Make easy chimichurri aioli with simple, fresh ingredients. Chimichurri is a delicious stand-alone topping or side dish, but including the herbaceous topping in aioli and compound butter is a great way to enhance your meals.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The versatile condiment serves as a perfect dipping sauce, sandwich spread, or salad dressing.
- Chimichurri comes together in 10 minutes from start to finish.
- The homemade aioli sauce is easy to make and easily customizable. Adjust the creaminess and spiciness by using this recipe as your starting point.
What is Chimichurri?
According the the BBC, it started with an Irish immigrant named James (Jimmy) McCurry, who was craving Worcestershire sauce but couldn’t find it in Argentina. So he decided to create a flavorful condiment using local ingredients. And guess what? People loved it so much that it eventually took his name, Jimmy McCurry, pronounced ‘chimichurri’ in Argentina.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shallot: Shallots are slightly sweeter than onions and have a robust flavor, but red onion works too.
- Chiles: I love the heat and brightness of Fresno chiles, but you can use fresh jalapeno.
- Garlic: I use three fresh garlic cloves, but feel free to measure with your heart.
- Herbs: I prefer the combination of fresh flat-leaf parsley and cilantro.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness and balance to the sauce.
- Salt: Season the creamy chimichurri mayo with kosher salt.
- Olive Oil: Use a small amount of extra virgin olive oil to massage the herbs to give them a smooth consistency.
- Mayonnaise: Make aioli from scratch using eggs, fresh garlic, and neutral oil, or use mayonnaise and skip the extra step. I am from North Carolina, so Duke’s Mayonnaise is the only option (if you know, you know).
Additions and Substitutions
- Experiment with fresh herbs like basil or fresh oregano.
- Replace the freshly squeezed lemon juice with red wine vinegar.
- Use a pinch of red pepper flakes instead of Fresno chiles if you prefer less heat.
- If you want a spicier variation, mix skhug or shatta sauce into the mayonnaise. Pistachio pesto is another option.
- I leave the chimichurri as it is, but if you prefer a creamy sauce, you can process the fresh herbs, garlic, and chiles with the mayonnaise in a small blender or food processor before serving.
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
Take the time to chop the ingredients for the chimichurri with a sharp knife or combine all of the ingredients in a small blender or food processor if you want a smooth consistency.
How to Make Chimichurri Aioli
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the shallots, Fresno chiles, garlic cloves, parsley, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.
Step 2: Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for the best results.
Expert Tips
- Chop the herbs as finely as possible to release their aromatics.
- For the best results – refrigerate the chimichurri aioli for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can meld together.
If you love this recipe, pair it with one of these dinner favorites!
How to use Chimichurri Aioli
You can use chimichurri garlic aioli as a topping for grilled meat, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and seafood. Add a small amount of water to thin out the sauce to create a flavorful dressing for the salad. Here are a few more ways to use the sauce.
- Tacos, Fajitas, Arepas
- Swirl some into mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
- Air Fried Plantains
- Salmon, Shrimp
- Roasted Potatoes, Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes, French Fries
- Bison Steak, Air Fryer Ribeye Steak, Air Fryer Skirt Steak
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chimichurri taste like?
On its own, chimichurri sauce has a fresh, herbaceous flavor. The addition of mayonnaise provides a savory, richness making the condiment perfect for dipping, spreading, and topping.
Is aioli a mayonnaise?
Aioli and mayonnaise are creamy condiments used to enhance meals. Their ingredients differ slightly, but the preparation of the sauce is the same. Because of that, I skipped the extra step and used mayonnaise instead.
If you want to make your own, follow my tips for making traditional aioli from scratch in this lemon dill aioli recipe. All you need to make the recipe is egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and a thin stream of olive oil.
What sets my chimichurri aioli recipe apart from other sauces is the fresh, bright flavor of the homemade chimichurri.
More Aioli Recipes:
Chimichurri Aioli
- ½ shallot, finely diced
- 1 Fresno chiles, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Combine the shallots, Fresno chiles, garlic cloves, parsley, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.
- Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for the best results.
- Chop the herbs as finely as possible to release their aromatics.
- For the best results – refrigerate the chimichurri aioli for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can meld together.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.