Argentinian Chicken with Chimichurri

All of the flavor for this dish is in the sauce. Chimichurri is a popular sauce throughout South America. It is used as both a marinade and as a condiment sauce.  The basic version uses fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and a little bit of chili pepper, but the variations are endless.

The original recipe for this sauce Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce came from the Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World. This festival features food from around the world. You can sample different bites of food and wine from the different countries while enjoying live entertainment, seminars, and food demonstrations. My husband and I went a few years ago and loved it. I loved so many of the foods that I brought home the festival cookbook. That way I could remake our favorite dishes as home. At the festival, this chimichurri was served with a grilled sirloin steak. Chimichurri is a great sauce for chicken, steak, fish, and over pasta. It is quite a versatile sauce.

To accompany my Argentinian Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce, I served grilled vegetables and  black beans over rice. I seasoned the vegetables with a little olive oil, lime juice, and lemon pepper just before I placed them on the grill. Simple sides to compliment the star of the meal, the chicken.

Chimichurri Sauce

1 large white onion, quartered
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic
pinch of saffron threads dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is well minced and combined. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender or finely chop the ingredients and combine by hand. Set aside until ready to use. You can freeze any remaining sauce in ice-cube trays. Then thaw the portion you need.

Argentinian Chicken

8 pieces of chicken
1 cup Chimichurri sauce

1. Place chicken in a bag or covered container. Add 1/2 cup of chimichurri sauce to the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. When chicken is ready heat the grill to medium heat.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and place on the grill. Grill on each side for 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking with the lid down until the chicken to cooked through. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
4. When chicken is done, remove from grill and plate. Top each piece of chicken with 1 heaping spoonful of remaining chimichurri sauce and serve.

Makes 4 servings