The Best Zhoug Sauce

A spicy Middle Eastern condiment made of fresh cilantro, raw garlic, and peppers that sits in a pool of high-quality avocado oil. Not only is it easy to make, The Best Zhoug Sauce is paleo and Whole30 compliant.

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Zhoug sauce in a dish garnished with jalapeños and cilantro on a plate with a flat bread.

Zhoug is a spicy condiment made of cilantro, fresh chili peppers, and spices that originated in Yemen. When Trader Joe’s came out with their Zhoug sauce, everyone freaked, including me. Zhoug is herby aromatic and packs a nice punch, meaning it’s spicy. It is everything you want in a condiment, except the Trader Joe’s version lays in a pool of canola oil. NO THANK YOU. I am not a huge fan of canola oil, because it is extremely carcinogenic and was initially used for steam engines during WWII (for real, look it up HERE ). After discovering this, I chose to avoid the stuff as much as I can. It’s not always completely avoidable, but I at least try not to drink the stuff. I loved the flavor of the Zhoug sauce, especially the combination of heat from the peppers and warmth from the spices. Since I didn’t feel great about consuming the one at TJ’s, I decided to try to make my own!

A close up of the best zhoug sauce, showing texture.

Does anyone else have issues when making herby dips? I could never crack the code when it came to pesto or Chimichurri. I always blended the herbs up in a food processor and slowly added the olive oil like all the recipes say to do. It never failed that I would end up with a sauce that was more fluffy than runny. You know how store-bought pesto is perfectly runny and is just begging to have a baguette dipped into it? Well, mine never turned out that way. I had the same issue the first time I tried to make Zhoug. The flavor was on point, but I couldn’t get the texture right.

I did a little more research online and saw one recipe that said to mix the oil in with a spoon instead of blending it into the food processor. Basically what you do is blend the herbs and peppers into a paste and everything is broken down, you transfer the paste into a bowl and mix the oil. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? The consistency was exactly what I was looking for, and I can’t wait to try this method with pesto this summer!

A close up of the best zhoug sauce in a bowl that is garnished with jalapeños and cilantro.

If heat is not your thing, feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! You can start by adding 1/4 of each pepper. If you do not have access to Serranos or Fresno peppers, use jalapeno peppers. You can also take the seeds out to bring down the spice.

How to use Zhoug Sauce

dip bread into it
spread on eggs
dollop onto hummus
spread it on a sandwich

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

zhoug sauce

Dips + Sauces

Middle Eastern

Yield: 16 Servings

Author: Paige McDonald

The Best Zhoug Sauce

Prep time: 10 MCook time: 15 MTotal time: 25 M

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno pepper
1 serrano pepper
1 fresno pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp coriander
2 bunches organic cilantro
3/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 lemon, fresh squeezed
1 tsp honey

Instructions:

First, prepare the cilantro by washing it and setting it aside to dry. To speed up the dry time, you can add it to a salad spinner to spin the water off. Just make sure the cilantro is not wet when you use it.
Next, prepare the peppers by chopping off the tops, and cutting into large chunks. To cut back on the spice level, take the seeds out and discard. Add peppers and garlic cloves to the food processor, and process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and process for 1 minute more.
Next, add salt, cumin, cardamom, and coriander. Blend until the spices are well incorporated.
Come back to the cilantro once it has dried. Pick through any of the lousy cilantro and discard those pieces. Cut off the stems and discard those as well. It is okay to have a little bit of stem, but you don’t want too much.
Roughly chop the cilantro and then add the leaves to the food processor. Alternate between blending and scraping down the sides until the mixture is almost a paste. This will take some time, so be patient.
After you are done blending and the mixture is the desired consistency, transfer the mixture into a medium-sized bowl.
Add the avocado, honey, and lemon, and mix with a spoon.
It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week