It’s our lucky day… Caroline has decided to share her famous, guaranteed show-stopper chimichurri recipe. It’s one she’s experimented with on and off for years. And now - perfection. Who said being an Acorn subscriber doesn’t have its benefits?? This might just prove to be your new favourite.
Chimichurri Chicken with Spicy Lime
by Caroline Gauthier
It’s time to use up some of those fresh herbs you might have growing in your backyard. If you don’t happen to have them out your back door, they’re readily available at local farmer’s markets at this time of year. The great thing about this recipe is it feeds a crowd and makes entertaining a little easier.
This tangy chimichurri can also be served on tuna steaks, shrimp skewers, skirt steak, etc. I even marinated some tofu to throw on the bbq for my vegetarian daughter and it did not disappoint!
Marinate overnight for best results, but it can also be prepped the morning of.
Ingredients
For the chicken,
1 cup grapeseed or any other vegetable oil
3/4 cup white vinegar
10 garlic cloves
1/3 to 1/2 cup of fresh herbs (I used fresh thyme, but use whatever is fresh at the market or growing in your backyard, like oregano, rosemary, basil, chives, etc)
3 tbsp sweet paprika
3 tbsp chilli powder 1 tbsp curry powder
2-3 tbsp of kosher salt (it’s a lot of salt, but it’s just to marinate the chicken)
1 whole chicken, or 2 small chickens, depending on their size and your crowd
For the Chimichurri,
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup parsley
handful of chives
3 garlic cloves or 1 garlic scape
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Sambal oelek (an indonesian chile paste available in most grocery stores in the Asian food section)
1/2 tbsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
To prepare the chicken,
1- Place chicken in a casserole dish.
2- In a bowl, combine grapeseed oil, vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, paprika, chili powder, salt and whisk together .
3- Pour marinade over chicken, making sure to distribute the sauce all over. Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge overnight. The longer it’s marinated the better!!
Next day,
1- Preheat oven to 400* if baking in the oven. Alternatively, if you are barbecuing the chicken, I like to use a vertical roaster as it cooks the chicken evenly, catches the drippings, and prevents it from burning the bottom of the bird.
2- You’ll need a big roasting pan with racks on the bottom to elevate the chickens so they cook underneath. A baking sheet will also do the trick.
3- Remove the chickens from the marinade and place them on the roasting racks breast side up, scraping off the excess marinade.
4- Roast the chickens for about an hour or until a thermometer placed on the inner thigh reaches 160*.
5- Place the chickens on a cutting board and allow them to rest for 10-15 minutes.
To make the Chimichurri,
1- In a food processor, place olive oil, cilantro, parsley, garlic, chives , lime juice, red wine vinegar, sambal Oelek , salt and pepper and mix until well combined. You can adjust and add more salt but I find this salty enough. It’s meant to have a salty tang to it, but not be overpowering.
2- Transfer to a bowl. (Note: If you’re feeding a crowd the chimichurri can be prepared in advance and placed in the fridge. In fact, I find the flavours blend if they can chill out together in advance)
3- Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and serve on a large platter. Place in the middle of the table alongside your chimichurri and watch it disappear!
More great summer recipe ideas 🌿 - plus much, much more from the Acorn
Sesame Crusted Cod with Fresh Herbs
