Easy Mint Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Name: Easy Mint Chimichurri Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 cup Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; 1 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced; 1 small Shallot, finely minced; 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Red pepper flakes; 3/4 tsp Kosher salt; 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Why We Love This Recipe

Mint chimichurri is a raw sauce, so nothing here is cooked down or diluted. Fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley go in by the handful, garlic and red wine vinegar sharpen everything, and the whole thing rests on extra virgin olive oil, the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean diet and a generous source of monounsaturated fats. What you spoon over your plate is essentially raw greens and good oil.

Because the sauce is never heated, it is the ideal place for a bold finishing oil. Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich in polyphenols, specifically hydroxytyrosol. That peppery, slightly bitter bite in the back of your throat is the polyphenols you can taste, which is why flavor and quality read as one thing here. Polyphenols are highest in fresh oil and fade with time, light, and heat, so a raw sauce made with a freshly opened bottle brings the most of them to the plate. If you are curious about what makes olive oil high-phenolic, the short answer is early-harvest fruit pressed quickly and handled gently.

Olivea's oil is developed with Harvard-trained cardiologists and USDA Certified Organic, single-origin from Messinia, Greece, early harvest and cold-pressed within hours, then qNMR-verified by the University of Athens. As part of a Mediterranean-diet pattern, that daily habit of raw, well-made olive oil is one worth building, and a fresh, herb-heavy sauce like this is one of the easiest ways to keep it up.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Chop by hand for texture

Chimichurri should stay loose and a little coarse, not smooth. Finely chop the herbs and garlic with a knife, or pulse briefly in a food processor and stop early. Over-processing turns it into a dull green paste and dulls the fresh mint.

Taste your oil first

Since the olive oil is doing most of the work, taste it on its own before you start. A fresh, peppery high-phenolic oil like the Ultra gives the sauce its backbone of flavor and a clean, grassy finish. If it tastes flat, the sauce will too.

Let it rest before serving

Give the finished sauce at least 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. The garlic mellows, the vinegar softens, and the mint and parsley release their oils into the olive oil, so every element reads together instead of separately.

Salt in stages

Add half the salt, rest the sauce, then taste and adjust. Herbs and vinegar shift as they sit, and it is easier to build seasoning up than to pull it back.

Dial the heat to your plate

Red pepper flakes give a steady low warmth. Use less for delicate fish, more for rich grilled lamb or steak. A fresh minced red chili works too if you want a brighter, fruitier heat.

Keep the mint bright

Stir the mint in near the end and avoid crushing it too hard. Bruised mint can turn slightly bitter and darken, and you want that sweet, cool lift to stay forward against the garlic.

Ingredients

6

servings

1/2 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
1 small Shallot, finely minced
3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 tsp Red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Cutting board

Sharp chef's knife

Medium mixing bowl

Measuring spoons and cups

Whisk or fork

Airtight storage jar

How to Cook Easy Mint Chimichurri Sauce

Prep the herbs and aromatics

1

Strip the mint and parsley leaves from their stems and finely chop them. You want about a cup of each, packed loosely.

2

Mince the garlic and shallot as finely as you can, so they melt into the sauce rather than standing out in sharp pieces.

3

Add the chopped mint, parsley, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl.

Build the sauce

4

Pour in the red wine vinegar and stir to coat the herbs, letting them soak for a minute so the acid starts to soften the garlic and shallot.

5

Add the Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a slow stream, whisking gently as you go. Its peppery, grassy flavor is what carries the herbs, so pour with intention and stir until the sauce looks loose and glossy.

6

Taste and adjust. Add a pinch more salt for depth or a splash more vinegar for brightness until the balance feels right to you.

Rest and serve

7

Let the chimichurri sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors settle and the mint blooms into the oil.

8

Stir once more, then spoon generously over grilled lamb, steak, roasted vegetables, or warm bread. Finish the plate with an extra thread of the Ultra oil for a fresh, peppery lift right before serving.

Recipe Notes

Make it your own

Mint gives this version its cool, sweet edge, but chimichurri is endlessly adaptable. For the classic parsley-and-oregano original, follow our authentic Argentine chimichurri recipe, or lean into a punchier, more aromatic profile with this cilantro chimichurri. For a deeper, smoky-red take, the red chimichurri, or chimichurri rojo, is worth a try.

How to serve it

Mint and lamb are a natural pairing, so this sauce shines over grilled or roasted lamb, but it is just as good on steak. For the full plate, see how we build a chimichurri steak from grill to spoon. It also brightens grilled fish, roasted potatoes, chickpeas, and thick slices of toasted bread.

Choosing your oil

This is a raw sauce, so the Ultra High Phenolic oil is worth it here for its bold, peppery flavor. If you prefer something gentler, or you are stirring the sauce into something warm, our smoother High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the milder option and the one to reach for when you are cooking rather than finishing.

Storage

Keep the chimichurri in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 4 days. The oil will firm up and turn cloudy when cold, which is normal, so let it come back to room temperature and stir before serving. For the freshest color and flavor, stir in the mint just before serving if making it ahead.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 2 tbsp (30g)

Calories 170

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18g23%

Saturated Fat 2.5g13%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 290mg13%

Total Carbohydrate 2g1%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 0g

Vitamin C 8mg9%

Vitamin K 45mcg38%

Iron 1mg6%

Potassium 60mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is mint chimichurri?

Mint chimichurri is a fresh, uncooked herb sauce built on the Argentine classic, using fresh mint alongside parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. The mint adds a cool, sweet lift that makes it especially good with lamb and grilled meats.

What does mint chimichurri taste like?

It tastes bright, herbaceous, and garlicky, with a sweet coolness from the mint and a tangy edge from the vinegar. A good peppery olive oil gives it a grassy, slightly bitter finish that keeps it from tasting flat.

What do you serve mint chimichurri with?

It is a natural match for grilled or roasted lamb, but it also works beautifully on steak, grilled fish, roasted potatoes, chickpeas, and crusty bread. Anything grilled or charred pairs well with its fresh, tangy character.

Which olive oil is best for chimichurri?

Since chimichurri is raw, use a fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil you enjoy the taste of on its own. A bold, peppery high-phenolic oil gives the sauce real depth, while a smoother, milder oil keeps things gentler if you prefer less bite.

Is mint chimichurri healthy?

It is made from fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and a source of monounsaturated fats and polyphenols. Because the sauce is raw, those polyphenols, which are highest in fresh oil, come through well on the plate.

Can I make mint chimichurri ahead of time?

Yes. It actually improves after resting, as the garlic mellows and the flavors settle. For the best color and freshest mint flavor, make the base ahead and stir in the mint shortly before serving.

How long does mint chimichurri last?

Stored in an airtight jar in the fridge, it keeps for up to 4 days. The oil will turn cloudy and firm when cold, so let it return to room temperature and give it a stir before serving.

Can I use dried mint instead of fresh?

Fresh mint is strongly recommended here, since its cool, sweet quality is the whole point of this sauce. Dried mint tastes muted and slightly musty by comparison and will not give you the same bright lift.

Do I need a food processor to make chimichurri?

No. Many people prefer chopping the herbs by hand for a looser, more textured sauce. If you use a processor, pulse briefly and stop early so the sauce stays coarse rather than turning into a smooth paste.

How do I make mint chimichurri less spicy or more mild?

Simply reduce or leave out the red pepper flakes, and go lighter on the garlic. The mint, parsley, and olive oil carry plenty of flavor on their own, so a milder version still tastes complete.

Easy Mint Chimichurri Sauce

Why We Love This Recipe

Recipe Success Tips

Ingredients

Kitchen Tools You'll Need