Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast

Name: Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, trimmed and cut in 4 pieces each; 1 cup Chimichurri Sauce; 1/2 cup Canola Oil; 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar; 4 cloves Fresh Garlic, smashed; 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt; 1 teaspoon Paprika; 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper; 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin; 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder; 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder; 1/4 cup Sweet Onion, diced small; 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced small (you can also use red chilies instead if you would like to add some heat); 1/2 cup Olive Oil; 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar; 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped ((1 bunch)); 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped ((1 bunch)); 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder; 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt; 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Chimichurri is a simple and trendy condiment that pairs perfectly with chicken and steak! This Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast has incredible taste and goes together in just a few minutes! With the mildly marinated chicken and the rough chop of the bell peppers, onions, parsley, and cilantro, this has a nice rustic spin on a classic meal.

What Is Chimichurri?

Chimichurri is an amazing condiment and marinade from South America. It’s pretty much a staple in Argentina and Uruguay. You can find this throughout Central America as well.

Chimichurri is similar to pesto, but it’s parsley and cilantro based. There are so many variations that you can keep trying different versions until you find your favorite. Mine is my Citrus Chimichurri Sauce, whereas my wife absolutely loves the one in this recipe.

Can I Make the Chimichurri Sauce in Advance?

The simple answer is, yes. Make this the night before and stick it in the fridge. The flavors will blend more and give you an outstanding taste.

I prefer to make the sauce while I’m making the meal. This way I let the chicken marinate while I’m making the chimichurri. By the time I’m done with the sauce, I heat up the pan and the chicken is ready to go! When the meal is ready to serve, the chimichurri always tastes great!

Secrets to Marinating Chicken Breast

Most people are familiar with marinating meats like beef overnight. However, you can’t always do that with chicken. If you are going to use an acid in your marinade for the chicken, like with this recipe, you can only marinate it for 2 hours at the most. Here’s why.

With something like beef, your goal in marinating it overnight is to allow the acid to break down the tighter protein strands to loosen them up. This acts as a tenderizer and the meat is soft and melts in your mouth. However! Acid has the opposite effect on chicken. It actually makes those strands tighten up. If you marinate chicken overnight in an acid like vinegar or wine your chicken will be tough and hard.

Your goal with marinating chicken is to infuse flavor. This is best done at room temperature and under 2 hours.

What Ingredients Go in Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast?

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Chimichurri Sauce

Marinade

Canola Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Fresh Garlic
Kosher Salt
Paprika
Black Pepper
Ground Cumin
Onion Powder
Chili Powder

Chimichurri Sauce

Sweet Onion
Red Bell Pepper
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Parsley
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Pro Tips – Substitutions

Chicken

Boneless skinless chicken thighs (this would be my next choice)
Bone-in chicken thighs

Chimichurri Sauce

Sub red chili peppers for the bell peppers to add a little heat
1 fresh garlic clove for the garlic powder (I use garlic powder because the fresh clove makes the sauce spicy if you let it sit overnight.)

How Is Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast Made?

Chicken Marinade

Add all the marinade ingredients to a quart or gallon sized zip-top bag.
Trim the fat off the chicken and slice them in half lengthwise. Place the chicken in the bag with the marinade and let out most of the air. Seal the bag and massage the marinade to coat all the chicken evenly.
Place the bag with the chicken on the counter and let it marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Chimichurri Sauce

Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside to let the flavors blend.
Cooking the Chicken
Heat a medium to large skillet over medium heat.
Take the chicken out of the bag and place the pieces in the skillet. Cook on the first side for about 3 minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces over and pour the leftover marinade over the chicken. Cook for another 3 minutes.
Turn the chicken over again to cook the marinade, about 1 more minute or until the chicken is done.
Serve by spooning the chimichurri sauce over the cooked chicken.

Cooking Options

There are 2 different ways I would recommend cooking this Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast.

Grilled
Cast Iron Skillet

My favorite way is grilled. Hands down, that is the tastiest. However, for this post I chose to use the stove top. Let’s face it, no matter how much we like to grill, we don’t always have the time, the weather doesn’t’ always cooperate, and sometimes we’re just too tired to deal with the grill flareups from the oil from the marinade. It’s just not always practical to grill. So the instructions here are for on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

However, don’t stop yourself if you feel inclined to grill this. I sure wouldn’t!

Perfect Low Carb Meal

Easy Chimichurri Chicken Breast is a perfect meal for low carb diets like Keto and others. While it’s technically from South America, it has a lot of the same elements that are found in a Mediterranean diet as well.

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**Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!**

Click on these links for other great South American recipes! Or type in “Mexican” or “South American” in the search bar to find even more recipes!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Style Guacamole

Slow Cooker Carnita Street Tacos

Citrus Chimichurri Sauce