This chimichurri pizza is all about the chimichurri pizza sauce!
Argentinian Pizza
If you’re not familiar with chimichurri, it’s an Argentinian steak condiment (think Pesto or salsa). So I guess that makes this an Argentinian pizza recipe of sorts!
When we don’t feel like cooking from scratch but want a tasty meal, we make chimichurri chicken pizza. If you’ve been curious to try a chicken pizza recipe, this is one to try! You could also substitute leftover grilled steak for the chicken or leave the meat off altogether.
We’re actually starting with a frozen 4-cheese pizza; perfect for adding your own toppings. You can easily make your own pizza crust, like our gluten free mini pizza. But we found the most delicious frozen pizza EVER which cuts down the work substantially! Frozen pizza? Yes! You probably won’t believe me when I tell you that THIS frozen pizza rivals fresh delivery pizza. If you’ve had frozen pizza that sadly disappoints (and who hasn’t), I’m here to reassure you that this one is undeniably delish! It was even featured on Better Homes and Gardens as one of the Absolute Favorite Items from Costco That Make the Membership Worth It.
But here’s the real shocker. The best frozen pizza you can buy is actually also gluten free! Sabatasso’s is one of the few non-organic products we buy, but we really can’t help making an exception for it because it’s so good. If there’s a Costco in your region, give it a try!
Chimichurri Pizza BackStory
Shortly after we were married, Hubs and I we were planning on grilling steaks one weekend. Hubs and his coworkers always yak about their favourite recipes on break (who knew?). One of his coworkers mentioned that we have to try Chimichurri sauce on steak and the next day he brought us a bottle of his home-made sauce to try. We loved its fresh herb and garlicky flavour, so when it was gone I made my own version.
Arriving home late one night, Hubs challenged me to a pizza cook-off competition. The rules were that we had to use whatever ingredients we had in the fridge. He grabbed his ingredients and I grabbed the Chimichurri sauce, some chicken and cheese. My creation was a hit with Hubs, who conceded victory to me. Nothing better than bragging rights! It was also a hit with the co-worker who originally gave us the sauce—and he even liked my chimichurri sauce better!
After one of my friends told me she applied for Recipe to Riches, I perfected this recipe and applied too. I called it ‘Chimi Chimi Bang Bang!’ because the flavour packs a punch!
I guess the name caught someone’s attention because I was invited to compete! Up for grabs was a chance to have my recipe made into a commercial product for sale in the Canadian market! I was so excited, I even designed a t-shirt for friends and family there to cheer me on!
Well, to cut to the chase, we couldn’t make our recipes fresh on-site and heating up my pizza was a gong show. Also, one of the judges had a problem with how I cubed the chicken (see our shredded chicken recipe for another way to prepare it). So unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to see my recipe manufactured for the masses ……but, now I get to share it with all of you!
Easy Chimichurri Recipe
No one wants soggy pizza, so here’s my best tip. After washing the herbs, spin them around in a salad spinner to dry them!
With an authentic chimichurri recipe, you’d never dream of pulverizing everything in a food processor. The Argentinian way is to chop by hand and leave it chunky, like a salsa. However, to make a chimichurri pizza sauce, the food processor is your friend.
Chimichurri Chicken Pizza
Because they’re already so thin, we like to use chicken cutlets for this recipe so they cook really fast! However regular chicken is fine too. Just try to make the piece consistent when you cut them so it all cooks at the same rate.
I like to use a combination of butter and grapeseed oil to cook the chicken. It can tend to get dried out when cooked again on the pizza, so be sure not to overcook it in the pan.
Chimichurri
I didn’t add parmesan in my original recipe but like the tanginess it adds in this version. I mix some into the chimichurri, but I also sprinkle some on top of the pizza as you’ll see further ahead.
Use a spatula to spread the chimichurri sauce out to the edges of the pizza. Since it’s frozen, the cheese won’t budge!
Add the chicken, then sprinkle a few tablespoons of parmesan over top.
Preheat the pan in the oven before you transfer the frozen pizza.
Chimichurri Pizza
In 12 minutes or so you’ll have a hot bubbling chimichurri pizza!
Chimichurri Pizza Sauce
So what do you do with the rest of the chimichurri sauce? We freeze it into cubes to use with steak and other dishes.
Wrap it tightly (or if your silicone tray has a lid, even better). Then put into the freezer. You can even thaw a few cubes and use it for your next chimichurri pizza.
Pin Chimichurri Pizza for Later
Chimichurri Pizza Sauce
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Chimichurri Pizza Sauce
- 1 ½ cups of fresh flat leafed parsley
- ¾ cup of fresh cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 large shallots roughly chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Pizza
- 1 Frozen Pizza Sabatasso's is the best choice for this recipe
- 1-2 chicken breasts or equivalent chicken cutlets or leg Cut into consistent bite sized pieces
- 1/3 cup Chimichurri pizza sauce From recipe above
- 1/2 cup Grated parmesan cheese Divided
- 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil Optional; I also add some additional butter
Instructions
Chimichurri Pizza Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and chop until well blended.
- Set aside at least 1/3 cup to use as a pizza sauce. Spoon the rest into a silicione tray and freeze the rest or keep in the refridgerator for up to 2 - 3 weeks.
- If using as a condiment, store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge at least a day to let the flavours blend. Allow to warm up a bit out of the fridge before use.
Pizza
- Cook chicken in skillet with butter and oil. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put pizza pan in oven to get hot.
- Meanwhile, Mix 1/4 cup of parmesan into the 1/3 cup chimichurri sauce and mix to combine
- Using a spatula, spread a layer of chimichurri sauce out to the edge of a frozen pizza.
- Add cooked chicken on top of chimichurri sauce
- Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese
- Slide the pizza off the cardboard onto the hot pan.
- Cook in 400 degree oven for 12 - 14 minutes.
Notes