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    Chimichurri (Dominican Chimi Burger)

    Dominican Chimi Burger

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    Chimichurri (Dominican chimi hamburger) is a sauce-dripping burger made throughout the Dominican Rep. in street stands, each with their own recipe and flavor.

    Dominican Chimi Burger

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. What is a Dominican chimi?
    3. Why are they called "chimichurri"?
    4. Its history
    5. About our recipe
    6. Recipe

    Why we ❤️ it

    Visit the Dominican Republic, and you find them everywhere. These popular "carritos" dotting cities and towns are crowded by young night revelers coming from or going to the party. Everyone stops there to recharge with a fría and one of the quintessential Dominican street foods: El Chimi.

    What is a Dominican chimi?

    Chimi (short for chimichurri) is the Dominican hamburger, which shares a name with the famous Argentinian chimichurri sauce.

    Two main characteristics separate the Chimichurri burger from other burgers. One is the bread (generally Pan de Agua, an inexpensive bun similar in texture to French baguettes). The other is using shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. And it never includes cheese.

    • dominican chimichurri recipe
    • chimi dominican chimichurri

    Why are they called "chimichurri"?

    The best-known food bearing the name chimichurri is the green South American sauce. This namesake of the popular Dominican sandwich is based on parsley, garlic, onion, and other ingredients. It is most commonly served over grilled meat.

    Chimis are a relatively new addition to the Dominican culinary repertoire. Chimichurri (neither sauce nor burger) are mentioned in any of the old Dominican cookbooks I own. Perhaps digging into the history of this dish will yield some clues...

    Its history

    There is a widely-spread --and perhaps apocryphal-- story (1)(2) that credits the Argentinian cook Juan Abrales with the creation of the "proto-chimi".

    Abrales, having moved to the Dominican Republic from Argentina, opened in the 70s a food cart selling Argentinian "choripanes" with chimichurri sauce. As time passed the name for the sandwich was shortened down to just chimichurri.

    When more people started selling the popular street food, the ingredients and preparation became more aplatanados. Eventually, the original hot dog-like dish became the chimi we now know.

    About our recipe

    Chimi burgers are not usually prepared at home, but bought from street food stands. Each stand has its own recipe, seasoning, secrets, and fans.

    It's impossible to find a standard recipe because there isn't one. Each vendor has a different way to make this, and a faithful clientele that prefers his/her chimichurri sandwich. This recipe will allow you to make Chimi at home with successful results. No wonder it is one of our most popular recipes.

    Do you have a secret to make your own chimi shine? Share it in the comments!

    Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Recipe

    Keep screen on while cooking

    [Recipe + Video] Chimichurri (The Famous Dominican Chimi Burger)

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Chimichurri Recipe (Dominican Chimi Hamburger): a sauce-dripping burger made throughout the Dominican Rep. in street stands, each with their own and flavor.
    4.97 from 32 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Dominican, Latino
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 1317 kcal

    Ingredients

    For the chimi sauce

    • ½ cup of ketchup
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup of of orange juice
    • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

    Seasoning for the meat

    • 1 large red onion
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1 bell pepper
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
    • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 pound minced beef

    For the chimi

    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, (soy, peanut or corn)
    • 1 red onion cut into rings
    • 2 diced tomato
    • 2 cups shredded cabbage
    • 6 panes de agua, (or hamburgers buns)

    Instructions
     

    • Mixing sauce
      Making chimi sauce: Mix the ketchup, mayonnaise, orange juice and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside (keep chilled).
    • Making the patties
      Making the chimi patties: Pulse onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor until you obtain a coarse paste.
      Mix the seasoning paste with the meat. Divide meat into 6 portions and form 6 patties (round for hamburger bread, oval-shaped for pan de agua).
    • Grilling the meat
      Grilling the patties: Brush a stove-top grill with some of the oil and heat over high heat. Grill the patties, rotating until they are cooked through. Reserve.
    • Toasting the bread
      Toasting the bread: Reapply some oil to the grill and warm the bread.
    • Grilling the tomatoes
      Grilling the vegetables: Reapply oil to the grill, and grill onions and tomatoes.
      Mix the cabbage with half the sauce made in step 1. Turn down the heat to medium and briefly cook the cabbage. Heating the cabbage is an optional step.
    • Assembling chimi
      Assembling: Put meat, onions, tomatoes, and cabbage between the buns, garnish with the remaining sauce.
    • Chimi served with beer
      Serving: Serve right away. Goes great with an ice-cold beer.

    Tips and Notes

    What bread to use for chimis?

    This sandwich/burger is traditionally made with pan de agua (a Dominican bread similar to mini-baguettes. If you can't buy or make pan de agua, use burger buns, because what else can you do if you really want some chimis?

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1317kcalCarbohydrates: 140gProtein: 50gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 2773mgPotassium: 1044mgFiber: 9gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1121IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 253mgIron: 11mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR chimichurris, dominican chimichurri burger
    More recipes with: beef, bread, cabbage, meat

    References

    1. Historia del Chimi
    2. Chimi: El sándwich Dominicano
    Edited: Aug 21, 2020 | Publish: Dec 26, 2004

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
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    Recipe Rating




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    64 Comments
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    Linnet A Alvarez
    April 26, 2020 2:30 PM

    Made chimis for the first time. It brought back some many memories of walking down the streets in Santiago.5 stars

    chimi dominicano
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    Gisenia Rodriguez
    May 4, 2020 10:37 AM

    Thank you for the delicious recipe! I made them and my family and friends loved it. I didn’t have a cold Preaidente but we had a cold Stella.

    616C53AB-0C5C-4177-8565-1E8E73CC57A1.jpeg
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    Deidi
    July 26, 2018 6:38 AM

    My Dominican chimichurris! These came out delicious! Thanks for the recipe Clara. Finally my American husband could try the real deal chimis. Needless to to say he loved them. I did change the recipe a smidgen...I used an Italian pepper instead of a bell, I used a Portuguese roll, they… Read more »

    8
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    ChefMade
    February 1, 2016 2:06 PM

    I'm Dominican and this is the way I remember a Chimi to be, back when I was living in DR. Not the ones they sell here in the US on the Dominican Food Trucks!. Thank you!5 stars

    6
    Reply
    Rafael Garcia
    September 14, 2013 12:43 AM

    This be da tastiest burger in history! Yea5 stars

    6
    Reply

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