This homemade chimichurri rice recipe is packed full of flavor and ready in 15 minutes. Have you got leftover plain rice in your fridge, upgrade it to a more delicious, flavorful, buttery and herby side dish!
Chimichurri Rice is a delicious blend of herbs, spices and garlic that adds an incredible flavor to your plain rice.

Chimichurri rice recipe
Move over Trader Joe's chimichurri rice there is a new sheriff in town! This recipe is extremely easy to make at home and you save money instead of buying storebought. It requires minimal prep and it comes together in no time at all.
This simple and easy rice dish is sure to become a family favorite! It's perfect as an easy weeknight meal but also makes a great side dish for summer BBQs or potlucks. Plus, tastes amazing, it's super affordable and can easily be made in bulk to feed a crowd.
related recipes: chimichurri potato salad and chimichurri sauce.
Why you will love this chimichurri rice
It is a great way to upgrade your plain white rice. The flavors from the fresh parsley, cilantro, olive oil, garlic and the little heat from the chili flakes will make your boring rice so much more interesting and flavourful. Not forgetting the red wine vinegar, while it may seem almost insignificant, adds a subtle tang to the dish that helps to bring out all of the other flavors.
This recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes if you used leftover rice, what could be better than that? Yummy dinner in a jiffy! It will table about 20 minutes if you cooked the rice in the instant pot and about 30 minutes if you cook the rice on the stovetop.
One pan dish: while I used the stir fry method for this recipe using leftover white rice, it can surely be made in one pot using raw uncooked rice. Follow my mushroom rice recipe for how to do it.
Easily customizable: I used homemade cilantro parsley chimichurri but you can use the authentic version which uses parsley alone. Additionally, you can add more heat adding red pepper flakes to this recipe as your heart leads.
Chimicurri rice ingredients
- Cooked basmati rice: any cooked white rice would work for this recipe and you can also use cooked brown rice for a healthier version.
- Chimichurri sauce: this takes less than 5 minutes to make a fresh one that said, you can make it well ahead of time so that the flavor can meld. The full ingredients will be listed in the recipe card.
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh tomatoes
- Frozen peas
- Onions
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
How to make chimichurri rice
This recipe is as easy as it gets, start by cooking your rice if you haven't already done so.
Make the chimichurri sauce: finely chop parsley, cilantro, and garlic and add to a small bowl. add oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper then mix all to combine and set aside.
Place a skillet on medium high heat, add butter and once it is melted add onions, and saute until soft and translucent. Proceed to add the chopped garlic and cook for about 1 minute or just until fragrant.
Add freshly diced tomatoes, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and cooked down a little.
Now add the frozen peas and stir to combine. Cook until the peas are completely thawed.
Add the cooked rice and mix everything together until well combined.
Pour chimichurri sauce over the rice and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that all flavors meld together nicely stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Check for salt and adjust accordingly, Take the chimichurri off the heat and serve. Enjoy!
What to serve it with
This flavorful rice dish is versatile and pairs well with grilled, sauteed or roasted vegetables to keep it vegetarian or vegan. You can also serve it with grilled, baked or air-fried proteins such as chicken, steak, or fish. Chimichurri rice also makes a great side to a salad or rice bowl.
How to store
Leftover chimichurri rice can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can freeze this rice for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water.
More flavored rice you should try next
Rice is such a great staple to have at home and it’s so versatile that you can make amazing side dishes with a few simple ingredients. Here are some of my favorite seasoned rice recipes you will love
Chimichurri Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Chimichurri rice ingredients
- 4 cups basmati cooked rice preferably one cooked with stock
- ⅓ cup homemade chimichurri sauce or as needed
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 200 g fresh tomatoes chopped
- 1 Cup frozen peas
- ½ cup onions finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Chimichurri sauce ingredients
- 30 g parsley leaves
- 20 g cilantro leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves or use as desired
- ½ Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and back pepper
Instructions
- Make the chimichurri sauce: finely chop parsley, cilantro, and garlic and add to a small bowl. add oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper then mix all to combine and set aside.
- Place a skillet on medium high heat, add butter and once it is melted add onions, and saute until soft and translucent. Proceed to add the chopped garlic and cook for about 1 minute or just until fragrant.
- Add freshly diced tomatoes, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and cooked down a little.
- Now add the frozen peas and stir to combine. Cook until the peas are completely thawed(1-2 minutes).
- Add the cooked rice and mix everything together until well combined.
- Pour chimichurri sauce over the rice and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that all flavors meld together nicely stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Check for salt and adjust accordingly, Take the chimichurri off the heat and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and quick flavored rice recipe you can make at home in no time. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
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