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Chimichurri Chicken Thighs

Chimichurri chicken thighs with crispy skin and a bright, herby parsley-garlic sauce. Chicken is seared until deeply golden, then smothered with chimichurri for a sharp red wine vinegar tang.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 550
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for searing
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Chimichurri
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.33 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, finely diced
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken skin-side down for 6–7 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.
  3. Flip the thighs and cook for 6–8 minutes more, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Make chimichurri
  1. While the chicken cooks, whisk together the parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a bowl to make the chimichurri.
Rest and serve
  1. Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it rest 5 minutes.
  2. Spoon the chimichurri generously over the warm chicken thighs, and serve immediately with extra chimichurri on the side.

Notes

For the crispiest skin, make sure the thighs are very dry before seasoning and searing. Store leftover chicken and chimichurri separately in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm chicken gently and spoon chimichurri on at serving. Freezing is not recommended for the best texture. For a dairy-free swap, none is needed—this recipe is naturally dairy-free.