Of all the sauces in world cuisine, chimichurri is the one most likely to make you wonder why anyone else bothered. Five ingredients, ten minutes, zero technique, and the result is one of the great companion sauces to grilled meat — sharp from the vinegar, fragrant from the herbs, mellowed by the olive oil, with a small bite of garlic and chilli. It is the Argentinian equivalent of really good chimichurri, which is to say there is no foreign equivalent. Pesto is too smooth. Salsa verde is too soft. Mojo is too one-note. Chimichurri stands alone.
And the news for Dubai cooks is good. Every ingredient you need is at every supermarket in the city. The bottled options are decent. The Argentinian restaurants serve excellent house versions. And the homemade recipe takes 10 minutes and produces something dramatically better than anything you can buy. This is your map.
Where to Buy Chimichurri in Dubai
La Cabaña House-Made Jars
Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz · AED 35 per 250ml jarThe best bottled-style chimichurri in Dubai — made daily in small batches by the Argentine couple who run La Cabaña. Punchy red wine vinegar, fresh parsley (not dried), proper oregano backbone, real chilli flakes. Keeps 10 days refrigerated. AED 35 for a 250ml jar is roughly twice the price of a supermarket equivalent and worth every dirham.
Don Marcelo (Spinneys Latin Section)
Spinneys MOE / Umm Suqeim · AED 32–38Argentinian-imported bottled chimichurri that takes itself seriously. Slightly drier and less oily than American-style bottled equivalents, with the right vinegar acidity and a strong oregano-forward flavour. Shelf-stable until opened, 4 weeks once opened in the fridge. Best supermarket option for when you can't make it yourself.
Pampero (Carrefour / Spinneys)
Most supermarkets · AED 24–30A workhorse bottled chimichurri found in most Dubai supermarkets. Slightly sweeter and more oily than the Don Marcelo version, with dried herbs throughout (no fresh parsley). Acceptable but distinctly inferior — if your shop has Don Marcelo, take that instead. If not, Pampero will do the job.
Generic "Latin sauce" bottles
Various store brandsVarious American-import generic "chimichurri-style" bottles in the international section of mid-range supermarkets. Usually heavy on canola oil, light on actual herbs, and sweetened. Not worth the AED 22–28 they charge. Make your own for AED 18 in 10 minutes instead.
The Classic 10-Minute Chimichurri Recipe
Classic Chimichurri Verde — Makes 1 Cup
Total time 10 minutes + 30 min rest before serving. Keeps 2 weeks refrigerated.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (~80g) — Spinneys produce AED 4–6
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp dried oregano (use Italian or Greek brand, not "mixed herbs")
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes (or 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped)
- 60ml red wine vinegar — Carluccio's brand at Spinneys
- 120ml extra virgin olive oil — mid-quality Spanish or Italian
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
- Wash and dry the parsley thoroughly — water in the chimichurri will ruin the texture and shorten the shelf life. Spin in a salad spinner or pat with paper towels.
- Remove only the very thickest parsley stems (the thin stems carry flavour). Finely chop the leaves and remaining stems — you want around 1 cup (240ml) of chopped parsley. The chop should be fine but not paste-like.
- In a clean glass jar or bowl, combine the chopped parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano and chilli flakes.
- Add the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds — the salt should start to dissolve in the vinegar.
- Pour in the olive oil and stir gently with a spoon. Do not use a food processor or blender — chimichurri should be loose and chunky with herbs visibly floating in the oil-vinegar emulsion, not a smooth paste.
- Cover and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (ideally 2 hours) before serving. The flavours need time to meld — freshly made chimichurri tastes flat. After resting, it tastes properly Argentinian.
- Refrigerate in a glass jar. Keeps 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Three things separate a great chimichurri from a mediocre one. First, the parsley needs to be flat-leaf (Italian parsley), never curly — the flavour is significantly different. Second, the herbs must be chopped by hand, not processed — a blender turns chimichurri into pesto, which is a different sauce. Third, it must rest before serving. The 30-minute rest is the single biggest improvement you can make to any chimichurri recipe. Make it before you light the grill and it will be perfect by the time the steak comes off.
Where to Eat the Best Chimichurri in Dubai
Asado at The Palace Downtown
Three table-side chimichurri varietiesAsado serves three table-side chimichurris: classic verde, smoky rojo (with roasted red pepper and paprika), and a tomato-pepper salsa criolla. The verde is the standard-bearer — properly punchy and oregano-forward. Take a teaspoon onto your steak rather than drowning it; the meat should still taste primarily of beef.
Gaucho Dubai (DIFC)
House verde, served in small jarsA slightly more olive-oil-heavy version than Asado's, but with proper oregano backbone and good vinegar acidity. Comes in small ceramic jars at the table. The Catena Zapata Malbec pairing is particularly well-balanced with this chimichurri profile.
La Cabaña (Al Quoz)
Vinegar-forward styleLa Cabaña's chimichurri leans more vinegar-forward and slightly less olive-oil-heavy than the upmarket versions — this matches the traditional Buenos Aires home-cook style. Served free with empanadas, and sold in 250ml jars for AED 35 to take home. The straightforward, no-fuss profile is the best match for the empanadas.
10 Things to Put Chimichurri On (Besides Steak)
- Grilled chicken thighs. The vinegar in chimichurri cuts through chicken fat in a way no other sauce does.
- Hammour or sea bass. A teaspoon of chimichurri on grilled local fish elevates an otherwise plain plate.
- Roasted aubergine. Half an aubergine, oil, salt, 220°C for 25 minutes, finished with chimichurri = a vegetarian dinner.
- Lamb chops. Lamb's gaminess and chimichurri's herb-vinegar profile are made for each other.
- Halloumi. Pan-fried halloumi slices with chimichurri drizzled across = the world's best 5-minute starter.
- Boiled potatoes. Argentinian-style potato salad — just boiled potatoes, salt, and chimichurri tossed through.
- Scrambled eggs. The Buenos Aires breakfast secret — eggs cooked soft, a spoonful of chimichurri folded in at the end.
- Sandwich condiment. Replace mayonnaise with chimichurri in any cold-cut sandwich. Trust me.
- Pizza drizzle. Plain margherita straight from the oven, then a teaspoon of chimichurri drizzled over.
- Salad dressing. Thin 2 tbsp chimichurri with 1 tbsp extra olive oil and 1 tsp lemon juice = great green leaf dressing.
Explore More Argentinian Food in Dubai
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the name "chimichurri" come from?
The most repeated theory traces the name to an Irish-Argentinian man named Jimmy McCurry (or Jimmy Curry) who supposedly invented or popularised the sauce in 19th-century Buenos Aires — his name being mispronounced as "chimichurri" by Spanish speakers. A second theory traces the name to the Basque word "tximitxurri" meaning "a mixture of things". A third (probably the most credible) is that the name is simply onomatopoeic. The honest answer is no one knows for sure. The sauce itself almost certainly predates the name.
Can I use a blender or food processor?
You can pulse a food processor briefly (3–4 short pulses) to chop the parsley, but never blend the final sauce smooth. Real chimichurri is loose and chunky with visible herbs floating in oil — a smooth, emulsified sauce becomes pesto in texture and behaviour. The traditional method is hand-chopping with a sharp knife, which takes 5 minutes for a normal batch. The 5 minutes are worth it.
Can I substitute white wine vinegar?
Not ideal but possible. The red wine vinegar provides a slightly fuller, more rounded acidity that suits the herbs better. White wine vinegar produces a sharper, more austere chimichurri. If you only have white, the chimichurri will still work but will need slightly less vinegar (50ml instead of 60ml) and a small spoon of red wine added for depth. Avoid distilled white vinegar (too harsh), balsamic (too sweet) and apple cider vinegar (too fruity).
Is chimichurri vegan/halal?
Yes to both. Chimichurri contains no animal products, no alcohol (the vinegar is not considered alcoholic by Islamic standards as the fermentation is complete and intoxication is impossible), and uses only fresh and dried herbs, olive oil, and basic seasonings. It is one of the most inclusive condiments in world cuisine and pairs perfectly with halal-certified meat, vegan main courses, and vegetarian options alike.
