Authentic Costa Rican Chimichurri Recipe
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Sometimes you just need a low-calorie sauce that’s packed with flavor. This Costa Rican chimichurri recipe perfectly fits the bill. It’s the perfect Costa Rican side dish that you can slather on top of almost anything!
About This Costa Rican Chimichurri Recipe
This Costa Rican chimichurri recipe is served with almost every meal possible in Costa Rica. It’s made from ingredients readily available year-round in Costa Rica (tomato, onion, cilantro, lime and salt) and adds a pop of flavor to almost any recipe.
Generally made fresh before serving, traditional chimichurri is as delicious on grilled meat as it is on top of nachos or fried plantains. The most important part of chimichurri, however, is the aesthetic. When created with fresh ingredients, the mix of the red tomato color and the green cilantro color dresses up any dish as much visually as it does taste-wise.
This recipe is very similar to a Mexican pico de gallo- in fact, many people in Costa Rica also call this recipe pico de gallo. The names can be used interchangeably.
At restaurants that serve bocas (appetizers) many of the dishes will come with a small portion of chimichurri in a ramekin so you can add as much or as little as you like to your appetizer. In homes, there will often be a larger bowl of chimichurri that gets passed around.
This recipe is not spicy- it’s more similar to a Mexican pico de gallo than a salsa. It’s gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan. Don’t confuse this recipe with Argentine chimichurri, which uses more green fresh herbs and oil.
Easy Costa Rican Chimichurri Recipe
Ingredients:
- ripe red tomatoes diced into 1/8″ cubes (I use hothouse tomatoes)
- white onion, finely chopped
- cilantro, roughly chopped
- sea salt
- fresh lime juice
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve at room temperature family-style on the table with a spoon, or atop your favorite Costa Rican recipe.
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Substitutions
This recipe is pretty simple and pretty standard. You can really use any type of tomato, I often use Roma tomatoes when I can’t get ripe hothouse tomatoes. This recipe really doesn’t work with canned tomatoes- I tried it once and it was just not good.
I also tried to use lemon juice once instead of fresh lime- no bueno. You could use the lime juice from the container as they sell in grocery stores, but the recipe doesn’t taste the same.
Our Most Popular Costa Rican Recipes:
- Traditional Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe
- Super Easy and Delicious Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo Recipe
- Costa Rican Black Bean Dip Recipe
- Olla Carne- Costa Rican Vegetable Beef Stew Recipe
Variations
Again- this is a traditional Costa Rican recipe and ticos are pretty staunch when it comes to traditional food. You really won’t find many variations on this traditional recipe. (I can’t think of any, in fact!)
Serving Suggestions
You can literally serve this with anything. However, there are some Costa Rican dishes that lend themselves more to a chimichurri accompaniment:
You wouldn’t serve this dish with an arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) or an arroz con camaron (shrimp and rice). It’s not traditionally served in restaurants with gallo pinto. Not served with Costa Rican tamales really either.
FAQ
What’s the difference between chimichurri and pico de gallo?
Pico de gallo will often have larger chunks of vegetables and a little less cilantro. Also, many pico de gallo recipes include jalapeno, which is not a traditional Costa Rican chimichurri ingredient.
Is this Costa Rican chimichurri recipe healthy?
Yes! Super healthy, low fodmap food, a Blue Zone recipe, vegetarian and vegan.
Can I make this chimichurri recipe ahead?
You can, and I think it stores well for up to a week. I keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Printable Recipe
Costa Rican Chimichurri Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe red tomatoes, diced into 1/8" cubes (I use hothouse tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or more to taste)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve at room temperature family-style on the table with a spoon, or atop your favorite Costa Rican recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 12Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Please double-check this information with your favorite nutrition calculator.
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Christa Jimenez
Welcome! I’m Christa, a Spanish teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. We’ve spent over 25 years living in and traveling to Costa Rica with our daughters, and this website is my love letter to all things Costa Rica- and to bilingual parenting too. You can read my full story here. Thanks for stopping by!
This is delicious! So easy and so fresh. Made it to go with some grilled chicken and we loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
This really is good on so many things! It is incredibly bright and fresh tasting!
Well, sorry to say but this is not Chimichurri, you have your sauces mixed up. This is a recipe for PICO DE GALLO!
Get your facts straight before posting.
Chimichurri sauce is green, made of parsley, olive oil, garlic, sometimes with cilantro, it comes from Argentina but is also popular in Costa Rica.
Hi! This is Costa Rican chimichurri. We don’t eat the Argentine style in Costa Rica actually because, well, it’s Costa Rica. Also we do not eat pico de gallo in Costa Rica because that’s a Mexican dish. Each country has it’s own style of dish, and this is the Costa Rican style. Pura Vida! ~Christa
Exáctamente! Kacper is incorrect. Such hubris! LOL
My Costa Rican husband just made chimichurri for us today to go with his chicharrones! Guests arriving soon! Can’t wait!
😂😂😂 I hope you had so much fun with your guests! ~Christa