This easy chimichurri rice recipe is a bright and delicious side dish you can serve in many ways. Use the herb-flavored rice as a base for burritos and rice bowls or alongside main entrees such as thin-cut chicken breasts, carne asada tacos, and Peruvian chicken.
What is Chimichurri?
Chimichurri is a vibrant, herb-based sauce originating from Argentina and Uruguay. It combines parsley leaves, fresh garlic, olive oil, and spices like salt. Some variations include red wine vinegar, shallots, peppers, cilantro, mint leaves, and dried oregano or red pepper flakes.
Chimichurri is a perfect accompaniment for meat entrees, especially juicy air fryer ribeye steak, but use it to marinate or top vegetables, poultry, and seafood.
It doesn’t end there! You can use the herbaceous sauce to create dips like chimichurri aioli.
What is Chimichurri Rice Made of?
This recipe combines simple ingredients resulting in fluffy, tender rice with a bright, tangy flavor.
- Chimichurri Sauce: Prepare chimichurri sauce for the rice using parsley leaves, cilantro, fresh garlic cloves, Fresno peppers, salt, and olive oil.
- Brown Rice: I use long-grain brown rice as the base for this recipe, but you can decrease the cooking time to make white rice. If you are in a pinch, make ready-made rice and stir in the sauce for a dinnertime short-cut.
- Salt: Depending on how salty you like your chimichurri sauce, boil the rice in water and a little bit of salt.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the water with chicken broth for extra flavorful rice.
- Blend the chimichurri sauce into a paste using a food processor before adding it to the rice. It turns the rice a bright green color!
- Add red wine vinegar to the sauce for fresh-tasting flavor, or try a pinch of red pepper flakes instead of freshly chopped peppers.
- Toast the rice in a pan like you would make vegan Mexican rice before cooking it in water to enhance the flavor and improve the texture of the grains.
- We are making chimichurri rice, but cooking should always be an adventure. Stir in other sauces like shatta sauce or skhug for a spicy side, and pistachio pesto is another herb-flavored option.
How to Make Chimichurri Rice
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Use a sharp knife to chop and finely dice the parsley, cilantro, garlic, and peppers. Transfer them to a small bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. Set the chimichurri aside.
Step 2: Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Add it to a saucepan with water and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
Step 3: Remove the rice from heat and fluff it with a fork. Cover with the lid and set it aside to steam for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Gently fold the reserved chimichurri sauce into the rice and drizzle with extra olive oil, if you want.
Expert Tips
- I highly recommend tasting the chimichurri sauce before stirring it into the rice. Add salt, minced garlic, and diced peppers until you have a more balanced flavor.
- Rinse the brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear to remove excess starch, preventing the rice grains from sticking to each other as it cooks.
If you enjoy the chimichurri rice, pair it with one of these dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Chimichurri rice is the perfect sidekick for carne asada, grilled picanha steak, shredded pork, oven baked chicken with Peruvian spices, and grilled bison steaks.
Tuck it into burritos, tacos, or rice bowls alongside your favorite proteins like ground beef, fajitas, fried salmon bites, grilled chicken, or blackened mahi mahi. And don’t forget the toppings—pico de gallo, serrano crema, sour cream, black beans, avocado lime crema, or mango pico de gallo are all tasty options.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for later use or meal prep for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: Let the rice cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Chimichurri rice freezes for three months.
- Thaw: Defrost the leftovers in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftover rice on the stovetop or microwave in 30-second intervals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chimichurri taste like?
Chimichurri is a flavor bomb with every bite. It’s fresh and herbaceous from the parsley and cilantro, with a garlicky kick and the right amount of heat from the Fresno peppers. The sauce is the perfect way to flavor grilled meats, veggies, or anything that needs a little extra.
More Rice Recipes:
Chimichurri Rice
- Small Bowl
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Fresno pepper, stemmed, deseeded, and finely diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups brown rice, rinsed
- 2½ cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Use a sharp knife to chop and finely dice the parsley, cilantro, garlic, and peppers. Transfer them to a small bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. Set the chimichurri aside.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Add it to a saucepan with water and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
- Remove the rice from heat and fluff it with a fork. Cover with the lid and set it aside to steam for 15 minutes.
- Gently fold the reserved chimichurri sauce into the rice and drizzle with extra olive oil, if you want.
- I highly recommend tasting the chimichurri sauce before stirring it into the rice. Add salt, minced garlic, and diced peppers until you have a more balanced flavor.
- Rinse the brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear to remove excess starch, preventing the rice grains from sticking to each other as it cooks.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.