Skhug or zhoug is a bright Middle Eastern hot sauce many liken to pesto, chimichurri with cilantro, or salsa verde because of its vibrant green color. Use it to add a pop of color and heat to every bite.
What is Skhug?
You’ve probably seen zhoug recipes floating around online, thanks to Trader Joe’s and TikTok—but this vibrant green sauce, also called skhug, actually hails from Yemen. Popular throughout the Middle East, it also happens to be my new favorite sauce.
There are many variations of skhug, including green (schug yarok) and red skhug (schug adom). Depending on the origin of the recipe, you may also see it spelled zhoug, zhug, shug, or schug. Some even refer to it as Middle Eastern pesto.
This recipe for classic green skhug combines chopped herbs, garlic cloves, fresh hot peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, and ground whole spices, adding a perfect bit of heat to every meal. Like shatta sauce (another Middle Eastern hot sauce), you can use skhug as a condiment, marinade, dressing, or or dipping sauce.
What is Skhug Sauce Made Of?
Skhug is a versatile sauce, and it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s traditionally made using a sharp knife and a mortar and pestle, but if you’re short on time, a food processor gets the job done fast! Here is everything you need to get started.
- Spices: Season the sauce with a little bit of kosher salt and various spices, such as coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and green cardamom pods, ground into a fine powder. Freshly ground spices make all the difference.
- Olive Oil: What would a Yemeni or Middle Eastern sauce be without good olive oil? I recommend using high-quality extra virgin olive oil, as it’s one of the main ingredients.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds the perfect pop of acidity to balance the bold flavors.
- Garlic: I usually use four fresh garlic cloves, but honestly, measure with your heart
- Jalapeños: Jalapeño peppers are ideal for a milder flavor, while serrano chili peppers are perfect for those who want more heat.
- Herbs: The combination of fresh parsley and cilantro provides an earthy flavor that ties everything together. You can use both the stems and leaves of the cilantro, but I recommend sticking to just the parsley leaves since the stems can be a bit strong.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap in red peppers. Instead of green skhug, try making a fiery red version with cayenne, habanero, red bell peppers, or Bird’s Eye chiles.
- Experiment with herbs. Replace or mix in fresh mint or fenugreek leaves.
How to Make Skhug
You can prepare the sauce two different ways. Chop the skhug ingredients and combine them in a bowl, or prepare them in just five minutes using a food processor. The full recipe, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Dry toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and green cardamom seeds in a skillet for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
Step 2: Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Set the mixture aside.
Step 3: Method 1
Finely chop the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, and garlic. Combine them in a bowl, then stir in the lemon juice, salt, ground spice mixture, and olive oil.
Step 3: Method 2
Add the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Then stir in the lemon juice, spices, and olive oil.
Expert Tips
- Prep the chile peppers. For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño peppers before using them.
- Chop the ingredients. While a food processor is quicker, I love the fresh flavor and slightly coarse texture you get from chopping everything by hand.
- Add olive oil last. Whether you’re chopping the ingredients by hand or using a food processor, pour the olive oil over the sauce in a circular motion at the end to finish the sauce.
- Let it chill. Prepare the spicy condiment one hour before serving, allowing the ingredients to come together while resting in the refrigerator.
Whip up a batch of skhug and pair it with one of these dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Skhug has a fresh-tasting flavor, but a little bit goes a long way. It has a slow-building burn that tastes absolutely delicious. Try it with falafel gyro, shawarma wraps, fried fish, Instant Pot pot roast, and even eggs.
Spoon it into soup and stew, or drizzle it over roasted veggies and meat, or swirl it into butter bean hummus for the perfect finish.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Bring the spicy green sauce to room temperature before serving it since olive oil hardens once it cools.
- Freeze: I often make extra sauce to freeze ahead. Pour the leftovers into a freezer-safe container or bag. Skhug freezes for six months. Alternatively, you can divide the leftover sauce into ice cube trays, freeze it, and transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe bag until you’re ready to use them.
- Repurpose: Make compound butter or aioli with the leftovers, similar to how I prepare chimichurri aioli. Or you can combine skhug with Greek yogurt or sour cream for an easy-to-make veggie dip and pair it with rainbow wraps for a tasty snack or appetizer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does zhoug taste like?
Zhoug is bold, bright, and herbaceous. It is garlicky, herby, and because of the chilis, it has a nice spicy kick. If you’re sensitive to spicy food, I recommend deseeding the jalapeños and reducing the amount you include.
More Sauce Recipes:
Skhug
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 4 green cardamom, green shell removed, toasted and ground
- 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 6 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- lemon juice, one lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Dry toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and green cardamom seeds in a skillet for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
- Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Set the mixture aside.
- Method One: Finely chop the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, and garlic. Combine them in a bowl, then stir in the lemon juice, salt, ground spice mixture, and olive oil.
- Method Two: Add the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Then stir in the lemon juice, spices, and olive oil.
- Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
- Prep the chile peppers. For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño peppers before using them.
- Chop the ingredients. While a food processor is quicker, I love the fresh flavor and slightly coarse texture you get from chopping everything by hand.
- Add olive oil last. Whether you’re chopping the ingredients by hand or using a food processor, pour the olive oil over the sauce in a circular motion at the end to finish the sauce.
- Let it chill. Prepare the spicy condiment one hour before serving, allowing the ingredients to come together while resting in the refrigerator.
Annie
Monday 23rd of January 2023
This sauce is so easy to make and it is now my favorite addition to roasts and sandwiches. Everyone should try this at least once, especially if you enjoy some heat.
Natasha
Friday 16th of September 2022
Okay, you weren't kidding. I could put this on everything!
Tressa Jamil
Friday 16th of September 2022
It truly is THAT good!