The Creamy Ingredient You Should Be Adding To Chimichurri

Chimichurri is one of those sauces that you can — and should — add to everything. Yes, everything. You can dress up a basic breakfast by spooning chimichurri over your morning steak and eggs. Or, you can use chimichurri to add nuance to a grilled hanger steak. Making your own chimichurri is surprisingly easy and a great way to use up leftover herbs. And what dish doesn't improve with fresh garden seasonings?

It's the herbs — namely parsley and oregano — that make chimichurri so versatile. Chimichurri most frequently acts as a sauce, but it can also be used as a dip, a dressing, or a marinade. And if you're feeling extra creative, you can experiment with the addition of other ingredients. For example, chimichurri can be added to mayo for a creamy-meets-herby chicken cutlet marinade that improves your favorite dishes. 

But there's one ingredient in particular that plays with the flavors and textures of your chimichurri. This ingredient is similar to mayonnaise in consistency and offers a smooth, creamy, and tangy take on the beloved sauce. 

Yogurt is more than an easy breakfast on-the-go; It complements the flavors of chimichurri by maintaining the delicious, herbaceous taste of the Argentinian sauce while transforming its texture into something thicker, creamier, and better suited for a marinade.

Yogurt actually enhances sauces from a scientific perspective. Due to its acidity, yogurt works especially well in tenderizing your meat and infusing flavors straight into the food. So, when you add yogurt to a simple sauce like chimichurri, it takes what's already there of your sauce and helps it bind more gently to your meat. 

Given the science, yogurt is a great alternative to mayonnaise with its similarly creamy, but heavy, consistency. Put yogurt's use to the test and make yogurt-based chimichurri for chicken, meat, or vegetables. Once you make the upgraded chimicchuri, its function is twofold. First, the chimichurri acts as a marinade for the raw meat. Then, once everything has been cooked and plated, the chimichurri makes for a delicious condiment atop your meal. The sauce is so versatile that it's easy to find more than one use for it — even in the same dish.  

Of course, yogurt-based chimichurri isn't exactly in line with Argentinian tradition. However, it is certainly delicious and has the potential to enhance your favorite meat dish. Just make sure to use plain yogurt to ensure no sweet flavors overshadow your herbs.