Charred Chicken with Chimichurri
I’ve been thinking about condiments a lot lately. At this time, I have 6 different types of mustard, countless jars of olives and pickles, a handful of different jellies, hot sauce galore and concoctions I’ve been mixing. Condiments are often unsung heroes of dishes. They can be supporting characters or stars that tie an entire meal together. A good condiment can transcend dishes too. I made a sauce with pan drippings from a roasted chicken, caramelized onions, sherry, and pitted dates this week and served with chicken thighs one night and then again with goat cheese and crostini a few nights later. When it comes to sauces for grilled meats, however, Chimichurri reigns supreme.
Not only is chimichurri delicious, but it is SO easy to make and goes with just about everything. Chicken? Chimichurri! Beef? Chimichurri! Scrambled eggs? You guessed it, chimichurri.
Some people feel like once they’ve made the effort of grilling or roasting something that making a sauce or condiment to go with it is just too much work but hear me out! The beauty of chimichurri is that it uses up all those scraps from earlier in the week that would have otherwise gone in the trash. The recipe list is minimal and sooooo easy to riff on. Sometimes I don’t have cilantro so I don’t use it, no biggie. Sometimes I’m feeling adventurous and through in an extra hot pepper or some ginger or a little fish sauce. Go wild! If you have a food processor and can spare 60 seconds, you too can make a chimichurri that will go the extra mile and delight everyone at the table.
When I was working on this specific recipe, I knew it would become a little controversial because of how the chicken turned out. I marinated it in olive oil and seasonings. When I threw it on the grill, the oil caught on fire and the result is a charred exterior. This was my intension. I cooked the chicken on a grill, low and slow until the meat was tender and cooked through. The result was tender and smokey meat. I loved it. Anthony loved it. It was a winner.
The chimichurri recipe in this post will likely leave you with leftovers. Try tossing it with some roasted potatoes or carrots, serve it with crostini and goat cheese, or keep it for the next time you grill. This will keep in your refrigerator for 2 -3 weeks in your refrigerator.
Charred Chicken with Chimichurri
Ingredients
For the chicken
1 whole chicken, cut up
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
For the chimichurri
1 shallot
4 garlic cloves
1 freshno chili or jalapeno
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup mint
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Directions
Make the marinade. Combine everything for the chicken except the meat itself in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until it all comes together and then pour everything into a large ziplock bag.
Prep the chicken. Remove the chicken from the packaging and rinse under cold running water. Pat the chicken dry and add to the ziplock bag. Swish everything around to evenly coat and allow the meat to marinate for 30 minutes.
Make the chimichurri. While the chicken marinates, combine everything for the chimichurri in a food processor except for the olive oil. Pulse the mixture until everything is finely minced. Slowly add the olive oil to the mixture with the processor running. Taste and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste.
Grill the chicken. Preheat the grill and spray with cooking spray. Grill the chicken over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Coat the chicken with the excess marinade, being mindful of the flames that will pop up. The internal temperature should read 165 in the thickest piece of meat when it is cooked through.
Serve. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with a few lemon wedges and serve with the chimichurri.
