Baked Chimichurri Chicken

Baked chicken with chimichurri sauce on a plate.

5 from 1 vote

Chicken with chimichurri sauce is fresh, bakes up incredibly tender and juicy in about 45 minutes. Serve Baked Chimichurri Chicken with a few of your favorite side dishes, or slice and serve over your favorite salad for an extraordinary lunch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Dish

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Ingredients

For the chicken

2 lb chicken breasts
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce

½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup parsley finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
1 tablespoon red chili pepper deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with oil and set it aside.
Pat dry the chicken breasts with a kitchen towel. Season the chicken on both sides with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large skillet with olive oil; add the chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes, transfer them to a prepared baking dish and set aside.
Prepare the sauce by combining the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon about 4 tablespoons of prepared sauce over the chicken breast, making sure the chicken is covered with sauce completely.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes and then remove the foil and bake further for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Once done, allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes. Top the chicken with some more sauce.
Transfer the baked chimichurri chicken to a platter and serve with extra sauce on the side to enjoy.

Notes

Pound your chicken breasts for even thickness and more even cooking.
Bring chicken to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
When browning the chicken you do not need to cook it all the way through. It will finish cooking while baking.
Season the chicken before topping it with the chimichurri sauce.
Not a fan of cilantro? Feel free to use all parsley if you prefer.
Prepare the sauce in a blender or finely chop the herbs and mix by hand in a bowl.
Omit the red chili pepper for a milder sauce.
Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken should be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F but avoid overcooking.
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve extra sauce for dipping the chicken.

Nutrition