Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 300 g chicken breast cutlets, pounded to an even 1cm thickness
- 45 g mayonnaise
- 60 ml chimichurri sauce
- 3 g kosher salt
Cooking
- 15 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 582 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 49 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1180 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Cholesterol
- 105 mg
- Potassium
- 425 mg
- Calcium
- 19 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 266 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 70 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 41 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 14.9 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 109 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, 30ml of the chimichurri sauce, and the kosher salt. Add the chicken cutlets and toss until they are evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow the pan to get hot but not smoking.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the skillet, letting any excess marinade drip off slightly. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until a deeply browned crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a cutting board. Let the meat rest undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Transfer the rested chicken cutlets to serving plates. Drizzle the remaining 30ml of fresh chimichurri sauce evenly over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Mayonnaise is a highly functional marinade base. Because it is an emulsion of fat and liquid, it clings perfectly to proteins, locking in moisture and encouraging a fast, even Maillard reaction (browning) when seared.
- If slicing your own cutlets from whole chicken breasts, always pound them gently between two sheets of parchment paper to achieve a uniform thickness. This ensures they cook evenly and rapidly without drying out.
- Do not skip the resting phase. Cutting into the chicken immediately after pulling it from the pan will cause the internal juices to flood the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
- Store-bought chimichurri works well here, but if making your own, ensure the herbs are finely minced rather than purred in a blender, which can make the sauce muddy and bitter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze cooked cutlets tightly wrapped; texture of the chimichurri drizzle may degrade slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or microwave at 50 percent power to prevent drying out the chicken.
Troubleshooting
Marinade burns and turns black before the chicken cooks through
Cause: Skillet temperature was too high. The egg and oil emulsion in mayonnaise caramelizes very quickly.
Fix: Reduce heat immediately. If the pan is scorching, add a small splash of water to drop the pan temperature and create steam to finish cooking the chicken.
Prevention: Ensure heat remains at medium rather than medium-high, and do not let the pan smoke before adding the chicken.
Chicken is rubbery and dry
Cause: Overcooking beyond the target internal temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked, but slicing thinly across the grain and adding extra chimichurri can mask the dry texture.
Prevention: Use an instant-read meat thermometer and pull the chicken exactly when it reaches the safe internal temperature, remembering that carryover cooking will raise it slightly while resting.
Cultural Context
Chimichurri is a classic uncooked sauce hailing from Argentina and Uruguay, built on a foundation of parsley, garlic, vinegar, and oil. It is traditionally served alongside grilled meats known as asado. Blending it with mayonnaise as a marinade is a modern culinary trick that merges the vibrant, acidic punch of South American herbs with the rich, moisture-retaining and browning properties of the mayo emulsion.
