A good store-bought chimichurri lists herbs first, uses olive oil, skips added sugar and still looks green. Most jars miss at least one of those. The label tells you which, if you know where to look.
We make a chimichurri, so read this knowing we have an opinion. The checklist below is the one we hold our own jar to.
1. Check the oil first
Oil is the most expensive ingredient in chimichurri, so it's the first place a jar saves money. Look for olive oil, ideally extra-virgin. Soybean, canola and "vegetable" oil are cheaper and flatter, and blends often list olive oil prominently on the front while the back tells a different story. Ingredients are listed by weight, so the order matters.
2. Herbs should lead
Parsley, cilantro or both should sit at or near the top of the ingredient list. If water, oil or vinegar comes well ahead of the herbs, you're buying a dressing with some green in it.
3. Taste for the acid
Acid is what makes chimichurri work, but too much turns it into a pickle. Vinegar-based jars run sharper and more sour; citrus-based ones run brighter. Neither is wrong. If the first thing you taste is vinegar and nothing else, the balance is off.
4. Skip the sugar
Chimichurri doesn't need sugar. Some jars add it to round off a harsh vinegar edge, which usually means the herbs and oil weren't doing enough. Look for 0 grams of added sugar on the nutrition panel.
Stabilizers are a different matter. Ingredients like xanthan gum or gum acacia keep the oil and herbs from separating into layers. They aren't preservatives, and they don't change the flavor.
5. Look at the color
Fresh herbs are bright green. Herbs that have been cooked hard or sat too long go olive-drab. If the jar looks tired before you open it, it will taste that way too.
6. Decide how much heat you want
Most chimichurri gets a pinch of crushed red pepper for warmth, not fire. If you want real heat, add your own; a jar that starts hot can't be cooled down.
7. Read the price honestly
A cheap jar is usually cheap for a reason, and the reason is usually the oil. Paying more for extra-virgin olive oil and a higher share of herbs is paying for the parts that make it taste like chimichurri.
How OG Chimichurri stacks up
- Oil: extra-virgin olive oil, no seed oils
- Herbs: cilantro is the first ingredient, with parsley in the mix
- Acid: lime, not vinegar
- Sugar: 0 grams added
- Preservatives: none
- Heat: a hint of crushed red pepper, not spicy
- Price: $14.97 for 6.5 oz
Get the OG, or read the complete guide to chimichurri first.