Easy Chimichurri Rice
Chimichurri rice folds a raw, garlicky parsley and oregano sauce into warm, fluffy grains for a bright, herb-packed side that comes together in about 30 minutes. A bold, peppery extra virgin olive oil carries the sauce, which is exactly where its polyphenols taste best.
Recipe Success Tips
Use a fresh, peppery oil
The chimichurri is raw, so the oil is not hiding behind heat. A fresh, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil with a real peppery finish is what makes the sauce taste alive, while a tired, flat oil gives you tired, flat rice.
Chop the herbs by hand
Resist the food processor. Hand-chopped herbs keep their texture and green color, while a machine bruises them into a dark paste and can turn the raw garlic harsh.
Rinse the rice
Rinsing washes off surface starch so the grains cook up separate and fluffy, ready to catch the sauce instead of clumping together.
Let the sauce rest
Give the chimichurri five to ten minutes before it meets the rice. The garlic mellows and the vinegar, herbs, and oil meld into something rounder.
Add the sauce off the heat
Fold the chimichurri into rice that is warm but no longer cooking. This keeps the herbs bright and the oil at its freshest, raw best.
Ingredients
4
servings
- 1/2 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 cups Long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 3 cups Water
- 1 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Fresh oregano, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small Shallot, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Medium saucepan with lid
Fine-mesh strainer
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
How to Cook Easy Chimichurri Rice
Cook the rice
1
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
2
Combine the rice with the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
3
Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes so it finishes steaming.
Make the chimichurri
4
While the rice cooks, finely chop the parsley and oregano, mince the garlic, and finely dice the shallot.
5
In a mixing bowl, stir together the herbs, garlic, shallot, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
6
Pour in the Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stir. Its bold, peppery bite gives the sauce its character and defines the whole dish. Let the chimichurri stand for 5 minutes so the flavors settle.
Finish and serve
7
Fluff the warm rice with a fork, then fold in the chimichurri until every grain is coated and flecked green.
8
Taste and adjust with a little more salt or vinegar.
9
Finish each serving with a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresh, peppery lift, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
This rice is only as good as its sauce. For the full backstory and technique, start with our classic Argentine chimichurri, or swap the parsley for a cilantro chimichurri if you like a greener, more citrusy sauce.
Spoon this alongside grilled steak or our chimichurri chicken to double down on the herb-and-garlic theme. It also holds its own next to fish, roasted vegetables, or beans.
For a milder, rounder flavor, make the sauce with our High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is smoother and less peppery than the Ultra. You can also toast the dry rice in a spoonful of it before adding water, the way we do in our Greek lemon rice, for a nuttier base.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavor deepens overnight. Bring to room temperature or warm gently before serving, and refresh with a small raw drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size About 1 cup (180g)
Calories
490
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g36%
Saturated Fat 4g20%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 580mg25%
Total Carbohydrate 56g20%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 6g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chimichurri rice is cooked white rice folded with a raw chimichurri sauce made from fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. The sauce is stirred in at the end, so the rice tastes fresh, garlicky, and herb-forward.
Cook the rice, then whisk a quick chimichurri while it steams. Fold the sauce into the warm, fluffed rice until every grain is coated, taste for salt and vinegar, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Long-grain white rice keeps the grains separate and fluffy, which is ideal for catching the sauce. Basmati or jasmine work well too. Brown rice is fine if you like a chewier, nuttier base, though it needs a longer cook.
It leans on whole, fresh ingredients: herbs, garlic, and olive oil, the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean diet. Because the sauce is raw, a fresh, high-polyphenol olive oil brings its flavor and polyphenols straight to the plate.
Reach for a fresh extra virgin olive oil with a bold, peppery finish. In a raw sauce the oil is front and center, so its quality shows. A milder extra virgin oil gives a softer, rounder sauce if you prefer less pepper.
Yes. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to four days and the flavor deepens overnight. Bring it back to room temperature or warm it gently, then refresh with a small drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Fresh parsley and oregano are what give this dish its bright, green character, so use them if you can. In a pinch, use a teaspoon of dried oregano, but skip dried parsley, which adds little.
It is a natural partner for grilled steak, chicken, or fish, and holds its own next to roasted vegetables or beans for a vegetarian plate. It also works cold as a grain salad the next day.
It is already vegan as written: rice, herbs, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil, with no dairy or eggs anywhere in the dish.
Usually it needs more salt, more vinegar, or a fresher oil. Season the rice while it cooks, be generous with the acid, and use an olive oil with a real peppery bite so the sauce has presence.
