Pan seared Chimichurri Salmon with a crispy crust is cooked quickly and packs so much flavor! This quick and healthy dinner is ready in just 20 minutes, making it an ideal meal for weeknights.
The chimichurri sauce is packed with fresh parsley, herbs, spices, tangy vinegar and loads of garlic. This sauce can be eaten on Air Fryer Ribeye Steaks, Chimichurri Chicken and so much more!
A Quick Glance At This Chimichurri Salmon Recipe
- ✅Done in: 20 minutes
- 🛒Ingredients: 9, including salt and pepper.
- 🍽️Serves: 4 servings but can easily be doubled.
- 💪Difficulty: Easy
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Yes! You can make chimichurri sauce up to 5 days in advance.
What Is Chimichurri Salmon?
Chimichurri is a bold herb sauce that originated in Argentina, using parsley rather than cilantro. It combines red wine vinegar, crushed red chile flake, garlic, oil and oregano and was originally used on grilled meats.
You'll find that this sauce cuts beautifully through the fat and richness of the salmon, creating the perfect bite, allowing you to taste salt, fat, acid and heat all at the same time. Chimichurri Salmon is one of the fastest ways to turn a simple piece of fish into a restaurant-worthy dinner!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick weeknight meal and also works for entertaining.
- Acid of chimichurri balances the fat of the salmon.
- Leftover chimichurri can be used on a variety of meals including chimichurri steak sandwiches.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh parsley: I like flat leaf parsley. You can cut off any thicker stem ends but otherwise we use it all.
- Garlic: Five cloves! Fresh garlic is always best. You can also use the fresh peeled garlic but I do not recommend pre-minced.
- Red wine vinegar: This traditional Argentinian ingredient is a must have!
- Red Pepper Flakes: Chili flakes add the heat to the sauce.
- Oregano: I always opt for dried oregano with salmon chimichurri as I prefer the flavor over fresh.
- Olive oil: Make sure and keep regular olive oil in your pantry as it is perfect for a sauce like this, or Mediterranean Cucumber Salad, where it simply binds the ingredients together but doesn't add a ton of its own particular flavor.
- Salmon: I used skinless salmon fillets, but you can use any type you prefer. Purchase salmon fresh from a reliable source or frozen if you can find high quality.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- All you cilantro lovers can do a blend of half parsley, half cilantro! Chimichurri for salmon goes particularly well with cilantro.
- Fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice can be substituted for half of the red wine vinegar to add a citrusy flavor.
- A variety of cooking methods will work with this salmon recipe. Try grilled, oven roasted, or air frying. Reference Air Fryer Salmon for easy air fryer cooking directions!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Chimichurri Salmon
Step 1: Add all chimichurri sauce ingredients to a food processor.
Step 2: Blend or pulse quickly until sauce is chopped but chunky.
Step 3: Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Sear salmon, seasoned side down, for a few minutes. Season opposite side. Flip and cook on the second side.
Step 5: Remove salmon to a platter.
Step 6: Plate each serving with fresh veggies and top with the chimichurri sauce. Crack Corn Salad goes well with this dish!
Expert Cooking Tips
- If using skin-on salmon filets, cook with the skin side down first. This will give you the crispiest salmon skin and will make it easier to flip the fillets. Skin on salmon works great for Asian Air Fryer Salmon!
- A fish spatula is a good tool to have and I've grown to love over the years! It is thin and flexible, and quite a bit longer than your typical spatula so you can support the entire fillet when flipping. No breaking!
- The homemade chimichurri sauce can be made ahead of time so that you can focus on the salmon when it is dinner time. Make chimichurri up to 2 weeks in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- The easiest way to meal prep is by using leftover salmon for an easy weeknight meal by adding it to a quick salad or minute rice.
- Do you keep Kosher salt on hand? Different types of salt (both crystal size and type) measure differently as they have a different sodium comment. When recipes call for a particular type, like I use Diamond Kosher here, always follow that recommendation.
Chimichurri Salmon Recipe FAQs
Store the chimichurri sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store chimichurri salsa separately in a jar or airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Salmon can be enjoyed cold on a salad, snack, etc. It can also be reheated in the oven at 275°F for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave in 20 second intervals.
I especially love Peach Mango Salsa on my plate! Roasted Chili Corn Salsa is another great option. Tortilla chips will add a crunchy texture and are perfect for scooping up all of those salsa options. Feel free to add a grain such as rice or quinoa.
I don't think it is particularly spicy. Crushed red chili pepper flakes are great at adding heat throughout the entire dish rather than biting into a piece of hot pepper flesh. Chimichurri can pack a little heat and is a chunky sauce.
Cooking juicy salmon is easy. Salmon is done at an internal temperature of 145°F. Use a digital meat thermometer and insert to the center of salmon. This leaves the salmon medium to medium-well and juicy. Pull off the heat at 140°F, the temperature will continue to rise an additional 5 degrees while resting. Two minutes per side in a very hot skillet is an average cooking time however, cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet.
Start by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. While pan is heating, pat salmon dry with a paper towel then season accordingly. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and allow that to become hot too, about 5 seconds. Add salmon skin side down, or whichever side you want the most beautiful crust on, then leave it undisturbed for 2-3 minutes while it browns and crisps. Flip salmon only once to the other side and allow to finish cooking.
More Salmon Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Chimichurri Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 1 cup parsley rough chopped
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic rough chop
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper coarse ground
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Salmon
- 4 fillets fresh salmon 6oz each
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp black pepper coarse ground
Instructions
Chimichurri
- Add all chimichurri ingredients to food processor and blend for 10 seconds until sauce is blended but still chunky
Salmon
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until pan is very hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil, season top of salmon fillets with salt and pepper then place them seasoned side down in the skillet and leave them undisturbed for 2 minutes
- Flip salmon over and cook an additional 2 minutes. Salmon should temp at140°F. Let salmon rest 5 minutes after removing from pan then top with chimichurri
- Optionally top with peach mango salsa
Krista
This is one of our favorite salmon recipes! It’s quick and full of flavor. I could put this chimichurri on anything!