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sea salt in a food processor.
PRO TIP: For the best flavor, refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving, to let the flavors develop. If you have more time, feel free to let the herbs and seasonings combine longer than 30 minutes. The flavors become even more intense as it sits.
Make The Chicken Thighs
The hardest part of this chimichurri chicken recipe is deboning the chicken thighs. Most grocery stores don’t carry boneless skin-on chicken thighs, so you’ll have to do it yourself. It’s pretty simple, though – just cut the meat off of the bone using a pair of kitchen shears or a very sharp knife.
Use a mallet to pound the chicken thighs, pat dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper. Then, saute the chicken thighs over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
PRO TIP: Cook the chicken thighs skin side down for 10 minutes first, without moving them around. Then flip and cook for a few more minutes until they are done. This method gets them extra crispy and flavorful!
Top your crispy chicken thighs with chimichurri sauce and your dinner is ready!
More Ways To Serve Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
The chicken chimichurri recipe is amazing just the way it is, but here are more ideas for serving chimichurri sauce:
- Steak – Cook a juicy chuck eye steak and top with this easy chimichurri recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
- Eggs – Whether you scramble the eggs, fry or poach, the chimichurri sauce will be a perfect match.
- Fish – Spruce up your salmon or coconut shrimp with some yummy chimichurri.
- Veggies – Roast your favorite vegetables, like sweet potatoes or glazed carrots and top them with some chimichurri sauce.
How Do You Store This Chimichurri Chicken Recipe?
Store this leftover chicken chimichurri recipe in the fridge, with the sauce separate from the chicken. The chicken and chimichurri sauce will last around 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Chimichurri Chicken?
Yes, you can freeze this chicken chimichurri recipe! It will last approximately 6 months in the freezer.
If you don’t have leftover chicken and just sauce, you can pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once the sauce is frozen solid, you can move it to a freezer bag or airtight container.
To thaw, place in the fridge overnight, and then you can heat before serving.
What To Serve With Chimichurri And Chicken
Oh, there are so many delicious foods that will pair nicely with chimichurri and chicken! Here are some paleo side dishes to get you started:
RECIPE CARD
The Best Chimichurri Chicken Recipe
The best chimichurri chicken recipe ever! You need just 20 minutes + 9 simple ingredients for super easy chicken with chimichurri sauce.
Ingredients
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For the Chimichurri
- 3/4 ounce Fresh parsley
- 3/4 ounce Fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 medium Shallot
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- Sea salt (to taste)
For the Chicken
- 4 medium Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (deboned, with skin left on)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!
For the Chimichurri
Place everything into a food processor and blend until minced. Let the flavors combine for 30 minutes or so before using.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
For the Chicken
- If your thighs are thick use a meat mallet to pound them out a bit.
- Pat the thighs dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel works best).
Place chicken thighs in skillet skin side down and cook without moving about 10 minutes (you want that skin to get super crispy). Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Place thighs on a few paper towels to drain excess fat.
- Top with chimichurri and serve.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh with 2 tablespoons sauce
Recipe makes about 1 cup of chimichurri, with 4 chicken thighs you'll probably have about half of that left over.
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols (though the latter are rarely seen on this site), because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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6 Comments
Kimberly Ann
We usually serve chimichurri over grilled beef, but I love the idea of pairing it with deliciously crispy chicken!
Lauren
Thanks so much for stopping by Kimberly! I love a good steak with chimichurri sauce too!
Sharon
Drooling!! I obsess over chimichurri sauce over steak and never thought to make it with chicken. Thanks for the great idea and recipe!
Valerie
omg you had me at chimichurri! My recipe is heavier on the garlic; my husband and kids thanked me for yours. Love the photos!
Lauren
Haha I’m a firm believer in there’s no such thing as too much garlic! Thanks for stopping by Valerie!
Michelle
This was fabulous!