Zhoug is the easiest way to decorate up your favourite meats, veggies, and dips! Make home made zhoug sauce with the simplest substances, together with recent jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and spices. You’ll need to put it on all the things!
For those who’re a fan of Peruvian inexperienced sauce, chances are high good you’ll love zhoug. I take advantage of this spicy cilantro sauce so as to add a great deal of taste to all the things from salmon to hen shawarma, and as a dressing for falafel.

We’re about to zhuzh issues up with brilliant, flavor-packed Zhoug sauce. Zhoug, schug, or zhug, is a flexible home made condiment, and it’s one in every of my must-haves within the fridge on any given day. Originating within the Center East, Zhoug is a scrumptious spicy cilantro sauce produced from a mix of peppers, garlic, recent herbs, and spices. I’ll present you the right way to make it with a handful of substances in your blender!
Causes to Make Zhoug (Spicy Cilantro Sauce)
- It’s fast and simple. All it is advisable to make it’s a few easy-to-find substances and your blender or meals processor. It’s prepared to make use of in minutes.
- A lot taste! There’s nothing fairly like Zhoug sauce. It’s a bit of spicy (with the choice to adapt), a bit of savory, with a mouthwatering mixture of recent herbs and spices. It goes effectively with something and all the things.
- Maintain leftovers for days. When you’ve tasted zhoug, I simply know you’ll discover all kinds of the way to make use of it, from marinating hen to dressing roasted greens. Leftovers retailer effectively within the fridge or freezer, so you can also make a double batch whilst you have the blender out.


Zhoug Sauce Components
The magic of zhoug comes down to a couple choose recent herbs and a handful of savory spices that give it its distinctive, advanced taste. I cowl those I take advantage of to make mine under! You’ll discover the complete recipe with the printable quantities within the recipe card after the submit, adopted by step-by-step images.
- Jalapeño – I take advantage of jalapeño peppers as they’re simple to seek out. You may adapt the warmth stage of your zhoug sauce with hotter peppers, like habanero. Deseed the peppers to tame the warmth a bit of.
- Garlic – Recent cloves are greatest right here. In any other case, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic paste per clove.
- Recent Herbs – Freshly chopped cilantro and parsley.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon is greatest, however bottled lemon juice works in a pinch. You would additionally substitute white or purple wine vinegar.
- Spices – Floor cumin, coriander, cardamom, purple pepper flakes, and salt.
- Olive Oil – I like to recommend a good-quality olive oil as you’ll style the distinction. Avocado oil is an effective substitute.
What Does It Style Like?
Zhoug is full of advanced flavors from mildly spicy jalapeños, brilliant, citrusy lemon and garlic, earthy cumin, and candy, natural cardamom. Lots is occurring, in the absolute best approach! It’s what makes this sauce so wonderful and so versatile. Plus, in case you make it at residence, you possibly can adapt the salt, spice, and different flavors to style.


Zhoug vs. Chimichurri
Chimichurri is the Argentinian reply to Zhoug sauce. The principle distinction between the 2 inexperienced sauces is that chimichurri makes use of a mix of parsley, garlic, and oregano. In the meantime, Zhoug is heavy on cilantro. You’ll discover different variations, like Moroccan zhoug, that additionally comprise mint.
Methods to Use Zhoug Sauce
Zhoug is absolutely an all-around condiment. I wish to drizzle it over dips like hummus, or stir it into Macedonian taratur (much like tzatziki) for a spicy kick. These are just some different simple concepts:
- Marinade. Use Zhoug sauce to marinate your favourite proteins, like hen or beef.
- Dipping sauce. Serve this spicy inexperienced sauce alone or blended into yogurt as a zippy dipping sauce for hen skewers, juicy hen bites, or salmon bites.
- Salad dressing. Add a bit of additional olive oil and toss your zhoug with a recent inexperienced Mediterranean salad or use it as a dressing for tabbouleh or couscous.
- Topping. I take advantage of Zhoug sauce as a topping over salmon filets or hen tagine, or I’ll serve it over grilled meats, like flank steak. It’s even nice drizzled over my household’s favourite Macedonian fried pork pizza.
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Mix the substances. Place all the things besides the olive oil within the bowl of a meals processor. Pulse till all the things is chopped and beginning to come collectively.
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Add olive oil. With the meals processor working, pour the olive oil in via the highest of the lid. (Via the opening the place you possibly can add liquid whereas the meals processor is working.) As soon as all of the olive oil has been added, flip off the meals processor.
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Scrape the bowl. Scrape down the perimeters and pulse a couple of extra occasions till a thick sauce is fashioned.
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Season to style. Style and regulate the seasonings if wanted. You may add extra salt in order for you it saltier, extra purple pepper flakes in order for you it spicier. Add these changes 1/4 teaspoon at a time, mixing between additions, till you obtain your required taste.
Energy: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.4g | Fats: 9g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could differ in response to the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
How you can Make Zhoug
Identical to getting ready home made pesto sauce or blender Hollandaise, making zhoug is straightforward to do in your meals processor:




- Mix the substances. Add all your zhoug substances to a blender or meals processor, other than the olive oil. Pulse a couple of occasions so the combination comes collectively.
- Add oil. Maintain the processor working and stream within the olive oil. As soon as that’s added, swap off the meals processor and scrape down the perimeters earlier than pulsing once more.
- Alter for seasonings. Style the sauce and regulate your seasonings to style. I like to recommend including a bit of at a time, mixing in between. You may all the time add extra, however you possibly can’t take it away! Once you’re pleased along with your zhoug, serve it instantly or retailer it for later, see under.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerate. You may serve zhoug sauce instantly or maintain it saved in an hermetic jar or container. To assist preserve its freshness, pour a skinny layer of olive oil over the zhoug earlier than you seal the lid. It lasts for 5-7 days within the fridge.
- Freeze. Sure, you possibly can freeze zhoug! Freeze it in a freezer-safe container for as much as 6 months and thaw it within the fridge while you’re prepared to make use of it.