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Zhoug (Spicy Cilantro Sauce)

By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: March 11, 2024

Last Updated: April 10th, 2024↣0 Comments↣

This vibrant zhoug sauce is an intensely flavourful blend of cilantro and chilli. A spicy and creamy sauce that jolts everything it touches to life! Zingy, sharp, herbaceous and utterly divine.

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A small bowl of Zhoug Save with a spoon. Garnished with red pepper flakes and fresh pomegranate seeds.

Middle Eastern food has so many wonderful flavours, with a myriad of options and contrasting tastes to discover. Zhoug, from Yemen is a herbacous, zingy delight. A wonderfully fresh and bright condiment that has so many uses. Anything it touches is transformed - a little goes a long way to bring out the best in salads, meats, rice dishes, falafel and more.

It's the secret weapon to bring a whole lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavour to your cooking. And the great news is that it's absolute child's play to put together yourself at home. Ready in a matter of minutes, with no cooking required.

What's Ahead?

What is Zhoug?

Zhoug is a spicy and aromatic Middle Eastern condiment originating from Yemen and also popular in Israeli and other Middle Eastern cuisines. It's typically made with a blend of fresh green chilli peppers, cilantro, garlic, spices like cumin, olive oil, and sometimes lemon juice or vinegar.

What's in a name? In the Middle East there are many names for or variations of Zhoug, like Zhug, Skhug, Schug, Sahawiq, Harif, Daghim, Adzhika/Ajika (a variant from the Caucasus region), Zhoog, S'chug and Yemenite chilli paste.

The ingredients are traditionally ground together into a paste using a mortar and pestle or blended in a food processor to create a vibrant and flavourful sauce that can be used as a dip, spread, or condiment to add heat and depth to various dishes such as grilled meats, fish, falafel, sandwiches, or salads.

Why it works?

It adds so much flavour to so many foods - a little dollop of zhoug over meats, vegetables etc will absolutely transform the flavour and add so much personality. It's also an amazing marinade for meats - If I have leftovers, I use it to marinade chicken over night, then roast in the oven for the most delicious dish ever! More on the uses below...

The ingredients for Zhoug sauce: Cilantro, garlic, chillies, lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, ground cumin and ground coriander.

Stuff You'll Need

There's not a lot to this simple condiment. Here's where all the flavour comes from.

Cilantro/coriander - you either love it or you have that funny gene that doesn't. I love it and all it's fragrant herby delights.
Chillies - the spice comes through depending on the spice level of your chillies. Be sure to check a little first to see if you should adjust. If you want to reduce the spice, deseed them and remove any of the white pithy parts as that's where most of the heat lies.
Garlic - for a little fragrant backbone to the sauce.
Spicing - a little ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and pepper is all you need.
Oil - virgin olive oil - to emulsify the sauce and create the rich creaminess.
Lemon - lifts all the other flavour and imparts a zingy freshness to the whole sauce.

Zhoug sauce being blended in a small jug with an immersion blender.

Step by Step

There isn't really a step by step for this recipe, just add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You can use a food processor, blender or immersion blender. I always use an immersion blender because there's way less mess and washing up.

A small spoon holding a little Zhoug sauce

Serving Suggestions

Serving this dish is really up to you. It's a wonderful condiment to have by the side of so many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Here are a few helpful suggestions:

Grilled meats - kebabs, roasts and more - lamb, beef, pork and goat and also any kind of poultry or game meats.
As a dip - for breads or raw vegetables.
Grilled or roasted vegetables - drizzle zhoug over to lift vegetables to another level
Sandwiches and wraps - Use zhoug as a condiment for stuffed pitas and sandwiches. It's especially fantastic with falafel.
Salad dressing - use as a dressing for crunchy raw salads or combined with Israeli cous cous.
Soup drizzle - spoon in a little to soups or stews as a fresh zingy flavour enhancer.
Marinades - A superb way to inject flavour into meats. Just marinade for a few hours (overnight is best) and roast in the marinade (basting throughout the cooking) for the tastiest results.

Storage

Refrigeration - store in the fridge (well covered) for 4-5 days.
Freezer - Freeze in airtight containers for 3+ months. Defrost naturally (not in a microwave) and stir well to combine all the ingredients again.

Ready to get started?

For a no-cook-all-flavour delight this zhoug dish should be on every Middle Eastern or Med-style table. It's such a good partner to so many flavours and adds a wonderful level of freshness to anything it comes into contact with. I particularly love that I can make good use of the leftovers too as a flavour-ready marinade. Be sure to whizz up this delicious zhoug! Hope you enjoy!

More Middle Eastern & Mediterranean recipes

If you liked this zhoug recipe, I'm sure you'll love some more of my Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes.

Any Questions? (FAQ)

Have a question about Yemeni Zhoug? Let me know in the comments.

What is Zhoug made from?

Zhoug is made from cilantro/coriander, chillies, garlic, lemon, olive oil and a few spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom and more.

What do you eat with Zhoug?

You can eat many things alongside Zhoug. Grilled and roasted meats, poultry and vegetables work well accompanied by zhoug. You can also use is over soups, stews, salads and in wraps and sandwiches.

Where is Zoug paste from?

Zhoug originates from Yemen, although variations of the dish are eaten across the Middle East and Mediterranean.

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