Easy Red Chimichurri Sauce with Roasted Peppers

Ingredients and substitutions

• Herbs: I’ve used equal quantities of basil and parsley. You can use either of them, doubling the quantity.
• Peppers: If you don’t have the time to roast the peppers, you can use the packaged ones.
• Other flavor-makers: garlic, paprika, chillies and lemon juice. No red chilies? Red pepper flakes will be a close substitute.

How to make red pepper chimichurri

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page. Here are step-by-step instructions with pictures to help you easily understand the recipe.)

Roast red peppers

Preheat the oven to 392°F/200°C.

Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 2 large red bell peppers and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Peel the charred peppers

Remove the roasted red peppers from the oven. Cover them with a large glass bowl.

This will help you peel the skin of the peppers easily.

After 10 minutes, peel the peppers. Remove the seeds, reserving the juices.

Roughly chop the peppers.

Prep the ingredients

Mince the garlic cloves and red chili pepper. Roughly chop the herbs.

Blend

Place the chopped red peppers (along with the juices) in a food processor or high speed blender. Add all the other ingredients except the herbs.

Blend into an almost smooth sauce. This will help emulsify the chimichurri, thus requiring less oil and making it healthier.

Now add the herbs and pulse a few times until they are broken down. (Do not blend it all the way into a paste.)

If the chimichurri is too thick, add a splash of the juices you reserved from the roasted peppers.

If you’re left with a cup full of juices, don’t worry. Just freeze the flavorful liquid in ice. You can use it in a variety of ways from dressings to soups to curries.

Enjoy the roasted pepper chimichurri with your favorite protein like panko chicken or almond crusted salmon!

Why I use less oil

I love olive oil, but I don’t think every sauce needs a lot of it. It’s calorie-dense, so I prefer to get more of the flavor and texture from whole ingredients like roasted peppers and garlic.

Blending them together makes this chimichurri creamy and satisfying, while a little olive oil adds richness without overpowering the fresh flavors.

What to pair with red chimichurri sauce

1. Baked cod with Panko crumbs
2. Spicy baked fish with lemon, dijon & garlic
3. Mediterranean chicken shawarma plate
4. Healthy burger bowls with chicken patties
5. Honey roasted sweet potatoes & carrots
6. Healthy taco bowls with chicken & brown rice
7. Shredded tofu wraps

More quick and easy sauces

• 6-ingredient mango chili sauce
• Creamy roasted garlic sauce
• Silken tofu sauce
• Easy garlic yogurt sauce
• Tahini yogurt sauce

You can find a collection of 20 healthy sauce recipes categorized as low sugar, low salt and low calorie here.