Do you miss the World Cup? Are you feeling a bit Brazilian? Do you just like eating good food? Good. Then grab this recipe, buy a bottle of Malbec (or five), and plan a little Latin American fiesta. Grilled meats with tangy and tart sauces make a pretty-on-the-plate family-style meal when paired with sautéed fresh peppers and onions.
Latin Party Platter: Grilled Chimichurri Chicken and Steak
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total
Servings
Ingredients
- Chimichurri Marinade/Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups cilantro, firmly packed
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger
- ¼ tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. agave syrup or honey and 1 lime, juiced
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. skirt steak
- 1 lb. chicken, skinless, boneless breasts
- Chimichurri Sauce: (yields approx. 1 cup of sauce)
- ⅓ cup of chimichurri sauce from above
- ¼ cup fat free Greek yogurt
- Vegetable Stir Fry:
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, cut in half and then into thin strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper + 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips, about ¼ in. thick
- 2 tsp cumin + 1 tsp paprika
Let's go
To make marinade:
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor except the agave and olive oil, about 1 minute, until pureed. While food processor is on, add the agave and then the olive oil, slowly.
- Pulse for another 15 seconds. Taste and season with salt. Reserve ⅓ of a cup in a bowl.
For cooking:
- Cut meat into ½-inch thick strips.
- In separate bowls or plastic bags, cover chicken and steak with remaining marinade and put into fridge for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, with the reserved chimichurri sauce, combine with fat free Greek yogurt and whisk until a thin sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve to serve with chicken and steak.
- 30 minutes before you’re going to serve the dish beginning making the sautéed vegetables. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet or sauté pan. Once hot, add in the onions and sauté until translucent, 7 minutes.
- Add in the peppers, paprika, and cumin. Sauté, stirring occasionally so they do not brown, until peppers have softened, about 12-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat grill or grill pan, with a little cooking spray if needed. Grill chicken or steak until desired doneness. (For chicken, cook 7-8 minutes on each side – since you’ve sliced the meat, it will cook faster than a whole breast. For steak, we recommend about 3 minutes per side for a nice pink medium rare. Then let steak rest for 2 minutes.)
- Serve the meat over a bed of sautéed vegetables (as we’ve done here) and/or with rice and beans. Top with chimichurri yogurt sauce.