Zhoug is one of the simplest ways to decorate up your favourite meats, veggies, and dips! Make selfmade zhoug sauce with the best elements, together with contemporary jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and spices. You’ll need to put it on all the things!
In the event you’re a fan of Peruvian inexperienced sauce, likelihood is good you’ll love zhoug. I exploit this spicy cilantro sauce so as to add a great deal of taste to all the things from salmon to rooster shawarma, and as a dressing for falafel.

We’re about to zhuzh issues up with vivid, flavor-packed Zhoug sauce. Zhoug, schug, or zhug, is a flexible selfmade condiment, and it’s one among 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, contemporary herbs, and spices. I’ll present you how you can 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 of spicy (with the choice to adapt), a bit of savory, with a mouthwatering mixture of contemporary herbs and spices. It goes nicely with something and all the things.
- Preserve 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 rooster to dressing roasted greens. Leftovers retailer nicely within the fridge or freezer, so you can also make a double batch whilst you have the blender out.

Zhoug Sauce Substances
The magic of zhoug comes down to some choose contemporary herbs and a handful of savory spices that give it its distinctive, advanced taste. I cowl those I exploit to make mine beneath! You’ll discover the complete recipe with the printable quantities within the recipe card after the put up, adopted by step-by-step images.
- Jalapeño – I exploit jalapeño peppers as they’re straightforward to search out. You possibly can adapt the warmth degree 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 might additionally substitute white or pink wine vinegar.
- Spices – Floor cumin, coriander, cardamom, pink 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 efficient substitute.
What Does It Style Like?
Zhoug is filled with advanced flavors from mildly spicy jalapeños, vivid, citrusy lemon and garlic, earthy cumin, and candy, natural cardamom. So much is happening, in the very best approach! It’s what makes this sauce so wonderful and so versatile. Plus, when you make it at dwelling, you may 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 admittedly an all-around condiment. I wish to drizzle it over dips like hummus, or stir it into Macedonian taratur (just like tzatziki) for a spicy kick. These are only a few different straightforward concepts:
- Marinade. Use Zhoug sauce to marinate your favourite proteins, like rooster or beef.
- Dipping sauce. Serve this spicy inexperienced sauce alone or blended into yogurt as a zippy dipping sauce for rooster skewers, juicy rooster bites, or salmon bites.
- Salad dressing. Add a bit of additional olive oil and toss your zhoug with a contemporary inexperienced Mediterranean salad or use it as a dressing for tabbouleh or couscous.
- Topping. I exploit Zhoug sauce as a topping over salmon filets or rooster 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 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 operating, pour the olive oil in by way of the highest of the lid. (Via the opening the place you may 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 perimeters 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 possibly can add extra salt if you would like it saltier, extra pink 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 data 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 data.
Find out how to Make Zhoug
Similar to getting ready selfmade 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, aside from the olive oil. Pulse a number of occasions so the combination comes collectively.
- Add oil. Preserve the processor operating 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.
- Modify for seasonings. Style the sauce and alter your seasonings to style. I like to recommend including a bit of at a time, mixing in between. You possibly can all the time add extra, however you may’t take it away! Once you’re joyful along with your zhoug, serve it instantly or retailer it for later, see beneath.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerate. You possibly can serve zhoug sauce instantly or preserve 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 may freeze zhoug! Freeze it in a freezer-safe container for as much as 6 months and thaw it within the fridge once you’re prepared to make use of it.