Steak Frites with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Ribeye steak topped with chimichurri sauce—an herb-based sauce made with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Served with seasoned, crispy baked potato wedges.

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Steak Frites with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Steak with chimichurri is a great steak recipe that is a little less mainstream and well-known. Chimichurri is a fresh-tasting condiment loaded with garlic, cilantro, and cumin. Chimichurri will transform your average steak into a Latin American dish and perfectly complement every bite. If you haven’t tried it yes, it’s an absolute must-have for steak lovers.

What is Chimichurri Sauce?

Chimichurri sauce is an Argentinian, herb-based sauce made with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and spices. It’s typically used on beef or chicken as a marinade or condiment. I’m usually anti-condiments or sauces when it comes to steak…BUT chimichurri is the absolute exception.

Chimichurri is loaded with spicy, tangy, and citrusy flavors all at once. It really could be the pesto sauce of Argentina. Also, check out chimichurri chicken skewers and chimichurri shrimp.

How to Make Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is really easy to make at home. Always use fresh ingredients and no shortcuts for the most authentic results! Combine fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, red wine vinegar, garlic cloves, olive oil, and spices in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and slightly granular. Chimichurri should not be too fine or too pureed.

Don’t have a blender? A Ninja Single Serve or NutriBullet will work just fine.

Homemade Roasted Fries (Frites)

Steak and frites is french for steak served with french fries. For this recipe, I’m using crispy baked russet potato wedges seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. It’s the perfect blend of spices for baked fries. They’re super flavorful and taste like real french fries.

Thin potato wedges are key. This article is really helpful in creating perfect potato wedges. Just note, I slice one extra time than demonstrated (4 times total) so each wedge is about 1/2 an inch thick on the skin side. This yields 16 wedges per potato.

Best Cut of Beef for Steak Frites

You can make this recipe with any cut of beef. Some personal favorites are boneless ribeye, hanger, sirloin (NY strip), flank, and skirt steak. Boneless ribeye is what I used for this recipe/is pictured. Just note, flank and skirt steak is typically a litter thinner and will cook a little faster than a ribeye or sirloin.

How to Cook the Perfect Steak

The only way to prepare steak is in a cast iron skillet. The secret lies in combining pan searing with an oven finish. This gives your steak a caramelized outside with a juicy tender inside. The oven is better at providing indirect heat while searing gives you the grilled and slightly charred crust.

The other major advantage is you can cook within flavors such as garlic, butter, or fresh herbs. You can’t do this on a grill. Pan-sear steaks for 2 minutes per side on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet on high heat and immediately transfer to a preheated oven at 415°F. I typically bake for about 6 minutes for medium-rare.

Temperatures for Steak 

DonenessTemperature Range
Very Rare/rare120°F to 125°F
Medium rare125°F to 130°F
Medium135°F to 140°F
Medium well145°F to 150°F
Well done160°F and above

SMOKE WARNING: Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.

Let The Steak Rest

Letting a steak rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting is critical for two reasons. One, it continues to actually cook the steak. Second, the juices evenly distribute throughout the meat, yielding the perfect bite every time. Always let your steaks rest!

Slice steak into strips and top with as much chimichurri as you like. Your guests won’t be able to get enough. Serve with potato wedges.

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Steak Frites with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
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Steak Frites with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 2-3 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Argentinian
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Description

Ribeye steak topped with chimichurri sauce—an herb-based sauce made with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Served with seasoned, crispy baked potato wedges.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 steaks (sirloin or boneless ribeye work best)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Potato wedges

  • 2 medium russet potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • finely chopped parsley for garnish

Chimichurri sauce

  • 1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the chimichurri sauce

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth, but still a little gritty. Set aside.

For the potatoes

  1. Preheat the oven to 415°F (this temp will be used for steak and potatoes).
  2. Slice potatoes into thin wedges (see note below on soaking). This can be done by cutting a potato in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise, then cutting on the diagonal point lengthwise into equal wedges. You can further slice wedges (one more time) into thinner wedges if you prefer (I like half-inch thick on the skin side). This cutting guide here is helpful. I shoot for 16 wedges per potato.
  3. Toss wedges in a bowl with oil and spices until evenly coated. Arrange on a greased baking sheet with minimal overlap. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and crispy. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

For the steaks

  1. Meanwhile, remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Add oil to an oven-safe skillet and turn up to medium-high heat, allow the skillet to become hot first. Once the oil starts to smoke, place the steaks face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the steaks and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your steaks a nice seared crust.
  3. Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] skillet may be hot, handle it with oven mitts. For rare, bake for 4 minutes. Medium rare, 5-6 minutes. Medium, 6-7 minutes. Medium well, 8-9 minutes. Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. This recipe is ideal for steak, roughly 1-2 inches thick.
  4. Remove steaks from the skillet and set on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving/slicing. This is important to bring your steak to its final serving temperature. Slice into thick strips and top with chimichurri sauce and serve with potato wedges.

Notes

Chimichurri sauce can be made a few hours in advance.

An optional step is to let the potatoes soak in water for 45 minutes before seasoning if you have time. This allows the starches to release from the potato and renders the inside more tender.

Temperatures for steak
Rare: 120°F to 125°F
Medium rare: 125°F to 130°F
Medium: 135°F to 140°F
Medium well: 145°F to 150°F
Well done: 160°F and above

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 steak w/ potato wedges
  • Calories: 782
  • Sugar: 2.1g
  • Sodium: 347mg
  • Fat: 40.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 25.7g
  • Fiber: 4.3g
  • Protein: 71.5g
  • Cholesterol: 203mg

Keywords: steak and chimichurri, chimichurri sauce