Looking for a versatile sauce that can elevate any dish from bland to bold? Look no further than this Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce! With its complex blend of smoky, tangy, and fresh flavors, this sauce is the perfect addition to grilled meats, pan-seared chicken, sandwiches, and more. Plus, it comes together easily and lasts for days in the fridge or even longer in the freezer, ensuring you’ll always have a flavorful meal at your fingertips.
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What makes Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce a must-make?
When you need something to up the flavor of just about anything, you could hardly do better than Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce. This complex sauce is bold and smoky, with plenty of acidity and fresh herbs for balance. Use it on grilled meat, pan-seared chicken, sandwiches, as a dipping sauce, or almost any way you can imagine.
The sauce comes together easily and lasts in the fridge for days, and in the freezer for much longer, so you’ll never have to suffer another bland meal.
Chipotle Red Chimichurri ingredients and their roles in the recipe
For Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce, you’ll need:
- Garlic cloves – the sharp, aromatic flavor is mellowed by slow roasting, providing subtle sweetness and complexity.
- Vegetable oil – helps to roast the garlic without burning it. Adds body and fat to the sauce, which helps all the flavors come together.
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed – adds a sharp tang and a subtle bitterness that works well with the smoky flavor of the chipotle powder.
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed – lends brightness that is less sharp than lime juice.
- Red wine vinegar – gives the fermented tang that is the heart of traditional chimichurri sauce.
- McCormick Chili powder – warms the sauce with a bit of heat from the blend of spices. Â
- Chipotle powder – pumps up the flavor and adds a touch of smokiness to the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes – boost the spice level.
- Salt – enhances the flavor of the other ingredients in the recipe.
- Cilantro – enlivens the sauce with fresh herbs and balances the smokiness and tang.
How to make Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce
To lightly roast the garlic:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut about a quarter-inch off the top of the garlic bulb, then drizzle with vegetable oil.
- Wrap the cut garlic bulb in aluminum foil and place it directly on the oven rack to cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the roasted garlic and allow it to cool.
- Unwrap the room-temperature roasted garlic and squeeze out the garlic cloves.
To finish the sauce:
- Add the lemon juice, lime juice, red wine vinegar, McCormick Chili powder, chipotle powder, salt, and vegetable oil to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse four or five times.
- Mince the garlic, then add it to the food processor bowl along with the cilantro. Pulse once or twice. Do not puree the cilantro.
- Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and chill for at least half an hour before using to allow the flavors to meld.
What to serve the sauce with
Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce goes with a lot more than just Latin dishes. Here are some great ways to use it:
Buc-ee’s Brisket Breakfast Taco – Slow-smoked brisket and scrambled eggs wrapped in a warm tortilla is one of the most popular breakfasts at the mega gas stations, but it can be a bit on the dry side. Up the famous chain by slathering on Red Chimichurri Sauce for extra flavor.
Chicken Croquettes with Zucchini and Onions – These crispy pan-fried Chicken Croquettes, loaded with fresh zucchini and onions, make wonderful appetizers or a light supper served with a salad. Pump up the flavor with a bit of chimichurri sauce on the side.
Jojo’s Potatoes – These lightly seasoned batter-dipped potato wedges outdo typical French fries. The buttermilk batter makes these potatoes extra crunchy and ensures a fluffy interior. Serve them with a variety of your favorite dipping sauces for a great side or snack everyone will love.
How to store the sauce, and how long will it last?
The flavor of Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce will improve after the first day in the fridge, but it will also begin to separate. But that’s okay. Just stir the sauce well before serving.
Chimichurri Sauce should last up to a week in the fridge, but if you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it for up to a month. Defrost the sauce in the fridge overnight before using. To avoid having to defrost all the sauce at once, try freezing the sauce in an ice cube tray and transferring the frozen cubes of sauce to a larger freezer-safe container.
More Chipotle copycat recipes
Check out more of my easy recipes for dips and sauces, and the best fast food copycat recipes right here on CopyKat!
Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 whole bulb garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons McCormick chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup finely minced cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place a bulb of garlic in a square of aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap the garlic in the foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Peel the garlic and mince very finely.
- In a food processor, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, red wine vinegar, McCormick chili powder, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and oil. Pulse a few times. Add the cilantro and roasted garlic. Pulse once or twice more.
- Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
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