When flatbread pizzas started appearing on restaurant menus years ago, I was instantly a fan! I have shared a few flatbread pizza recipes over the years, however this Chimichurri Steak Flatbread Pizza recipe tops the list as my favorite!
One of my favorite things about being a food blogger and having a little piece of the web is showing home cooks just how easy it can be to create delicious recipes at home (especially those who THINK they can't cook).
I love making food that leaves an impression. You know, a recipe where your family or friends eyes light up and they are like whoa, this is good! That gets me excited! I especially love it when kids get in the kitchen and help cook as well, at every age, talk about empowering!
This easy Steak Flatbread Pizza with Chimichurri Sauce recipe is one of those flatbread pizza recipes that I call restaurant-worthy, one taste and you will see!
This month I did my first live cooking class, which was via Zoom. It was SO fun (one attendee was a 6th grader which was awesome...shout out to Little Wayne!). I partnered with The New York Beef Council, and myself and a few other food bloggers each selected 10 followers of our social media channels to receive a gift card to shop for ingredients with.
Attendees were also sent cooking swag by The Beef Council, and then we cooked live. We all made this steak flatbread recipe together and it was SO fun!
Table of Contents
Flatbread Pizza Ingredients
- fresh parsley
- fresh oregano
- garlic cloves
- crushed red pepper
- red wine vinegar
- fresh lime juice
- paprika
- salt & black pepper
- avocado or olive oil
- fillet mignon or your favorite steak
- flatbread
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- arugula
- grape tomatoes
Beef is such an amazing protein. Ounce for ounce a lean cut of beef is a nutritional powerhouse at a low-calorie count. Beef delivers on flavor, nutrition and its an amazing source of protein. I even just recently made 3 varieties of sausage using beef! Yes beef! I made a country breakfast sausage, an Italian and our favorite a Mexican Style Beef Sausage...Yum!!
I have a Steak Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Flatbread on my website which is really nice and flavorful, however I wanted something lighter since its summer. Chimichurri sauce is amazing on beef, pork, chicken and vegetables. I'll even use it as a salad dressing. I have photographed it over the years when I make it but I don't think I have ever put it on here, its about time!
Tips
- Chimichurri Sauce is easy to make. It's just so fresh and it compliments, beef, pork, fish and vegetables. The KEY is using all fresh ingredients for this. I even enjoy using it in tomato salsa's and with simple salads as a dressing. Buckle your seat belts, you are in for a tasty treat!
- For this recipe, I like to use fillet mignon. You can also choose to use a rib-eye or your favorite cut of steak. I choose fillet because its just so tender. Honestly ¾ - 1 a pound of fillet mignon can make 2-3 flatbreads since you are cutting the steak into bite sized pieces. It is a delicious treat!
- You can also use leftover steak for this recipe. Do not reheat it (since in my opinion you ruin the cook of the meat), instead, allow it to warm to room temperature, slice and then scatter atop the flatbread(s).
- I like to let my chimichurri sauce sit for 30-60 minutes before I use it to allow flavors to deepen. Just keep swirling it around. You can even mash it a bit with the back of a spoon to help the garlic infuse the oil quicker.
- Never use a food processor or blender for making a chimichurri sauce. It really is best chopping it by hand and it does go quickly! If you have tweens//teens around. Put them to work and help them learn knife skills 🙂
What Is Chimichurri Sauce?
Chimichurri sauce is a super-fresh sauce or condiment (think pesto but lighter) that you enjoy uncooked (a win on hot days). It comes from Argentina. Its flavor is fresh and bright! It has a little heat to it, which you can easily control by the amount of red pepper flakes or red chili you use. Make it as subtle or as spicy as you like. It is life-alteringly amazing!
What Is The Best Way To Make Chimichurri Sauce?
- About 8 years ago, I was in a cab in NYC. I always get into food discussions with any drivers I have used in my life. I especially enjoy chatting with people who hail from other countries. Hearing what their favorite foods are, what their signature dish is and which "American" foods they enjoy most is so interesting and educational.
- This particular day, my driver was from Argentina, we spoke about chimichurri, he said two things that stick with me till this day. 1. Never put cilantro in chimichurri and 2. ALWAYS always chop things by hand when making it. Trust me, making a chimichurri by hand vs using the food process or is a game-changer! He is 1000% correct!
- Case in point, One attendee of my cooking class, was an experienced cook who had made chimichurri a number of times before and she said she will never again use the food processor 🙂
Expert Tips For Making The Best Chimichurri Sauce
- Always make the chimichurri sauce by hand. Sure you can toss the ingredients in a food processor and give it a whirl, but trust me...Make it by hand, it will not take long and you will
taste the difference. - Use the freshest ingredients. Since this is such a fresh and vibrant uncooked sauce (condiment really), fresh is best.
- Chop everything nice and small. Just keep running over the parsley, oregano and garlic with your knife, again and again.
- Taste and adjust. This is very forgiving. Taste as you go. Add in extra of whatever you wish to get the flavor or yield to your liking If you want it spicy, feel free to add extra red pepper. Same goes for the salt, if you are watching your salt intake, adjust as necessary.
Step by Step Instructions For Making Chimichurri Steak Flatbread Pizza
- Allow your steak (for this recipe I like fillet mignon) to sit on the counter for 30 minutes while you assemble the other components of the recipe.
- To make the chimichurri sauce, begin by chopping the parsley, garlic and oregano as fine as you can and add them to your bowl.
- Next add in your crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper. Toss well.
- Add a pinch of smokey paprika (optional)
- Pour your grapeseed or olive oil over the mixture, toss gently and allow it to sit for the flavors to come together. You want enough oil in your small bowl to just almost cover the other ingredients. You want to see the oil in spots, that is how you know you have enough (your bowl size will vary how much oil is needed).
- Slice your tomatoes and place them in a bowl, add in the arugula (as much as you think you will enjoy. Set aside.
- Heat the pan you will use to cook your steak on med-high heat.
- Pat your steak(s) dry with a paper towel, give them a light rub (with your clean hands) of olive or grapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper and once your pan is hot (a water bead dances across the pan) place your steak(s) in. Adding additional oil in small amounts as necessary)
- Get a nice crust on both sides of your steak, then check the temperature and pull your meat around 145 degrees. (Steak is considered medium rare at 145 degrees and medium at 160 degrees, remember it will continue to cook and rise in temperature as it rests, so use your digital thermometer wisely). Place steak(s) on a plate and allow them to rest.
- Place one of your flatbreads in a pan large enough to accommodate one or two (I usually make one at a time) that has a lid you can use. All you are doing here is heating the flatbread and allowing the crust to get browned in spots. Once you flip the flatbread, sprinkle the warmed side (which is now facing up) with about ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese (more or less - you do you). Place the lid on the pan to help the cheese melt as the other size crisps up a bit.
- Slice your steak thin and into bite-sized pieces.
- Give the chimichurri a stir and then take a couple of spoonful's and add it to the bowl of tomatoes and arugula, toss well with your fingers to work it in.
- Pull your flatbread, top with some of the tomato/arugula mixture, top with slices of steak, spoon chimichurri over, and dig in! Repeat.
Other Beef recipes to try
- Beef Enchiladas - Not as fast to make as most of my recipes however these are crazy delish!
- Beef Larb Salad - Another bright fresh flavor using beef. Great with ground chicken too!
- Prize Winning Beef Chili - Love chili!
- Idaho Finger Steaks - In a wrap
Recipe originally published in 2020, updated May 2023.
Enjoy!! XO - Colleen
Chimichurri Steak Flatbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 TBS chopped fresh oregano
- 3 cloves garlic (if cloves are small use 4)
- crushed red pepper
- 1 TBS red wine vinegar
- squeeze of fresh lime juice (about a teaspoon)
- pinch of smokey paprika
- salt & black pepper
- ½ cup grapeseed, avocado or olive oil
- 1 pound fillet mignon
- salt and pepper
- flatbread 2 smaller round flatbreads or one larger rectangle flatbread
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 package arugula
- 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes (slice in half of thirds depending on size)
Instructions
- Allow your steak to sit on the counter for 30 minutes while you assemble the other components of the recipe.
- To make the chimichurri sauce, begin by chopping the parsley, garlic and oregano as fine as you can and add them to your bowl.
- Next add in your crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper. Toss well.
- Add a pinch of smokey paprika (optional)
- Pour your grapeseed or olive oil over the mixture, toss gently and allow it to sit for the flavors to come together. You want enough oil in your small bowl to just almost cover the other ingredients, you want to see the oil in spots, that is how you know you have enough (your bowl size will determine how much oil is needed in the end).
- Slice or chop your tomatoes into small pieces and place them in a bowl, add in the arugula (as much as you think you will enjoy. Set aside.
- Heat the pan you will use to cook your steak on med-high heat.
- Pat your steak(s) dry with a paper towel, give them a light rub (with your clean hands) of olive or grapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper and once your pan is hot (a water bead dances across the pan) place your steak(s) in. Adding additional oil in small amounts as necessary)
- Get a nice crust on both sides of your steak, then check the temperature and pull your meat around 145 degrees (see notes on doneness below). Place steak(s) on a plate and allow them to rest.
- Place one of your flatbreads in a pan large enough to accommodate one or two (I usually make one at a time) that has a lid you can use. All you are doing here is heating the flatbread and allowing the crust to get browned in spots. Once you flip the flatbread, sprinkle the warmed side (which is now facing up) with about ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese (more or less - you do you). Place the lid on the pan to help the cheese melt as the other size crisps up a bit.
- Slice your steak thin and into bite-sized pieces.
- Give the chimichurri a stir and then take a couple spoonfulls and add it to the bowl of tomatoes and arugula, toss well with your fingers to work it in.
- Pull your flatbread, top with some of the tomato/arugula mixture, top with slices of steak, spoon chimichirri over, and dig in! Repeat.
Laura says
Making this for the family over the holidays
Wanda says
Love this idea using steak and/or leftover steak which sometimes happens! This is a quick and easy meal I am going to bookmark!
Jersey Girl Cooks says
These look incredible! My husband is a steak lover so I will be making these soon.