Steak And Chimichurri Sandwiches Recipe

Chimichurri is one of the many great sauces that South America is known for. Made with finely chopped parsley, garlic, vinegar, chiles, and oil, chimichurri is a product of Argentina and Uruguay that is often compared to pesto. Unlike basil pesto, which is herby, nutty, and a little zesty, chimichurri brings heat and fresh flavor. Because of the brighter, more spicy flavor profile, chimichurri is best paired with rich, meaty, or oily dishes like steak and fatty fish.

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Chimichurri is the star of this steak hoagie roll recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn. Inspired by South American flavors, she smothers chile-rubbed steak with chimichurri and nestles it between soft hoagie roll buns. Like any good hoagie, the steak is coated in cheese and toasted until melty, but the best is yet to come. Right before serving, tangy pickled onions are squeezed between the buns for a bright, punchy finish. Anything but boring, these easy, South American-inspired steak and chimichurri hoagies are sure to become a regular dish on your weekly dinner rotation.

The ingredients needed for steak and chimichurri sandwiches

To make quick pickled onions, you'll need a red onion, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Keep the salt handy for the steak, which you'll be coating with chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. You can use any quick-searing beef (avoid tough cuts like stew meat), though we recommend a sirloin, flank, or skirt steak. You'll need two different oils — one with a high smoke point for searing the steak and a flavorful olive oil for the chimichurri. From there, you'll just need white wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, parsley, hoagie rolls, and provolone (or your favorite melty cheese) to finish the sandwiches.

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Step 1: Thinly slice the onions

Slice the onions very thin using a mandoline and add them to a jar.

Step 2: Dissolve the sugar

Heat the vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.

Step 3: Pour over the onions and cool

Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions in the jar and let cool.

Step 4: Let the onions pickle

Store in the refrigerator until bright pink and tender, about 1 hour.

Step 5: Mix together the steak rub

In the meantime, marinate the steak. Mix together the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.

Step 6: Rub and marinate the steak

Rub the mixture onto the steaks and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Step 7: Combine the chimichurri ingredients

To make the chimichurri, add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic clove, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and parsley to a food processor.

Step 8: Pulse until finely chopped

Pulse until very finely chopped, like a sauce.

Step 9: Heat up a skillet

To cook the steak, first heat the neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 10: Sear the steaks

Once hot, add the marinated steaks and sear on either side until just browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Step 11: Slice the steaks

Slice the steaks against the grain into ½-inch strips.

Step 12: Heat up the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 13: Fill the rolls with steak

Place the hoagie rolls open-faced on a sheet tray and fill with the steak.

Step 14: Add the cheese

Top with the provolone slices.

Step 15: Melt the cheese

Bake until the cheese is melty, about 10 minutes.

Step 16: Add the onions and chimichurri, and serve

To serve, top each sandwich with chimichurri and pickled red onions.

Steak and Chimichurri Sandwiches Recipe

5 (15 ratings)

Marinated and seared steaks form the base of these hearty sandwiches, and a real kick of flavor comes from homemade chimichurri and a pickled onion topping.

Prep Time
1.25
hours
Cook Time
15
minutes
servings
4
Sandwiches
steak and chimichurri sandwich on plate
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the pickled onions
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • For the steak
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ pounds thin beef loin, skirt steak, or flank steak
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
  • For the chimichurri
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup parsley, stems removed
  • For assembling the sandwiches
  • 4 hoagie rolls
  • 8 slices provolone cheese

Directions

  1. Slice the onions very thin using a mandoline and add them to a jar.
  2. Heat the vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
  3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions in the jar and let cool.
  4. Store in the refrigerator until bright pink and tender, about 1 hour.
  5. In the meantime, marinate the steak. Mix together the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
  6. Rub the mixture onto the steaks and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
  7. To make the chimichurri, add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic clove, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and parsley to a food processor.
  8. Pulse until very finely chopped, like a sauce.
  9. To cook the steak, first heat the neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  10. Once hot, add the marinated steaks and sear on either side until just browned, about 2 minutes per side.
  11. Slice the steaks against the grain into ½-inch strips.
  12. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  13. Place the hoagie rolls open-faced on a sheet tray and fill with the steak.
  14. Top with the provolone slices.
  15. Bake until the cheese is melty, about 10 minutes.
  16. To serve, top each sandwich with chimichurri and pickled red onions.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 1,010
Total Fat 64.3 g
Saturated Fat 21.7 g
Trans Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 149.2 mg
Total Carbohydrates 55.1 g
Dietary Fiber 4.9 g
Total Sugars 27.5 g
Sodium 1,017.6 mg
Protein 53.9 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Can you make these steak sandwiches in advance?

These steak sandwiches come together pretty quickly, but we'll readily admit that waiting for the onions to pickle perfectly and the steak to fully marinate isn't exactly the first thing we want to be doing when we get home hungry after a long day. A real fast and easy meal is one that can be pulled together in minutes, almost thoughtlessly, and be devoured during an episode of The Bachelor. The best news about a long prep time, though? It can be done ahead.

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The best way to make these sandwiches ahead of time is to prepare each element before you go to work — or for the night owls, the evening before. The blended chimichurri will last in the refrigerator for four to five days, or until the sauce is no longer bright green. The steak can be marinated eight hours in advance, but it can also be cooked and stored in the fridge for four to five days. The pickled onions can be made as far as two weeks in advance and are excellent on salads, tacos, and wraps, so making a batch ahead is a huge benefit to your other meals. With all of the fillings prepared in advance, you can simply fill a hoagie with steak and cheese, toast it until warm, and top it with the onions and sauce. Suddenly, that hour and a half becomes 15 minutes or less — perfect for any day of the week.

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What can you do with leftover chimichurri and pickled onions?

Chimichurri and pickled red onions are some of the most versatile toppings you can have in your fridge. Chimichurri is a simple and spicy mix of herbs, oil, and vinegar that can be used as a finishing sauce or a marinade in a variety of dishes. Mostly simply, chimichurri can be repurposed as a sauce on salmon, chicken, or shrimp. You can also use it to marinade grilled chicken, steaks, and even ribs. You can use it to finish burgers or spread over tacos. You can even eat it with breakfast, spooning it over fried eggs or mixing it into a potato and chorizo hash.

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Pickled onions are just as versatile as chimichurri, if not even more so. If you like the tangy, sweet taste of the softened onions, the options are endless. Any type of taco is a welcome base for pickled red onions, as are spruced-up nachos and burgers. The onions make a good side dish to smoked brisket and ribs, and they also pair well with meatloaf and spicy pork loin. Pickled red onions also make a great addition to salads, perking up the lettuce and complementing proteins like tuna salad and chicken. If you have extra chimichurri or onions after making the hoagies, consider it a good thing — all of your meals for the next week will be especially tasty.

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