The BEST Keto Chimichurri Sauce without Cilantro

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This is the BEST Keto Chimichurri Sauce... it is a herb lover’s dream come true. Lots of fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus some fresh oregano, roasted garlic, a little red wine vinegar, some chopped red onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil — it’s basically the Argentinian version of pesto! And being that it is Plant-based, Paleo and Whole30 approved, this sauce is perfect to drizzle overtop any dish!

a front view of a glass jar with keto chimichurri sauce that is cilantro-free

Easy Keto Herb Sauce

Definitely, a simple, fresh keto sauce recipe that pairs perfectly with grilled steak, chicken, vegetables or even fish or seafood.

This Chimichurri recipe without cilantro loves to be paired with grilled things, so I most often serve it at home with grilled veggies and grilled fish.

It is delicious in keto tacos or even Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken. A spoonful or two swirled into Whole30 Chicken Taco Soup can often bring it from delicious to amazingly delicious.

I’ll spoon keto chimichurri sauce over Whole30 Sausage Breakfast Balls, roasted veggies, or scrambled eggs, or swirl it into sour cream for a flavorful chimichurri sour cream dip.

There are so many uses which are part of the reason we can call this the BEST keto chimichurri sauce!

The only problem is that most Chimichurri sauces have cilantro...and Mr Grumbles does not like cilantro. So, after finding a recipe on America's Test Kitchen and making a few modifications, this keto herb sauce is absolutely amazing.

Turns out that it has been estimated that a strong aversion to cilantro impacts anywhere from 4 to 14 per cent of the general population, reports New York Daily News.

So for all of you cilantro haters, this recipe is for you!

a jar of keto herb sauce that contains fresh parsley, red onion and garlic

What is Chimichurri Sauce?

Chimichurri is a condiment or marinade similar to pesto but rather it’s parsley and vinegar-based. It’s a common dish that you’ll find in South American and Central American countries such as Argentina and Mexico.

Is This Recipe Authentic?

Authentic Argentine Chimichurri is made with parsley and oregano, but no cilantro. I prefer the flavour of the added oregano but you can omit the oregano and replace it with more parsley.

Also, some regions don't add any spice to their chimichurri sauce, so feel free to add or eliminate red pepper flakes.

Other additions I added for more flavour were some pickled red onion, some roasted garlic confit as well as using red wine vinegar. They’re the perfect finishing touches! But if you do not have these ingredients, I will show you some easy substitutions.

Parsley Chimichurri Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Fresh parsley and optional oregano – these fresh herbs make this incredibly flavourful. Feel free to only use parsley or add cilantro instead of the oregano.
Red onion – You can use any type of raw red onion. If you are not using a food processor, than make sure that you mince these up itty bitty if going the method by hand. I like to use any leftover sugar-free pickled red onions for some extra pizzaz!
Garlic – use roasted garlic confit for the most flavour. However, you can easily quickly roast some garlic in a pan until it begins to turn slightly brown or simply use raw garlic instead.
Red wine vinegar – if you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand white wine vinegar could be substituted.
Salt – kosher salt, table salt or sea salt works great.
Red pepper flakes – if you don’t like spicy food just omit this, if you love spicy food add more to taste.
Olive oil – I like to use a blend of half extra virgin olive oil and half regular olive oil for a more mild oil flavour but feel free to use either or

Instructions for Making the BEST Keto Chimichurri Sauce

If using a food processor no need to pre-chop herbs and you’ll only need to roughly chop onion and garlic. That's the method that I think is the easiest. However, if you want to mx and chop by hand, feel free to but just make sure everything is very finely chopped.

top view of a food processor bowl with red onion, red wine vinegar, roasted garlic and salt before being pureed to make keto chimichurri sauce

Add red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and salt to a food processor.

top view of a food processor bowl with fresh parsley and olive oil on the side

Pulse, stopping and scraping down sides occasionally until finely minced. Add in parsley and oregano and red pepper flakes then pour in olive oil while pulsing several times until herb leaves are finely minced (they should have some body and texture).

front view of keto chimichurri without cilantro, red onion and parsley

Place the keto herb sauce in a sealed glass jar in the fridge until ready to use.

Can I Use Dried Oregano?

Fresh oregano does give the best flavour but I don’t always have it on hand so once it a while I’ll use dried oregano and it will work fine. Use 1 teaspoon dried in place of fresh oregano. Heat about 1 tablespoon of water and place the dried oregano in the hot water for a couple of minutes to soften the oregano.

How do I store chimichurri?

Store chimichurri in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep well for about 5 days refrigerated.

Can I freeze chimichurri sauce?

Yes. For longer shelf life freeze it for up to 1 month. You can freeze in an ice cube tray for smaller servings if desired (transfer to an airtight container after freezing through. Thaw in the refrigerator).

What type of container should I store chimichurri?

You want to use an airtight glass jar. Since there is vinegar in the chimichurri sauce, you do not want to store it in a plastic container.

What type of parsley should I use for herb sauces?

When in doubt, always pick flat leaf over curly leaf parsley. Curley leaf parsley is more bitter and is usually used for food decorations and not in recipes.

Can I eat the parsley stems?

You can but they are more bitter so if possible, try to avoid them. However, if you are using cilantro along with the parsley, feel free to use the cilantro stems as they are flavourful and not bitter.

a jar of cilantro-free keto chimichurri herb sauce wtih red onion and parsley beside the jar

Tips for making the BEST Keto Chimichurri Sauce

Use the freshest ingredients. Don’t use limp wilting fresh herbs and skip bottled garlic or dried onion.
If chopping by hand finely chop the herbs so it’s not overly chunky.
If using a food processor don’t over-process it. It should have some body and texture it shouldn’t be pureed.
Use good quality olive oil for the best flavour.

Looking for other keto sauce recipes like this? Try these:

How to serve this keto herb sauce

These are my favourite dishes to serve with this parsley chimichurri recipe: