We love how EASY this Whole30 Chimichurri Chicken is, yet so flavorful! Simple to make and with a fresh and flavorful chimichurri sauce. My son live in Argentina for a year and this is his Argentine-inspired chimichurri that now we want to put on all the things!

Why We Love This Whole30 Chimichurri Chicken

First, because it’s a quick and easy dinner main dish! Only 10 minutes of hands-on prep, then just marinade and a quick cook time. We love how much flavor this dish packs without a lot of work.

Second, it’s naturally Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free. This is a fresh dish that works for a variety of dietary needs but doesn’t appear like “diet food.”

Third, this Whole30 Chimichurri Chicken can be cooked on the grill or stove, or in the air fryer. That makes it perfect for grilling season. And, it can be cooked indoors on the stove or nice and quick in the air fryer.

What is Chimichurri?

Chimichurri is a sauce or condiment that originated in Argentina and Uruguay. It is traditionally made with vinegar, herbs, garlic, and olive oil. There are a LOT of different versions of chimichurri. This Whole30 Chimichurri Chicken sauce is inspired by my son’s time in Argentina. The dried herbs are soaked in hot water, like mate, to bring out the flavors. 

Make the chimichurri sauce your own! You can increase or decrease the level of red pepper flakes to adjust the heat level. For fresh herbs, we used parsley and garlic cloves. Some like cilantro in their chimichurri as well.

Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breast – The base of this dish is boneless skinless chicken breast. Use the highest quality of chicken that your budget can afford. Keeping in mind, a homemade meal is always a win, even if you can’t afford organic, free-range, etc.
• Fresh parsley – This is flat-leafed Italian parsley, like this one, not the curly-leafed parsley. The stems of parsley are bitter, so yes, you need to make sure you only used the leaves. 
• Crushed red pepper – This gives the chimichurri a great kick. The current level of “heat” with the recipe as written is medium heat. Feel free to make it less hot with less crushed red pepper or more of a kick with more red pepper. You can find crushed red pepper in the spice aisle of most grocery stores, like this one at Walmart. 
• Garlic cloves – The fresh garlic is a must in this sauce! You can use store-bought garlic that is already minced, such as this one. But, for best results, use whole cloves, peeled. 
• Dried oregano – Using dried oregano is a budget-friendly way to get oregano flavor for this sauce. Dried oregano can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. 
• Red wine vinegar – For the best, full flavored chimichurri, use red wine vinegar. But, if in a pinch, you can use white regular vinegar as well.
• Olive oil – Regular or light-tasting olive oil both work well. 
• Salt + pepper – Regular table salt and black ground pepper. 

Instructions

• First, make the chimichurri sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup hot (about 160 degrees – very hot but not boiling) to the dried herbs and stir, setting aside to absorb and bring out the flavor. 
• Chop or food process the parsley and garlic cloves until finely chopped. Remember, the stems of parsley are bitter, so yes, you need to make sure you only used the leaves. Add to the dried soaked herbs.
• Add the 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup olive oil to the herbs. Mix thoroughly.
• Trim the chicken and cut in half horizontally. This will make the chicken less thick for quicker cooking. Poke with a fork for more tender and flavorful chicken, as it allows the marinade to soak in more.
• Combine the chicken and HALF the marinade (about 1/2 cup) in a large reusable bag or glass dish. Mix well until all the chicken is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Reserve the unused half of the chimichurri in the fridge in a sealed container until serving.
• When ready to cook – If using a grill, preheat grill to 450. If using the stove, place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil.
• STOVE: Once oil is hot, place chicken in the pan. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until browned on each side. Remove from pan once browned on both sides and no longer pink in the middle (an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
• GRILL: Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
• AIR FRYER: Cook at 350 for 7-8 minutes, flipping or stirring once.
• Chicken is done when no longer pink in the middle and time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken you are using.
• ALL METHODS – Serve with remaining chimichurri spooned on top. 

Make it a Meal

We love this Whole30 Chimichurri Chicken with greens and potatoes. Here a few recipes we love for that. All these recipes are Whole30 + Paleo.

• Crispy Roasted Potatoes
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Kale Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Breaded Potato Wedges

Chimichurri Chicken

Autumn @wholefoodfor7

An EASY flavorful healthy dinner with quick prep and can be grilled, or cooked on the stove or in the air frier.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Marinating Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Argentinian and Uruguayan

Servings 4 people

Calories 387 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

Ingredients

 

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast about 2 large
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves only (about 1 cup)
• 4 cloves fresh garlic peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• First, make the chimichurri sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup hot water (about 160 degrees - very hot but not boiling) to the dried herbs and stir, setting aside to absorb and bring out the flavor. 
• Chop or food process the parsley and garlic cloves until finely chopped. Remember, the stems of parsley are bitter, so yes, you need to make sure you only used the leaves. Add to the dried soaked herbs.
• Add the 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup olive oil to the herbs. Mix thoroughly.
• Trim the chicken and cut in half horizontally. This will make the chicken less thick for quicker cooking. Poke with a fork for more tender and flavorful chicken, as it allows the marinade to soak in more.
• Combine the chicken and HALF the marinade (about 1/2 cup) in a large reusable bag or glass dish. Mix well until all the chicken is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Reserve the unused half of the chimichurri in the fridge in a sealed container until serving.
• When ready to cook - If using a grill, preheat grill to 450. If using the stove, place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil.
• STOVE: Once oil is hot, place chicken in the pan. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until browned on each side. Remove from pan once browned on both sides and no longer pink in the middle (an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
• GRILL: Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
• AIR FRYER: Cook at 350 for 7-8 minutes, flipping or stirring once.
• Chicken is done when no longer pink in the middle and time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken you are using.
• ALL METHODS - Serve with remaining chimichurri spooned on top. 

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 25gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 562mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 1836IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, keto, main dish, nut-free, paleo, whole30

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!