Fresh herby chimichurri steak bowls are the perfect prep for a healthy, satisfying meal plan!
Summer longing…and a broken deep freezer!
Right about this time of year, I generally hop aboard the winter struggle bus, longing for a reprieve from snowy winters in Michigan. As life would have it, my parent’s deep freezer broke. We keep our grassfed cow each year in their freezer, so I had some steaks to use up! We typically save steaks for the grill in the summer, using up our slow cooking, oven roasting meat like roasts for the winter. Since I had to use up some steak, I decided to really play it up with a reminder of summer days ahead! It also just so happened that the day I planned to make these chimichurri steak bowls, it was a snow day from school. The irony was not lost on me!
Our favorite chimichurri!
Chimichurri is a parsley and cilantro forward sauce with very simple ingredients of olive oil and vinegar. Any fresh summer herb sauce will have my girls salivating in seconds, and this chimichurri is no different. In the summer, we use fresh herbs for my Paleo Ranch dressing – it is Green Goddess like! And they are literal fresh basil pesto addicts! As I was making the chimichurri for this recipe, I was thinking about how I really should make it more often in the winter, since the raw garlic and onion benefits for the immune system are incredible! We may have started a new snow day tradition in our house!
What do you use chimichurri sauce for?
Traditionally, chimichurri is a great marinade or sauce for grilled meat. Since fresh herbs are much easier to come by in the warmer months where I live, we use it on grilled steak or chicken, as well as our veggie sides. For the purposes of this recipe, we are going to make super yummy meal plan steak bowls. I think you will love how this can be used either as family dinner once a week, or as a meal prep item of for a week of lunches!
Let’s make the Chimichurri Sauce!
To make chimichurri sauce, you’ll need just 5 minutes and a food processor or blender. Simply toss a quarter of an onion, some garlic cloves, and your herbs into a food processor. You’ll pulse those veggies up with your olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar.
How to adjust your chimichurri to sensitive palates
To adjust your chimichurri for sensitive palates to pungent flavors, you can use a shallot instead of onion. You can also pull the garlic down to 1 clove, or use garlic powder to taste. Using just a teaspoon of vinegar or leaving it out might help your child with dipping in the chimichurri at first as well. If you have very young little ones, don’t underestimate what they will or will not like! They might surprise you! Out of my 3 kids, 2 of them ate chimichurri like this from the age of 1, so give it a try! If your kids are not into the chimichurri, pull down the pungent flavors and then you may be able to gradually add them back in with time. My daughter that didn’t love the stronger flavors loves the chimichurri with less vinegar, and she will happily eat it up. All those nutritional benefits of the herbs and olive oil are so worth figuring out a way to help them enjoy it!
Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 medium sweet/yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves and stems are fine
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems are fine
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Optional for the heat. You could add some black pepper if you wish here too.
- 1/2 cup olive oil you can add more to the taste/consistency that you like
Instructions
- Everything into the food processor and pulse to desired consistency. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle or chop finely and mix with the oil and vinegar. My kids tend to prefer the onion and garlic in a smoother consistency, but it is delicious with small bits as well, and more traditional in preparation.
Notes
- To adjust your chimichurri for sensitive palates to pungent flavors, you can use a shallot instead of onion, and pull the garlic down to 1 clove, or use garlic powder to taste. You can also use just a teaspoon of vinegar or leave it out if that helps your child with dipping in the chimichurri at first. Remember, if you have very young little ones, don’t underestimate what they will or will not like! They might surprise you! Out of my 3 kids, 2 of them ate chimichurri like this from the age of 1, so give it a try! If your kids are not into the chimichurri as written at first, pull down the pungent flavors and then you may be able to gradually add them back in with time. My one kid that didn’t love the stronger flavors loves the chimichurri with just a touch less vinegar and she will happily eat it up – all those nutritional benefits of the herbs and olive oil are so worth figuring out a way to help them enjoy it!
- You can swap the lime for lemon in this recipe too.
- A red or white wine vinegar works well in this recipe as a swap for the balsamic vinegar if that is what you have.
- I’m not a super traditionalist when it comes to the chimichurri – if it’s summer and you have other fresh herbs around, basil and even dill are so good to add in a chimichurri if you want to try!
- Chimichurri keeps for a good week in the fridge, so feel free to double up if you have enough herbs. The sauce also freezes up in ice cube trays or Souper Cubes so nicely so you can take advantage of the herbs when they are in season, and freeze a load of it to enjoy all year long.
Now! On to the Chimichurri Steak Bowls!
So let’s make a meal to highlight that fresh chimichurri in! Meal bowls are so convenient for a food prep day, and such a great way to get a great macro balance into one meal. We’ll get protein from the steak, slow burning carbs/fiber from the veggies, and healthy fat from the chimichurri sauce.
The Method :: Making the Crispy Sheet Pan Potato Wedges
These crispy potatoes are *so* good with the chimichurri! You may even want a second batch for the potatoes! You’ll start by pre-heating your sheet pan right along with the oven pre-heating. Then, cut your potatoes into wedges, and toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Keep it super simple, because that will let the chimichurri flavor shine. Once the sheet pan pre-heats, you’ll toss the potatoes onto the hot pan (listen to the sizzle!), and roast for 15 minutes. Total, you’ll need a good 40 minutes of roasting, but you’ll need to take the potatoes out to stir them around so all the edges get a chance to crisp.
The Method :: The Sheet Pan Veggies
The sky is the limit on variety here. Use what you have! Its the middle of winter here, so broccoli and cauliflower are on repeat, as well as cabbage which I didn’t have on this day. I also always have frozen corn, but in the summer fresh is so fun to add in. In fact, if it is summer, I’d completely skip the sheet pan step, and toss everything on the grill with the steaks! Once the potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, take them out to stir around, and then add the seasoned veggies to a second pre-heated sheet tray. You’ll roast the potatoes & veggies for 15 minutes here.
The Method :: Grilling the Steaks for the Chimichurri Steak Bowls
When you have delicious, grassfed steak, going minimalist on the extras is the way to go. Just a little olive oil rub, salt and pepper is all you need. I like to get my grill pan screaming hot before placing the oiled & seasoned steaks on. Give yourself the time to pre-heat that grill outside, or the grill pan on the stove. It makes all the difference. Let the steaks grill a good 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, depending on the thickness of your steak. Be sure to let it rest at least 5 minutes before slicing so the juices can redistribute.
The Method :: Putting together the Chimichurri Steak Bowls
I like to time the steak going onto the grill right around when the potatoes and veggies have 10-15 minutes left to roast so there is enough time for the steak to both grill and rest. To build your bowls, pile in the potatoes and veggies, then the sliced steak. You can drizzle the chimichurri on top of just the steak, or all of the components!
Chimichurri Steak Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe of my Chimichurri Sauce from above
For the Potatoes Sheet Pan & the Veggies Sheet Pan ::
- 1/3 cup olive oil divided
- 5 medium Russet potatoes cut into wedges
- 1 red onion halved and sliced into strips
- 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup corn frozen or fresh
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- Sea salt and pepper to taste a good 1/2 teaspoon or so for each the potatoes sheet pan, and the veggies sheet pan.
For the Steaks ::
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 strip steaks
- 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt to taste To get a good crust, steak needs this salt – it is hard to over salt a steak so don't be shy!
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put a large sheet pan in the oven, and pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss the potato wedges with a few tablespoons of olive oil, as well as salt and pepper. Once the oven has pre-heated, take the hot sheet pan out of the oven, and put the seasoned potatoes on the sheet pan, spreading them out.
- Put the potatoes back into the oven, along with an empty sheet pan to pre-heat for the veggies. Roast the potatoes at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, while the empty sheet pan pre-heats.
- This is a good time to make your chimichurri sauce if you haven't made it already. You can blend it up and set it aside until serving so the flavors can marry while the rest of dinner is cooking.
- Take the potatoes and the empty sheet pan out of the oven. Stir the potatoes around and return them to the oven. Toss the veggies in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, as well as salt and pepper, and spread them out on the pre-heated empty sheet pan. Roast the potatoes sheet pan & veggie sheet pan for 15 minutes.
- Stir the veggies and potatoes around, and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes while you prepare the steak.
- Pre-heat your grill pan or grill until very hot. I let my grill pan heat over high for a good 7 minutes before placing steaks on the grill.
- Pat dry your steak with a paper towel. Rub each steak with olive oil, and generously sprinkle with sea salt, and then pepper.
- Grill your steaks on a hot grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, depending on the thickness of your steaks. You can cook longer if you would like more doneness.
- Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing. You can pile your steak bowls with the roasted potatoes, veggies, and sliced steak, and then drizzle the chimichurri to your liking.
Notes
- This is a great summer time meal, despite my posting this in the winter! If you have seasonal summer veggies, skip the oven and toss some summer zucchini, corn, and kebobs of tomatoes and onion on the grill along with your steaks instead!
- I’m not a super traditionalist when it comes to the chimichurri – if it’s summer and you have other fresh herbs around, basil and even dill are so good to add in a chimichurri if you want to try!
More real food recipes you might like!
- Pesto & Salmon Meatballs
- Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
- Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken & Veggies
- Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken, Potatoes & Veggies
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Meatballs & Roasted Veggies
- Hawaiian Sheet Pan Dinner
- Sheet Pan Nachos with Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
- Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken & Roasted Veggies
- Sheet Pan Fish Tacos
This looks great, but I am wondering what your olive oil amount is for the chimmichurri sauce? It is missing from the ingredients list, but clearly in the recipe! Thank you.
Hi Michelle! Well that is a pretty important part of the recipe – thanks for catching that! I really do scour them before posting but definitely missed that! I added it it – you’ll want to use about 1/2 cup.
Wow! Just wow! I’ll start by saying my husband does not like steak- usually will only eat an ounce or so. I tried this recipe anyway… Great reaults- everyone raved about it (even the kids). This chimichurri & steak bowl has now become a once a week go-to… delicious. I’ve reserved a bit of sauce to use on sandwiches for kids lunches the next day too. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Michelle! That is definitely a win! Thank you for sharing! I love the use of the chimichurri on the sandwiches too! Yum!