Chimichurri Mayo

Chimichurri mayo is a creamy sauce made by stirring chimichurri into mayonnaise. It’s herby, garlicky, and bright with red wine vinegar, and it comes together in about five minutes with just two ingredients. Use your own chimichurri or a good jar, and you’ve got a thick, spreadable sauce for burgers, steak, fries, and sandwiches.

I first made this for my charcoal-grilled picanha burger, but it was too good to stop there. Now I use it on grilled chicken, steak sandwiches, burgers, and even as a spread before chicken goes on the grill.

The biggest lesson I learned while testing was to keep the mayo out of the food processor. Blend the chimichurri if you want a smoother, brighter sauce, then stir it into the mayonnaise by hand. Run the mayo through the machine and the emulsion breaks, leaving you with a thin, runny sauce. A few turns with a spoon keep it thick and creamy.

Key Ingredients

Mayonnaise: Use a full-fat mayo you like the taste of. It makes up most of the sauce, so its flavor and richness carry the whole thing. A light or low-fat mayo will taste less rich.

Chimichurri: This is where the flavor lives. Homemade is best, and any style works, but drain off the loose oil before it goes in. Too much free oil is what makes the sauce weep and thin out. A good jarred chimichurri works too if you drain it the same way.

Start with one part chimichurri to two parts mayo, then adjust to taste. Different brands of mayo and wetter chimichurris can change the consistency. My favorite is Duke’s mayo, let me know in the comments which brand you prefer.

How to Make Chimichurri Mayo

Step 1: Blend the chimichurri

Drain the chimichurri first, spooning out the herbs and garlic and leaving the loose oil behind. Draining keeps the finished mayo thick instead of runny. Add the drained chimichurri to a food processor and blend it to the texture you want.

The finer you blend it, the smoother and brighter the mayo turns out. For chunkier herbs, skip the processor and use the chimichurri as it is.

Step 2: Stir it into the mayo

Add the chimichurri to the mayonnaise and stir until the sauce is evenly green. Mix it by hand instead of using a food processor, since the blades can break the emulsion and leave you with a thin, runny sauce.

If you want a low background heat, stir in a pinch of cayenne now. Ground chiltepin works too. It’s optional, and it’s the red specks you’ll see in mine. A little heat makes this sauce pop.

Step 3: Chill, then taste

Cover and chill for about 30 minutes so the flavors come together. Taste, then adjust with a pinch of salt or a splash of red wine vinegar if it needs more edge. It’s sharpest right after mixing and mellows as it chills.

Food Processor or By Hand?

Use the food processor only for the chimichurri, never the mayonnaise. Blending the herbs creates a smoother, brighter green sauce, which you can then stir into the mayo by hand. If you prefer a chunkier, more rustic chimichurri, skip the processor altogether and stir everything together by hand.

During testing, I found that running the mayonnaise through the food processor broke the emulsion and turned the sauce thin and watery. Whether you blend the herbs or not is simply a texture preference, but the mayonnaise should always be stirred in by hand.

Change the Chimichurri, Change the Sauce

The base recipe stays the same. Swap the chimichurri, and you get a different sauce every time. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Classic green chimichurri for the standard bright, garlicky version.
• Red chimichurri for a smokier, spicier sauce with more depth.
• Hatch chile chimichurri for a Southwest, roasted-chile spin (shown above).
• Cranberry chimichurri for a tart, seasonal version that’s good on turkey and pork.

What to Serve It With

• Picanha Burger: The reason this sauce exists, spread on both buns (shown below).
• Reverse-Seared Picanha: Use as a sauce for the sliced steak.
• It’s just as good on grilled chicken, steak sandwiches, and any other burger.
• Use it as a dip for French fries, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables.

If you like a creamy, herb-forward sauce like this, my Cowboy Sauce is a good next one to try.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Homemade Sauces and Condiments

• Creamy Buffalo Sauce is creamy, spicy, and made for dipping.
• Charred Salsa Verde is smoky and fire-charred.
• Chipotle Salsa brings deep, smoky chipotle heat.
• Fresh Pico de Gallo is bright, fresh, and chunky.
• Roasted Hatch Chile Jam brings sweet heat from roasted Hatch chiles.
• Sweet and Spicy Pickles add sweet heat and crunch.

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