Mint Chimichurri

This mint chimichurri makes a bright, garlicky sauce for chicken, seafood, and grilled veggies! It comes together in five minutes with no cooking.

If you asked me about the sauce recipes I make most in my kitchen, I’d have to say tzatziki and chimichurri. Both of them have such a huge flavor punch, they make anything taste incredible.

So when I had a huge amount of mint in my garden, I decided to try a mint version of my chimichurri recipe. It turned out so flavorful and delicious, it’s one of my new favorite things to do with this herb! It’s perfect with chicken, salmon or shrimp: or even grilled veggies!

Why You’ll Love This Mint Chimichurri

It takes 5 minutes. It takes only a few minutes to whip up and you don’t even need a blender.
It’s great on almost anything. Grilled meat is a classic pairing (like grilled chicken thighs), but it’s just as good on grilled vegetables or a grain bowl.
It stores well. Store it refrigerated for a week (though it does darken over time).

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Fresh mint: This recipe is best with garden mint, but you can use store-bought too. Just keep in mind that it can be expensive because it comes in small packages. I made this a ½ batch of my normal recipe to use less mint. You can also use ⅓ cup Italian parsley and 2 tablespoons mint in a pinch.
Garlic: Mince it as finely as you can for this sauce.
Red wine vinegar: This gives it a beautiful tangy flavor.
Olive oil: This adds the richness to the sauce.
Red pepper flakes: Start low and work up; the quantity in the recipe card below makes a mild sauce.

How to Make Mint Chimichurri

Dissolve the salt in the water. This might sound odd, but it’s a trick I learned from Argentinian chef Francis Mallman in his classic chimichurri recipe.
Add everything else. Add the remaining ingredients into the salt water.
Stir and taste. Give it a taste and add more red pepper flakes if you’d like it to be spicier.

Pro Tips for the Best Texture

Strip the stems of the mint. You’ll need just the mint leaves, so strip them right off the stalks.
Chop by hand very finely: There’s no blender needed here, but make sure to chop it very finely. You don’t want big garlic chunks since it’s raw.

What to Serve With Mint Chimichurri

Chimichurri is often served with grilled meats (like lamb), but I like it with literally everything! Here are a few ideas:

Grilled chicken: Spoon it over grilled chicken thighs or make my sheet pan chimichurri chicken.
Grilled vegetables: It’s so good with grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, or a platter of grilled vegetables.
Potatoes: Try it with grilled potatoes or classic roasted potatoes.
Seafood: Make my chimichurri shrimp or chimichurri salmon.
Grilled tofu: It’s also great with grilled tofu.

Storage Tips

Store mint chimichurri stores refrigerated for about 1 week. The color of the mint darkens over time, and the oil solidifies. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The flavor is best in the first 3 to 4 days.

If you’re making it for a party, make the morning of. I don’t recommend freezing this sauce.

Dietary Notes

This mint chimichurri recipe is vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.