Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri
Charred skirt steak under a herb-and-vinegar chimichurri that wakes up everything it touches. Buenos Aires grilling, weekend-friendly.
Last reviewed by the RecipeCrave kitchen team
- Total time:
- 27 min
- Servings:
- 4
- Per serving:
- 480 kcal
- Cost per serving:
- $7.20
- Difficulty:
- easy
Step-by-step
Chop parsley, oregano, and garlic very fine. Combine with vinegar, oil, pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Rest 15 minutes for flavors to meld.
Pat steak dry. Season generously with remaining salt and pepper.
Heat grill to highest. Grill steak 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (130°F internal).
7 min timer
Rest 8 minutes on a cutting board. Slice against the grain into 1/4-inch strips.
Plate steak. Spoon chimichurri over the top. Serve with extra chimichurri at the table.
Cook's tip
Slice skirt steak ACROSS the grain. Lines run lengthwise; cut perpendicular. Slicing the wrong direction gives you tough chewy strips.
Storage
Chimichurri keeps a week refrigerated and gets better. Cooked steak 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze chimichurri in ice cube trays. Steak reheats badly, eat fresh.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 38g
- Carbs
- 4g
- Fat
- 32g
- Fiber
- 1g
- Sugar
- 1g
- Sat Fat
- 8g
- Sodium
- 680mg
Estimates based on USDA FoodData Central. See our nutrition disclaimer.
What to drink with this
Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options matched to this recipe's cuisine + main protein + spice level.
- wineArgentine Malbec or California Cabernet
Bold red, full body, blackberry + cedar notes
Why: Heavy red meat needs tannin + ripe fruit to balance fat and char.
- beerLight lager
Crisp, low-bitter, low-aroma
Why: Refreshing and neutral.
- non-alcSparkling water with lemon
San Pellegrino or Topo Chico
Why: Universal palate cleanser.
Why this recipe works
Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri sits firmly in the a world-cuisine tradition tradition. As the kind of evening meal that anchors the day — substantial, social, and worth slowing down for, it leans on the staples that define the cuisine — fresh seasonal ingredients prepared with care — and finishes with the balanced seasoning that lets the main ingredient shine that makes it instantly recognizable on the table. It also fits eaters following safe for gluten-sensitive eaters when standard ingredient brands are used, lactose-friendly without trade-offs in richness, and high-protein patterns.
In its home kitchens, a dish like this shows up around family meals and everyday cooking. The version here keeps that spirit intact while adjusting quantities, sourcing, and timing for a contemporary home cook who may be working with a standard supermarket pantry rather than a neighborhood market. Substitutions, where they appear in the ingredient list, are chosen so the dish still reads as a world-cuisine tradition on the plate rather than a vague approximation of it.
Behind the recipe is open-flame grilling — direct heat that adds smoke character and char-fueled umami. That choice isn't decorative — it's what gives the dish its final texture and depth. If you understand the technique, you can confidently scale, substitute, or adjust the recipe without breaking it. We explain the key moves inside the method block above; each step note tells you what should be happening and how to recognize when it has gone right.
Serve Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri the way it is eaten at home in a world-cuisine tradition: simply, with the components that naturally accompany it rather than a long list of garnishes. Plan for 4 as written, and use the scaler to adjust up for guests or down for solo cooking. For drink pairings tuned to this cuisine and the specific protein in the dish, check the “What to drink with this” block above.
Origin & tradition
In its home tradition, a dish in the lineage of Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri sits inside a broader world-cuisine cuisine known for a tradition where fresh seasonal ingredients are treated with care and respect. It draws on the staple ingredients that define the cuisine — in-season produce, quality fats, and balanced seasoning — and finishes with the seasoning signature that makes the cuisine recognisable on the plate before the first bite. The version on this page keeps that lineage intact while adjusting the sourcing and the timing for a contemporary home kitchen. Where a market in the dish's home region might offer a specific cut, herb, or pepper, the ingredient list flags realistic supermarket substitutions chosen so the result still reads as world-cuisine, not a vague approximation.
Technique that drives this dish
Behind Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri sits live-fire grilling: direct cooking over open flame or hot coals with intermittent flipping. This technique is the right one for this style of dish because the direct flame adds smoke character and char-fueled bitterness that balances the salt and fat of the protein. If you understand the technique, you can confidently scale the recipe up for company, scale it down for solo cooking, or substitute ingredients without breaking the method. Pay particular attention to one signal as you cook: visible grill marks before you flip — turning too early gives a soft pale crust and worse flavour. Every step note in the method block above tells you what should be happening at that point — read it before you act on it.
Difficulty notes for the home cook
This is an easy recipe — comfortable for a confident beginner. The most common mistake is rushing your mise en place: prep every ingredient before you turn on the heat. The cook itself is fast, and a hesitant cook is a behind-schedule cook.
Common mistakes (and how to dodge them)
- Crowding the pan — when you put too much in at once, the temperature crashes, water leaches out, and you steam your ingredients instead of browning them. Use a vessel with room to spare, and let each side colour properly before turning.
- Under-seasoning at the start — salt early so it has time to penetrate. A heavy hand at the finish only seasons the surface and leaves the inside flat.
- Starting before everything is prepped — at this cook time, you do not have a minute to chop onion mid-recipe. Get every ingredient on the counter and pre-measured before you turn on the heat.
- Skipping the rest — proteins keep cooking after they leave the heat, and sliced-too-soon meat loses its juices on the cutting board. Five minutes of rest is usually enough.
Storage, freezer & make-ahead
For the fridge. Chimichurri keeps a week refrigerated and gets better. Cooked steak 3 days.
For the freezer. Freeze chimichurri in ice cube trays. Steak reheats badly, eat fresh.
For make-ahead. The seasoning base (any onion-spice paste, marinade, or sofrito) can be made up to 2 days ahead — its flavour generally improves after a rest. The final assembly is best done the day of, but partial prep saves real time on a weeknight.
Nutrition & dietary fit
A gluten-free recipe is only as safe as the cross-contamination control in your kitchen. Use a clean cutting board, clean utensils, and check that any condiments (soy sauce, stock cubes, ready-made spice blends) are explicitly gluten-free certified. Going dairy-free does not have to mean losing richness. Coconut cream, cashew cream, and tahini all carry the same mouthfeel as dairy in many cuisines. For this dish, the dairy substitutions in the ingredient list have been chosen so the texture stays true. On the macros: this recipe runs about 480 calories per serving with 38g protein, 4g carbohydrate, and 32g fat. The 1g fibre figure is in the right zone for satiety, and the 680mg sodium target lands inside daily-intake guidance for a single meal.
Variations that keep the dish honest
- The version on this page reflects a contemporary home-cook approach to world-cuisine cooking. In its home cuisine, you would commonly see household variations and regional preferences — any of these are valid swaps and do not break the dish.
- If you cannot source skirt or flank steak, the recipe's ingredient list flags substitution options that maintain the spirit of the dish. The Ingredient Substitution Matcher tool on RecipeCrave offers ratio-accurate swaps for over 60 common ingredients with flavour-impact notes.
People also ask
Common questions about Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri
Food processor for chimichurri?
Hand-chop is traditional and gives better texture. Pulsing in a processor over-purees and turns it muddy.
Other cuts?
Flank, hanger, ribeye, sirloin all work. Adjust cook time for thickness. Thicker cuts need longer at lower heat.
Reviews
Marcus B.
1 week ago
First time cooking this and the timing notes saved me. Did not lift the lid once. The crust at the bottom was the best part.
✓ Would make again
Aisha K.
2 weeks ago
Loved it but added an extra scotch bonnet — we like it spicy. Recipe scales well, made a double batch.
✓ Would make again
Tola O.
3 days ago
Made this for Sunday lunch — the smoky bottom turned out perfect. Family demolished the pot in twenty minutes.
✓ Would make again
Reviews shown are illustrative pre-launch. Real user reviews appear here as the community grows.
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