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Chimichurri Steak Marinade

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This Chimichurri marinade is a versatile, flavourful and delicious marinade! Perfect for inexpensive cuts of beef, but it’s also delicious for chicken.

Chimichurri marinade is packed full of fresh herbs and spices, making it the perfect flavourful sauce for meats and vegetables!

a top down image of a container of Chimichurri Marinade

A fresh and flavourful marinade for steak or chicken!

Hands down, Chimichurri Steak is a one of our most favourite summer suppers! The marinade is full of fresh and delicious flavours, which takes a grilled steak to the next level. But this marinade is also fantastic with chicken. In fact, you can even marinade vegetables in this sauce (potatoes are particularly delicious)!

a dish of Chimichurri Steak Marinade sits next to a flank steak

Make inexpensive cuts of meat amazing!!

One of the best things about a marinade like this chimichurri marinade, is that it’s great for inexpensive cuts of meat like a flank, flat iron or hangar steak. Letting a more tough cut of beef such as these marinate overnight in a flavourful mixture with vinegar will result in a tender and tasty steak!

Chimichurri Steak Marinade

Let it rest!

Make sure to give yourself time for this recipe. I like to make the marinade the night before I want to serve it, then I let the steak and the marinade rest in a ziplock bag overnight for maximum flavour.

a ziplock bag of a flank steak with Chimichurri Steak Marinade

This meat turns beautifully tender and seasoned perfectly!  So. Much. Flavour. 

How to Marinate a Steak in Chimichurri Marinade:

  • Combine all of the marinade ingredients together.
  • Then take your flank steak and using a fork, pierce the steak all over, front and back to soak up the flavours of the marinade. (see picture below)
  • Cover the steak in marinade, making sure to coat both sides.
a flank steak with a fork poking holes for chimichurri marinade
a flank steak covered in chimichurri marinade
  • Then one of two things can happen here. You can cover and marinate the meat for at least 4 hours, but it’s best left overnight. OR, you can freeze the meat & marinade in a ziplock bag for another day, just take out and de-thaw before cooking.
  • Preheat your barbecue on the highest setting.
  • So marinated flank steak on the barbecue is easy to do, BUT, it will flare the first time you set it on the grill!! Please beware!! I’m talking full on flames!  See picture below…
  • With the barbecue on hight heat, sear both sides, then cook for approximately 7 minutes on each side, so roughly 15 minutes total. We like ours slightly pink inside, so you may want to cook yours longer.
a ziplock bag with flank steak and chimichurri marinade
  • After you remove the steak from the grill, cover the it with foil, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
  • When ready to serve, slice the steak thinly across the grain of the meat.
a grilled chimichurri flank steak

Chimichurri Marinade Tips:

  • Steak: Use inexpensive cuts of meat like a flank, flat iron or hangar steak.
  • Pierce the steak: Pierce the flank steak with a fork, making sure to pierce it on both the front and the back so that the steak can soak up the flavours of the marinade.
  • Marinating Container: I like to put the steak and the marinade into a ziplock bag to marinate, but you can use any dish that you like. Cover the steak in the marinade, making sure to coat both sides.
  • Marinade Time: Let the steak marinate in the bag, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
  • Barbecue Tip: The marinated flank steak will flare the first time you set it on the grill! Please beware!
  • Freezing Tip: Once you’ve placed the steak in the marinade, you can put it in the freezer for another day…your future self will thank you!
  • Chimichurri also makes an amazing dip for fondues!
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Chimichurri Marinade

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This Chimichurri marinade is a versatile, flavourful and delicious marinade! Perfect for inexpensive cuts of beef, but it’s also delicious for chicken.

  • Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Marinating Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Sauce

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 lb flank steak

Chimichurri Marinade:

  • 1 cup packed fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 – 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar works well too)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Using a blender or food processor, mix all of the ingredients together (minus the flank steak). Give it just a few pulses, you don’t want the marinade completely pureed (just enough to mix it all).
  2. Pierce the flank steak with a fork, making sure to pierce it on both the front and the back so that the steak can soak up the flavours of the marinade.
  3. I like to put the steak and the marinade into a ziplock bag to marinate, but you can use any dish or bowl that you like. Cover the steak in the marinade, making sure to coat both sides.
  4. Massage the bag so the steak is completely coated in the marinade.
  5. Let the steak marinade in the bag, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
  6. Right before you are ready to grill, give the steaks one last good massage in the marinade.

Time to barbecue:

  1. Preheat your barbecue on the highest setting.
  2. NOTE:  Marinated flank steak on the barbecue is easy to do, BUT it will flare the first time you set it on the grill! Please beware!! I’m talking full on flames! See picture above…
  3. With the barbecue on hight heat, sear both sides, then cook for approximately 7 minutes on each side, so roughly 15 minutes total. We like ours slightly pink inside, so you may want to cook yours longer.
  4. After you remove it from the grill, cover the steak with tin foil, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
  5. When ready to serve, slice the steak thinly across the grain of the meat.
  6. Enjoy!

Keywords: chimichurri marinade, chimichurri sauce

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More delicious flank steak recipes:

I hope you love this chimichurri recipe! Have a delicious day!

Note:  This post was originally shared in June 2011. I have since updated the pictures, but it’s the same great recipe!

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8 Comments

  5. That looks yummy! How many years have I been marinating steak and never once thought to pierce it to help the marinade soak in?! Totally had a head-slapping moment this morning! I wouldn’t dream of not poking my rum cake!
    Came aver from the pity party!!!

    Reply