Selfmade Zhoug Sauce (Spicy Cilantro Sauce)

Zhoug is one of the best ways to decorate up your favourite meats, veggies, and dips! Make home made zhoug sauce with the best components, together with contemporary jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and spices. You’ll wish to put it on all the things!
In the event 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 all the things from salmon to hen 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 home made condiment, and it’s certainly one of my must-haves within the fridge on any given day. Originating within the Center East, Zhoug is a scrumptious spicy cilantro sauce comprised of a mix of peppers, garlic, contemporary herbs, and spices. I’ll present you methods to make it with a handful of components in your blender!
Causes to Make Zhoug (Spicy Cilantro Sauce)
- It’s fast and straightforward. All it is advisable to make it’s a few easy-to-find components 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 little bit spicy (with the choice to adapt), a little bit savory, with a mouthwatering mixture of contemporary herbs and spices. It goes properly with something and all the things.
- Maintain leftovers for days. When you’ve tasted zhoug, I simply know you’ll discover all kinds 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 whilst you have the blender out.


Zhoug Sauce Elements
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 take advantage of to make mine beneath! You’ll discover the complete recipe with the printable quantities within the recipe card after the publish, adopted by step-by-step images.
- Jalapeño – I take advantage of jalapeño peppers as they’re simple to seek out. You’ll be able to adapt the warmth degree of your zhoug sauce with hotter peppers, like habanero. Deseed the peppers to tame the warmth a little 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 efficient substitute.
What Does It Style Like?
Zhoug is full of advanced flavors from mildly spicy jalapeños, vivid, citrusy lemon and garlic, earthy cumin, and candy, natural cardamom. Lots is occurring, in the very best approach! It’s what makes this sauce so superb and so versatile. Plus, in case you make it at residence, 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 absolutely 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 only a few 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 little bit further olive oil and toss your zhoug with a contemporary 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 components. 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 by means of the highest of the lid. (By means of the opening the place you may 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 edges and pulse a number of extra occasions till a thick sauce is shaped.
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Season to style. Style and alter the seasonings if wanted. You’ll be able to add extra salt in order for you it saltier, extra crimson 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 information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in accordance with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
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 components. Add all your zhoug components 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 working 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.
- Modify for seasonings. Style the sauce and alter your seasonings to style. I like to recommend including a little bit at a time, mixing in between. You’ll be able to at all times add extra, however you may’t take it away! If you’re joyful together with your zhoug, serve it straight away or retailer it for later, see beneath.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerate. You’ll be able to 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 may 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.