Zhoug is the easiest way to decorate up your favourite meats, veggies, and dips! Make do-it-yourself zhoug sauce with the best elements, together with recent jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and spices. You’ll need to put it on every little thing!
Should you’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 every little thing 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 do-it-yourself condiment, and it’s considered one of my must-haves within the fridge on any given day. Originating within the Center East, Zhoug is a scrumptious spicy cilantro sauce made out of a mix of peppers, garlic, recent herbs, and spices. I’ll present you easy methods to make it with a handful of elements in your blender!
Causes to Make Zhoug (Spicy Cilantro Sauce)
- It’s fast and simple. All you must make it’s a few easy-to-find elements 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 spicy (with the choice to adapt), a bit savory, with a mouthwatering mixture of recent herbs and spices. It goes properly with something and every little thing.
- Maintain leftovers for days. When you’ve tasted zhoug, I simply know you’ll discover all types of how to make use of it, from marinating hen to dressing roasted greens. Leftovers retailer properly within the fridge or freezer, so you can also make a double batch when you have the blender out.

Zhoug Sauce Elements
The magic of zhoug comes down to some 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 total recipe with the printable quantities within the recipe card after the put up, adopted by step-by-step pictures.
- Jalapeño – I take advantage of jalapeño peppers as they’re simple to search out. You’ll be able to adapt the warmth stage of your zhoug sauce with hotter peppers, like habanero. Deseed the peppers to tame the warmth a bit.
- Garlic – Contemporary cloves are finest right here. In any other case, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic paste per clove.
- Contemporary Herbs – Freshly chopped cilantro and parsley.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon is finest, however bottled lemon juice works in a pinch. You may additionally substitute white or crimson wine vinegar.
- Spices – Floor cumin, coriander, cardamom, crimson 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. Quite a bit is happening, in the very best means! It’s what makes this sauce so wonderful and so versatile. Plus, for those who 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 primary 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 include mint.
Methods to Use Zhoug Sauce
Zhoug is basically an all-around condiment. I prefer to drizzle it over dips like hummus, or stir it into Macedonian taratur (just 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 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 elements. Place every little thing besides the olive oil within the bowl of a meals processor. Pulse till every little thing is chopped and beginning to come collectively.
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Add olive oil. With the meals processor operating, pour the olive oil in by way of the highest of the lid. (By means of the opening the place you possibly can add liquid whereas the meals processor is operating.) 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 edges and pulse a number of extra occasions till a thick sauce is fashioned.
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Season to style. Style and alter the seasonings if wanted. You’ll be able to add extra salt if you would like it saltier, extra crimson pepper flakes if you would like 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 information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in accordance with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
Methods to Make Zhoug
Similar to making ready do-it-yourself pesto sauce or blender Hollandaise, making zhoug is simple to do in your meals processor:


- Mix the elements. Add your whole zhoug elements to a blender or meals processor, other than the olive oil. Pulse a number of occasions so the combination comes collectively.
- Add oil. Maintain the processor operating and stream within the olive oil. As soon as that’s added, swap off the meals processor and scrape down the edges earlier than pulsing once more.
- Regulate for seasonings. Style the sauce and alter your seasonings to style. I like to recommend including a bit at a time, mixing in between. You’ll be able to at all times add extra, however you possibly can’t take it away! Whenever you’re blissful along with your zhoug, serve it immediately or retailer it for later, see under.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerate. You’ll be able to serve zhoug sauce instantly or hold it saved in an hermetic jar or container. To assist keep 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 if you’re prepared to make use of it.