This Argentinian style grilled chimichurri chicken is full of flavour and perfect with little roasted potatoes alongside. This would be a great dish for the summer BBQ, but equally as easy on a griddle pan, the chicken can be marinated the day before and then the sauce is saved and stirred through thick yoghurt to serve.
If you haven’t charred lemons before, this is a great trick to try. Serve the charred lemon halves for squeezing over the meat and potatoes for a deliciously sweet flavour. I’ve recommended you use two green chillies for this chimichurri recipe but I suggest you taste and adapt depending on how hot your chillies are and how spicy you want the marinade. Any leftover chimichurri will keep well in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. Or use any leftovers on this veggie centrepiece, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Chimichurri and Tahini Sauce, it’s so good! Chimichurri really is so versatile and can be added to so many things so it’s a great thing to have in the fridge.
What you'll need for the Grilled Chimichurri Chicken
Fresh coriander
Fresh parsley
Shallot
Green chillis (I’ve suggested 1 to 2 chillis as it depends how spicy they are and how spicy you like)
Garlic
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Skinless boneless chicken thighs (ideally free range & organic)
New potatoes (in season over spring and summer but if you want to use up regular potatoes you have lying around, just make sure you halve them)
Fresh rosemary (use dried if you really can’t get fresh but fresh makes such a difference!)
Lemon (this will be charred in the pan for sweetened edges, it’s such a good trick)
Greek yoghurt (half of the chimichurri will be stirred into the yoghurt as a zingy side dipping sauce)
Frequently Asked Quetstions
Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce used as a marinade and also as a condiment at the table. It’s now become widely adopted across South America and typically it’s a bright green sauce made up of fresh coriander, shallots, garlic, chilli, vinegar and salt. Traditionally you might finely chop all the ingredients and then cover them with olive oil to make it a sauce but I suggest using a food processor as you get a smoother outcome that marinades well on the chicken
Yes if you are in the height of summer and want to use your BBQ (even if out of summer), this is a perfect recipe for that. It’s a nice one to prep ahead as you can make the chimichurri a day ahead, marinade the chicken a day ahead too then all that’s left to do is roast the potatoes, mix the chimichurri with yoghurt and grill the chimichurri chicken.
Other recipes you might enjoy
Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Tahini And Chimichurri
Hummus with Roasted Vegetables and Tahini Sauce
Roasted Aubergine Salad with Tahini and Pomegranate
Simple Tahini Salad Dressing with Parmesan and Lemon
Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Chimichurri Sauce
Zingy Grilled Chimichurri Chicken with Roasted Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating Time: 2 hours up to overnight
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes + marinating
- Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
For the chimichurri
- 50g coriander, chopped, reserve some sprigs to serve
- 20g parsley, chopped
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1-2 green chillis, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
For the rest of the recipe
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (ideally free range & organic)
- 400g new potatoes, or any large potatoes halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 rosemary sprig, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, halved
- 50g Greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Start by making the chimichurri, as we are using this to marinate the chicken. Use a food processor to make a smoother chimichurri sauce. Add in all the ingredients and then add one chilli and taste in case your chillies are very hot. Add the second chilli if needed. Tip half of the sauce over the chicken thighs and cover in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan / gas 6. In a small baking dish combine the potatoes with the oil and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and starting to crisp up.
- Stir the remaining chimichurri through the Greek yoghurt and top with a drizzle of oil.
- Heat a griddle pan on a medium high heat. Start by charring the lemon halves, leaving them on the griddle to leave char marks for 2-3 minutes without moving. Put to one side.
- Griddle the thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side, until charred and totally cooked through. Leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the crispy potatoes, charred lemon and the chimichurri yogurt. Garnish with the reserved coriander leaves and a simple crunchy green salad.
Notes
For really deep golden colour on the chicken when using a griddle pan, using a grill press is so helpful if you have one. It ensures maximum contact with the grill so that you get deep charring and good colour.
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