Chimichurri Chicken Bowls

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Fresh and flavorful chimichurri chicken bowls feature juicy marinated chicken, rice, sautéed vegetables, and a vibrant herb-packed chimichurri sauce!

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that chimichurri is basically my go-to summer sauce. It started with these chimichurri chicken thighs and I’ve been finding new ways to use it ever since, like this steak sandwich that I made last summer and have been thinking about ever since, and this grilled chimichurri pork tenderloin that is my go-to grilling main these days.

If you’ve never made chimichurri from scratch before, you NEED to try it. It sounds fancy but it’s genuinely one of the easiest things you can make. Throw everything into a food processor, pulse a few times, and you have this incredibly bright, herby, garlicky sauce that makes everything it touches taste SO much better. It’s that kind of sauce.

So naturally, it had to go into a bowl situation. These chimichurri chicken bowls have everything I want in a weeknight dinner. Juicy spiced chicken, sautéed veggies with a little char on them, fluffy rice, and that chimichurri doing double duty as both a marinade and a finishing sauce.

The kind of meal that feels a little special without requiring any extra effort, which is pretty much my favorite category of recipes on summer nights.

What is Chimichurri?

Chimichurri is a bright green herb sauce that originates from Argentina and Uruguay, where it’s traditionally served alongside grilled steak. It’s made from fresh herbs, typically parsley, blended with garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Worth noting: chimichurri ingredients don’t traditionally contain cilantro, and some purists will tell you so! But I love what it adds here, a brightness and complexity that parsley alone doesn’t quite give you. The first chimichurri I made was also this easy cilantro chimichurri so I’ve always stuck to that!

If you’re not a cilantro fan, just use all parsley instead. I much prefer flat leaf (Italian) parsley in this, rather than curly parsley.

Why You’ll Love These Chimichurri Chicken Bowls

That chimichurri sauce. Bright, herby, garlicky, and just a little tangy, it’s the kind of sauce you’ll want to put on everything. And good news: this recipe makes plenty of extra chimichurri sauce to do exactly that.

Great for meal prep. All the components can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge, which makes this one of my favorite meal prep recipes for the week.

A complete, balanced meal in one bowl. You’ve got your protein, your grains, and your veggies all in one dish. Dinner is done.

So much flavor with so little effort. The chimichurri sauce works as a marinade AND a finishing drizzle, so the chicken is incredibly flavorful without any extra steps.

Endlessly customizable. Swap the protein, change up the veggies, use a different grain. These chimichurri chicken bowls work with whatever you have on hand!

Ingredient Notes

For the Chimichurri

Cilantro and Parsley

Both fresh herbs go into the chimichurri here, and I’d really encourage using both rather than choosing one. Parsley gives the sauce a clean, grassy backbone while the cilantro adds brightness and a little something extra!

Fresh Oregano

Fresh herbs are always best when it comes to a sauce like chimichurri, but if fresh oregano isn’t readily available, a pinch of dried works too! You can also skip it if you’re not a fan of oregano.

Shallot and Garlic

The shallot adds a mild, slightly sweet depth to the sauce while the garlic cloves bring the punch. Don’t skip either.

Jalapeño

Half a jalapeño, seeded, adds a gentle warmth without making things spicy. Leave some seeds in if you want more of a kick, or use the whole thing, or leave it out entirely if you prefer things mild.

Red Wine Vinegar and Lemon Juice

Together these give the chimichurri its characteristic tang. Red wine vinegar in particular has a deeper, more complex flavor than white vinegar, so don’t substitute it here.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The backbone of the sauce. Use a good quality one since it lends some major flavor to the chimichurri.

For the Bowls

Chicken Thighs

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my first choice here. They stay juicy over high heat and are much more forgiving than chicken breast if you’re slightly off on timing. That said, chicken breast works too, just watch the internal temperature closely and pull it at 165°F.

Smoked Paprika

This gives the chicken that gorgeous deep color and a subtle smoky depth before the chimichurri even comes into the picture. Regular paprika works as a substitute, though you’ll lose that smokiness.

Jasmine Rice

Cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor, jasmine rice is the perfect base for these bowls. Its light, slightly floral texture doesn’t compete with everything else going on. Plain long grain white rice, or brown rice if you prefer, work too.

Bell Pepper, Poblano, and Zucchini

The poblano adds a mild smokiness that plays really well with the chimichurri. Keeping the pieces roughly the same size helps everything cook evenly and get those lightly charred edges.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Combine the cilantro, parsley, oregano, shallot, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. The sauce should be loose, so take care not to over-process it. Set aside.

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, and mix to coat well.

1. Spoon ¼ cup of the chimichurri over the chicken and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.

1. Combine the rice and chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

1. Add the bell pepper, poblano, and zucchini to the same pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp and lightly charred around the edges.

1. Divide the rice among serving bowls. Top with the sliced chicken, sautéed veggies, and shallot slices. Spoon some of the remaining chimichurri sauce over everything, to taste, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Recipe Tips for Success

Don’t skip the resting time. Letting the chicken rest on the cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing makes a real difference. Cut into it too early and all those juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.

Use a meat thermometer. The most reliable way to know your chicken is done is to check the internal temperature at the thickest part. Color alone isn’t always a reliable indicator, especially with a dark marinade.

Marinate longer if you can. 15-20 minutes is the minimum, but if you have more time, the chicken benefits from marinating for up to a few hours in the fridge.

Recipe Variations

Swap the protein. Try it with grilled steak, pork, salmon, or shrimp instead of chicken. Tofu works great too for a vegetarian version.

Change up the grains. Brown rice, white rice, quinoa, or any other grains you like would all work well as the base. For a lower-carb option, cauliflower rice is a great substitute.

Add more veggies. Broccoli or corn would both be great additions to the sautéed vegetable situation.

Try different toppings. A few slices of creamy avocado, a crumble of goat cheese, or a handful of butter lettuce at the bottom of the bowl in place of rice all take this in a slightly different direction.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Store all the leftovers separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keeping them separate means the rice doesn’t get soggy and the chicken stays at its best.

The chimichurri sauce keeps on its own for up to a week in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before using.

Freezer: The cooked chicken and rice both freeze well for up to 2 months. Chimichurri also freezes extremely well, for up to 3 months!