Easy 5-Minute Chimichurri Aioli
Chimichurri aioli is a deliciously creamy condiment you can use to add a touch of fresh herby flavor to a wide variety of dishes. Drizzle this chimichurri mayo over salads, fries, sandwiches, or your favorite meats like this air fryer duck breast!
This chimichurri aioli (or chimichurri mayo) is my own little spin on classic chimichurri, combining traditional elements with with some more unconventional ingredients to create this creamy, flavorful sauce that goes great with a wide variety of dishes!
Chimichurri sauce is an Argentinian condiment that is typically served with grilled meats like steak, chicken, and even fish. It’s usually made from fresh herbs, aromatics, olive oil, and vinegar, though many regions have adopted their own take as its popularity has grown throughout Latin America and the US.
I love to experiment with “fusion” recipes that combine unique flavors from different cuisines, like this creamy gochujang pasta. This chimichurri aioli combines the flavors of Latin America with that of a Mediterranean aioli, and even a little influence from Japan! Sounds like a lot, but I think it works really well!
🐷 Easy Dietary Swaps To Make It Your Way
Vegan
Swap out the mayonnaise and instead use vegan mayo, plant-based sour cream, cashew cream, aquafaba (the liquid from chickpeas), or even hummus!
Gluten-Free
No need to make any changes this time! This chimichurri aioli is completely gluten-free already! 😊
High Protein
Try using plain Greek yogurt, avocado, hummus, or even blended cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise. You may need to add water to thin it out.
🥄 Why This Recipe Works
- Chimichurri aioli is a versatile condiment great for all kinds of main dishes and sides alike!
- No cooking required for this chimichurri mayo! All you need is a blender or food processor.
- You can easily tweak this recipe to fit your tastes by adding or omitting herbs and seasonings as you see fit.
- If you want to like chimichurri but are put off by the texture, this creamy chimichurri aioli might be a good alternative for you!
🛒 What You Need For Chimichurri Aioli
📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: I will never not recommend using Kewpie mayo, but you can use whatever kind you have on hand.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Avocado oil is just as good!
- Parsley: Italian flat-leaf parsley works best but curly-leaf parsley is also fine.
- Shallot: Or red onion.
- Oregano: I like just a subtle hint of oregano so I use the dried stuff but you can use fresh oregano if you want it to be a more prominent flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh is best, but bottled garlic or garlic powder will do in a pinch. Feel free to add more if desired.
- Ponzu: Ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrus-based vinaigrette. You can also use red wine vinegar.
- Lime juice: I like to include freshly squeezed lime juice but lemon works just as well.
- Stone ground mustard: Dijon’s good too!
- Other fresh herbs to consider: Mint, dill, chives, tarragon, basil.
*See above image or recipe card for full list of chimichurri aioli ingredients.
🥬 How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Add mayo, olive oil, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, ponzu, mustard, freshly squeezed lime juice, diced shallot, and minced garlic to a medium-sized bowl.
Step 2: Stir to combine, then add crushed red pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, then store in a mason jar or airtight container.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Drizzle chimichurri aioli over eggs, steak, chicken, duck, salmon, or your favorite meats.
Enjoy it with tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos), quesadillas, carne asada burritos, or these vegetarian Crunchwrap Supremes.
You can also use chimichurri mayo as a dipping sauce for French fries, air fryer parsnip chips, sweet potato fries, chicken strips, and more.
Pour some in a ramekin and serve as part of a Mediterranean charcuterie board.
Chimichurri aioli tastes delicious on toast, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and more! Personally, I think it’s great on grilled chicken sandwiches.
Try it as a salad dressing or drizzle it over your favorite roasted veggies.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
A true aioli is a Mediterranean sauce made from garlic and emulsified olive oil (and, in some cases, egg yolks), typically served cold. However, nowadays mayonnaise is commonly used as the base of the sauce in lieu of olive oil. While aiolis can be prepared with many different combinations of spices, herbs, and citrus, it is, in its most basic form, essentially a fancy term for “garlic mayonnaise.”
Due to its South American origins, it’s commonly assumed that “chimichurri” is a Spanish word. In reality, the origin of the word is actually unknown and has no literal translation, but it is theorized to be derived from the Basque word, “tximitxurri”, meaning something similar to “hodgepodge.”
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- If you don’t feel like taking the time to chop everything by hand, you can use a food processor or mortar and pestle to make chimichurri aioli!
- I recommend trying not to chop your ingredients too finely in order to keep texture creamy, rather than thick and paste-like.
- Chimichurri mayo should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to a week. I would not recommend freezing it, as this would likely compromise the texture once defrosted.
Love this chimichurri aioli recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
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Easy 5-Minute Chimichurri Aioli
Equipment
- Mortar & pestle (optional)
- Food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kewpie mayo
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Italian parsley (chopped)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp ponzu sauce
- 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- ½ small shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add mayo, olive oil, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, ponzu, mustard, freshly squeezed lime juice, diced shallot, and minced garlic to a medium-sized bowl.
- Stir to combine, then add crushed red pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, then store in a mason jar or airtight container.
Notes
- If you don’t feel like taking the time to chop everything by hand, you can use a food processor or mortar and pestle to make chimichurri aioli!
- I recommend trying not to chop your ingredients too finely, as this will keep it from having a paste-like texture, rather than a creamy aioli texture.
- Chimichurri mayo should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to a week. I would not recommend freezing it, as this would likely compromise the texture once defrosted.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!