Weeknight Picanha with Chimichurri & Frozen Greens
One skillet for the picanha, a second skillet for the frozen greens, and the same steak skillet reheats the kid chicken patties + toasts the slider buns. 480 cal / 40g protein per adult plate. Costco chimichurri is the shortcut — homemade No-Judge Chimichurri is the alternative if you want full control.
You want steak-night flavor on a weeknight without making every component from scratch. Two shortcuts do the heavy lifting: Whole Foods Market frozen European greens with a basil-and-garlic sauce (no chop, no wash) and Fotis Fine Foods refrigerated chimichurri from Costco (no herb-mince, no rest time). The kid plate is a familiar chicken-patty + slider-bun tray so the same 25-minute cook feeds everyone.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Protein
- ~40g
- Calories
- ~480
- Cost / serving
- $5.75
- Cook method
- Cast iron
Contains: gluten
- Kid bun gluten
Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.
Ingredients
SHARED VEGETABLE
PAN OIL
ADULT PROTEIN
ADULT SAUCE
KID PROTEIN
KID CARB
Method
AT THE PROTEIN + CARB — different meat + different carb per plate. Same frozen greens on both plates (full serving adult / half serving kid). Adult sauce (chimichurri) is skipped on the kid plate.
2 adult plates (6 oz picanha + 1 serving greens + 1 serving chimichurri each) / 2 kid plates (2 chopped chicken patties + 1/2 serving greens + 1 toasted slider bun each, deconstructed).
Shared base
Cook once — this part works for everyone.
- 1SALT THE PICANHA
Season both sides of 12 oz picanha with salt. No other seasoning — the chimichurri carries the flavor.
- 2START THE GREENS
Add 3 label servings frozen European greens to a medium skillet. Cook per the package — usually 6-8 min at medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- 3SEAR THE PICANHA
Heat a second skillet on medium-high, coat lightly with avocado spray, add the picanha. Press briefly for full pan contact if needed. Sear + flip until browned and cooked to preferred doneness.
- 4DONENESS + SAFETY
Creator pulls at 135°F for medium (video honestly notes this cook landed closer to medium-well). USDA recommends whole beef steaks cook to 145°F + rest 3 min before slicing. Both are valid — present them as separate choices.
- 5REST + SLICE
Transfer picanha to a board and rest 5+ min. Then slice thin against the grain.
Adult — 6 oz Picanha + Basil-Garlic Frozen Greens + Costco Chimichurri
- 6PLATE THE ADULT
6 oz sliced picanha + 1 serving basil-garlic frozen greens.
- 7SPOON THE CHIMICHURRI
1 serving of prepared chimichurri over the sliced steak. Stir the jar thoroughly first — the oil separates during storage.
Kid — Chicken Patties + Half-Serving Greens + Toasted Slider Bun (Deconstructed)
- 6REHEAT KID PATTIES
Once the picanha comes out to rest, drop 4 chicken breakfast patties into the same steak skillet on medium heat. Reheat 2-3 min per side per package directions.
- 7TOAST SLIDER BUNS
Split 2 slider buns. Cut heat to medium-low so the beef fat doesn't burn. Bun halves cut-side-down for 60 sec until golden.
- 8PLATE KID
Chop patties into age-appropriate pieces. Divided tray: 2 chopped patties in one compartment, 1/2 serving greens in another, 1 toasted slider bun in a third. No forced sandwich build — kid decides.
Adult plate | Kid plate
2 adult plates (6 oz picanha + 1 serving greens + 1 serving chimichurri each) / 2 kid plates (2 chopped chicken patties + 1/2 serving greens + 1 toasted slider bun each, deconstructed).
Adult — 6 oz Picanha + Basil-Garlic Frozen Greens + Costco Chimichurri
What makes it different
- 12 oz picanha steaks total (6 oz per adult)
- 2 label servings prepared chimichurri (1 per adult — Fotis Fine Foods from Costco or the No-Judge Chimichurri cookbook version)
Kid — Chicken Patties + Half-Serving Greens + Toasted Slider Bun (Deconstructed)
Macros not published for this plate — portion it to their appetite.
What makes it different
- 4 fully-cooked chicken breakfast patties (Amylu — 2 per kid)
- 2 slider buns (1 per kid, split + toasted)
Three keys to success
- 1TWO SKILLETS, TWO HEATS. Steak skillet HOT (medium-high, avocado spray). Vegetable skillet MEDIUM (per the package). Do not try to share.
- 2SALT ONLY ON THE PICANHA. No pepper, no rub, no garlic powder. The chimichurri carries every other flavor note; a rub muddies the hand-off. Salt both sides before the steak hits the pan.
- 3REST THE STEAK 5+ MIN BEFORE SLICING. Rested steak keeps its juices; hot-sliced steak bleeds them onto the board. Use the rest window to reheat kid patties + toast buns in the steak skillet.
Go deeper
Storage and nutrition
Storage: Cool cooked picanha, chicken patties, and greens promptly and refrigerate in separate airtight containers within 2 hours. Chimichurri stays sealed per jar directions. Slider buns keep sealed at room temp; do not pre-assemble.
Reheat: Steak: gentle reheat — cast-iron on medium-low or 300°F oven for 5-6 min to keep the interior from pushing past medium. Chicken patties: same skillet reheat, 2-3 min per side. Greens: covered pan on medium 2-3 min. Bring all leftovers to 165°F. Assemble the toasted-bun kid plate fresh.
Lasts: Cooked leftovers 3-4 days fridge (per USDA leftovers guidance). Refrigerated Costco chimichurri per its jar. Slider buns: sealed at room temp per label, or freeze for longer hold.
Watch the full cook
Brands I use
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