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This churrasco with chimichurri is cooked beef steak served with an oil and parsley-based condiment. A South and Central American comfort food classic that’s perfect for barbecues and summer cookouts!
What Is Churrasco?
Churrasco is a Spanish or Portuguese word for grilled steak. You can use a flank, skirt, or flat iron steak. Churrasco can also refer to barbecue. It’s incredibly popular in Latin American countries especially Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.
What Is Chimichurri?
Chimichurri is an uncooked herb sauce that is traditionally made by hand. You want to avoid food processors and blenders when making authentic chimichurri sauce. All you need is a sharp knife and a cutting board. Chimichurri usually consists of olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No marinade required! All you have to do is season the skirt steak with lots of salt and pepper. Simple seasoning is best when using good-quality steak.
- It’s tender, juicy, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious.
- Did I mention how easy this is to put together? All you have to do is season the beef, cook it for a couple of minutes, and prepare the chimichurri!
- It’s low-carb and keto-friendly.
Ingredient Notes
Beef – I highly recommend lean skirt steak or flank steak for this recipe.
Parsley – Feel free to use cilantro instead, but traditionally fresh parsley is used.
Olive Oil – Make sure to use really good quality olive oil. The olive oil is the star of the dish!
Salt and Pepper – Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper are a must! Sea salt works too.
Red Chilies – I used African bird’s eye red chilies. Feel free to omit the chilies if you don’t like it spicy.
Step-By-Step Instructions
*Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete recipe and instructions*
- The first thing you want to do is prepare the chimichurri. Finely chop the fresh parsley and chilies, and finely mince the fresh garlic. Place the parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and red chilies in a bowl. Stir it and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover it and let it sit for at least 1 hour.
- Thoroughly pat skirt steak dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Pan-fry the steak in a hot skillet with oil for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, depending on the thickness of the steak. You can also grill it if you prefer.
- Transfer the steak to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Slice the steak against the grain and serve it with the chimichurri sauce.
Top Tips For The Ultimate Churrasco With Chimichurri
- Feel free to marinate steak, chicken, or shrimp with chimichurri!
- Chimichurri sauce can be adjusted to taste. Add as much garlic, salt, and pepper, as you like. You can also make it extra spicy! Throw in some extra red chilies.
- Use an instant read thermometor to ensure the steak is cooked to your prefered temperature.
- You can serve churrasco with almost anything. Feel free to serve it with white rice, roasted garlic potatoes, dinner rolls, and black beans.
- Slice the skirt steak against the grain at an angle.
- Because skirt steak is so lean and thin, be sure not to overcook it!
Cooked Steak Temperatures
- Medium Rare: 125-135 degrees F
- Medium: 135-145 degrees F
- Well Done: over 165 degrees F
*Please note that the USDA recommends that beef be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.*
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Churrasco with Chimichurri
Ingredients
Chimichurri Sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil , good quality
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley , finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 red chili , deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Steak
- 2 lbs skirt steak
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the fresh parsley and chilies, and finely mince the fresh garlic. Place the parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and red chilies in a bowl. Stir it and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover it and let it sit for at least 1 hour.
- Thoroughly pat skirt steak dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Pan-fry the steak in a hot skillet with oil for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, depending on the thickness of the steak. You can also grill it if you prefer.
- Transfer the steak to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Slice the steak against the grain and serve it with the chimichurri sauce.
Notes
- Medium Rare: 125-135 degrees F
- Medium: 135-145 degrees F
- Well Done: over 165 degrees F
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.