Herby chili sauce

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A punchy herb sauce that pairs wonderfully with barbecue beef. This is the best version of a chimichurri you'll ever taste and can be put together in minutes!

I love this sauce for the vibrancy and freshness it can give to a heavy meal. It’s so simple too but ultimately feels like roast meat is elevated.

This sauce is based off a chimichurri, which is traditionally an Argentinian uncooked herb sauce that is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, herbs and seasonings. I have added capers & anchovies to the traditional recipe to boost the umami flavour which makes it so tasty and addictive.

Traditionally, this recipe is made by finely hand chopping the herbs. I like to use a food processor for convenience however I still like to leave the herbs with a bit of texture! We are looking for a chunky sauce, not a smooth one - you can buy those bland sauce in packets!

What's in this recipe?

Herby chili sauce

• Parsley, basil & coriander

  I like to use primarily parsley in the sauce as it has a lovely vibrant flavour without being too overpowering. Basil brings a sweet-savoury flavour to the sauce that can’t be replaced by an herb! Coriander balances out the herbs with a lovely fresh fragrance.

• Garlic

  Fresh garlic makes this sauce pack a punch! It adds a sharpness and depth of flavour that can’t be replaced by other garlic forms. Do NOT use garlic from a jar! It is sickly sweet and fake tasting which will overpower the sauce.

• Capers & anchovies

  Like umami flavour bombs. Capers and anchovies are both salty however I like to use a combination of both to get the best of both worlds.

• Chili

  Fresh chili makes this sauce quite special. A touch of heat really makes it so addictive - feel free to add more or less according to your heat tolerance. I don’t like to add too much so you can still enjoy the flavour of the herbs.

• Extra virgin olive oil

  Extra virgin olive oil is a main component to this sauce. It gives a mild fruity flavour to the dish and is the carrier for all the flavours.

• Red wine vinegar

  Red wine vinegar gives the sauce acidity and zing! It has a tangy and fruity flavour that pairs perfectly with the other flavours.

• Lemon zest

  A touch of lemon zest gives an acidic lemony touch that makes this sauce taste so fresh! Can be left out if desired.

• Pepper

  Freshly ground black pepper gives the sauce a little texture and a touch of heat to round out the chili.

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Chilli salsa verde

Yield 16

Author Bea Fawkes

Prep time

10 Min

Total time

10 Min

A punchy herb sauce that pairs wonderfully with barbecue beef. This is the best version of a salsa verde you'll ever taste and can be put together in minutes!

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Ingredients

Chilli salsa verde

• 1 cup parsley
• 1 cup basil
• 1/2 cup coriander
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 4 anchovy fillets (roughly chopped)
• 1 red chilli (roughly chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (roughly chopped)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Chilli salsa verde

1. Place all ingredients in a small blender (or stick blender, Nutribullet) and pulse until herbs are finely chopped - use want some lumps, not a smooth sauce.
2. Serve drizzled over barbecued beef steaks, pan-fried fish fillets or anything you fancy! Enjoy!

Notes

Serving suggestion

I like drizzling this salsa verde over beef steaks and serving extra in a bowl on the side so people can come back and scoop more. This also pairs so well with pan-fired fish fillets. I would also go beautifully over roasted pumpkin wedges with crumbled feta. Options are endless with this sauce!

Storing

I like to make this the day before serving as the flavours continue to develop overnight. This will keep well for up to 3 days covered in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

65

Fat

7 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

1 g

Fiber

0 g

Net carbs

0 g

Sugar

0 g

Protein

0 g

Sodium

19 mg

Cholesterol

1 mg