You can make this Gremolata Recipe in five minutes! Use this mixture of Italian parsley, garlic and lemon zest to bring a bright, peppery flavor to meat, fish, pasta and more!
I've been making gremolata for nearly a decade because we love it in this Italian broccoli dish. It's high time this herb condiment got its own post!
Because you're going to want to put this blend of parsley, garlic and lemon zest on everything. It'll be ready in five minutes and will make your food taste fabulous!
Recipe ingredients
Parsley: Use fresh, flat-leaf parsley, also called Italian parsley. Curly parsley won't provide the same flavor.
Garlic: Gremolata calls for raw garlic, so use the freshest clove you can. It should be firm and not have any brown spots or green shoots.
Lemon Zest: You'll need one or two lemons to get a tablespoon of zest, depending on their size. It's best to get two lemons just in case. I like this zester.
How to make gremolata
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Remove the bottom stems and chop the rinsed and patted-dry parsley.
- Finley chop the garlic, zest the lemons and add these with salt to the parsley. Stir with a fork to combine.
Variations
- Add lemon olive oil or plain olive oil to make a gremolata sauce.
- Add fresh mint leaves to make Milanese gremolata. Combine this mixture with olive oil and drizzle it on vegetables, meats, etc.
How to use gremolata
Use gremolata as a topping for roasted cod fish, steak, roasted chicken thighs or osso bucco (braised veal shanks). You also can stir it into basic risotto, Italian roasted potatoes, or creamy polenta.
We love it with broccoli, but it also would be delicious with zucchini, cauliflower, Italian carrot salad or green beans with bread crumbs.
Can you make it in advance?
You can make gremolata up to three days before you want to use it. Keep in mind, you can store the mixture covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. I like keeping it in a small glass bowl with a lid.
Can you freeze it?
You could freeze gremolata, but the flavor and texture won't be as good as fresh. It would be okay to use it in a sauce that needs to be cooked as opposed to using it as a raw topping.
If you want to freeze it anyway, place it in a plastic freezer bag and squeeze out the air, or place it in ice cube trays and pour some olive oil over it. Then, you can place the frozen herb cubes in freezer bags.
Gremolata vs. chimichurri
Gremolata and chimichurri both contain flat-leaf parsley and garlic. But gremolata is a dry herb mixture accented with lemon zest. Chimichurri includes oil and vinegar and is accented with oregano.
More recipes to try
- Basil-Garlic Mayo
- Garlic Herb Butter
- Mom's Pesto with Pecorino Romano
- Spinach-Walnut Pesto
- Easy Bread Dipping Oil
Enjoy!
If you try this Italian Gremolata recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Gremolata Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley leaves (half of a small bunch)
- 1 clove garlic (medium to large)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 or 2 lemons)
- 3 sprinkles salt
Instructions
- Rinse the parsley. Cut off the bottom stems and discard them or save for another use. (It's okay to leave the tender stems between the leaves.) Pat the parsley dry with paper towels. Chop the parsley with a knife and place it in a small bowl.
- Peel the garlic and chop it finely. Add it to the bowl with the parsley.
- Rinse two lemons. Start with one lemon and zest it with a zester or grater. Measure to see if you have 1 tablespoon of zest. If you need more, zest the second lemon until you have 1 tablespoon.
- Add the zest and salt to the bowl of parsley. Stir with a fork until combined. Use the gremolata as a condiment for steak, fish, chicken, pasta, vegetables or rice.
- Store leftover gremolata in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
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