It’s no secret that we love chimichurri sauce! We spoon it over all sorts of things, from steak to seafood and even cauliflower steaks! In this recipe, we use it for chimichurri chicken. I love these perfectly cooked chicken thighs with crispy golden-brown skin. They are so delicious with our fresh chimichurri sauce. The contrast between the crispy skin and the fresh, herby, and slightly vinegary sauce is simply irresistible. The chimichurri cuts through the richness of the chicken, leaving you craving bite after bite!
Key Ingredients
Chicken: I love skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe! With my method for cooking the thighs, the skin will be golden and super crispy, which is absolutely perfect with the sauce spooned on top. Chimichurri does a great job of cutting through fat (thanks to the vinegar), so I like keeping the skin on the chicken. You can substitute skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Make sure that you see the tips below the recipe for cooking tips, as the method will be different. Chimichurri Sauce: An easy, fresh sauce made with parsley, garlic, shallot, dried oregano, salt, pepper flakes (or chilies), red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The recipe below includes instructions for making the sauce, but if you want to learn more about this zesty, green sauce, see our chimichurri recipe.
How to Make Chimichurri Chicken
You can make the chimichurri by hand or use a food processor (or blender). I like to keep some texture, which is easier when making it by hand but still possible with a food processor. You’ll see in our recipe that you have some play with how spicy and how vinegary the sauce turns out. I like a bit of heat and a bit more vinegar, but feel free to reduce as you need to! For the chicken thighs, you’ll start with a cold skillet. Season your chicken with salt, then place the thighs skin-side down. Turn on the burner to medium, and then watch as the fat in the chicken skin slowly renders and the skin turns golden. It takes around 20 minutes. You won’t be able to move the chicken at first, but as the fat in the skin renders and becomes crispy, they will move easily (promise!). Once flipped, I finish cooking the chicken in the oven (10 to 15 more minutes). From there, you’ll spoon your homemade chimichurri over the chicken and dig in! I love this chicken next to rice, try our coconut rice, Mexican rice or this cilantro lime rice. 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 3 to 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced 1 medium shallot, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 jalapeño or Fresno chili pepper, finely chopped 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (60ml to 80ml) red wine vinegar, adjusted to taste 2Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Then, sprinkle salt evenly on both sides of the chicken. 3Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold oven-safe skillet. Stainless steel or cast iron pans work well. Don’t worry if the thighs touch. 4Turn the stove to medium heat and let the chicken cook until the skin turns a beautiful golden color and the thighs easily lift from the pan, about 20 minutes. Now and then, rotate the pan so the chicken cooks evenly. If the skin starts getting too dark, lower the heat a bit. If there’s a lot of oil splattering, cover the skillet with a lid. The golden skin is a sign that the thighs are ready to flip. If any are sticking, give them a little more time and use tongs to gently wiggle them loose. 5Once the skin is golden, flip the chicken thighs and carefully move the skillet to the preheated oven. Let them cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (closest to the bone) shows a temperature of 165ºF (73ºC). 6Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with chimichurri sauce on top. 2Make the sauce in a food processor (or blender): Add garlic and shallots to the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and pulse until minced. Add the parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until the parsley is chopped small. Scrape the sides, and then pour in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pulse a few more times until the sauce comes together. Taste and season with more salt or red pepper flakes, if needed.
