What You Need to Know in a Nutshell?
- What is Schug? Also known as skhug, zhug, s’hug, zhoug, zoug, schugg, or by its Arabic name sahawiq, schug is actually its Hebrew name. This vibrant and spicy condiment is made from fresh herbs, chili peppers, garlic, and spices. Originating from Yemen, think of it as the Middle Eastern counterpart to chimichurri or salsa verde. It’s a staple in Israeli shawarma and falafel stands, and for us home cooks, it’s perfect for spooning over grain bowls, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or swirling into hummus and soups.
- Spice levels are adjustable: Authentic schug brings the heat, but you can dial it down by removing more of the pepper seeds or reducing the number of chilies used. Want it fiery? Keep the seeds.
- Stores and freezes well: Green schug keeps fresh in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. For extended storage, freeze the cubes in ice cube trays, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. This makes it super easy to grab just what you need, whether it’s a single spoonful or more.
- Green, Red, and Brown Varieties: While this recipe is for the most common, green schug, made with green chili peppers like jalapeños and serranos, there are also red schug (made with dried red chilies) and brown schug (made with tomatoes).
How to Make Schug Sauce?
This shug sauce recipe comes together quickly in a food processor and keeps well in the fridge or freezer. Let’s walk through it step-by-step.
- Gather your ingredients: You’ll find the complete list of skhug ingredients in the recipe card below. Below are a few helpful notes:
- Peppers: I like to use a combination of green peppers like jalapenos and serranos—together they add a layered, more complex heat and flavor to the sauce. However, if you only have one type on hand, either pepper will still give you a delicious result.
- Fresh Herbs: While schug is often called a spicy cilantro sauce, I find that a mix of fresh parsley and cilantro gives it a more balanced, herbaceous flavor. That said, if cilantro isn’t your thing, feel free to use an equal amount of fresh parsley instead.
- Optional Add-Ins: Depending on the region, some schug recipes include extra spices for added complexity. You can try adding a pinch of ground cardamom, caraway seeds, or a small amount of red pepper flakes if you want to bump up the heat even more.
- Pulse the peppers: Add the seeded jalapeno and serrano peppers to your food processor. Pulse about 10 times, scraping the sides halfway through to ensure even chopping.
- Add the herbs and spices: Toss in the cilantro, parsley, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Blend until you get a coarse, pesto-like texture, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Drizzle in the olive oil: With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. You want the texture to be saucy but still textured.
- Taste and adjust: Give your green schug sauce a taste and tweak the salt, lemon juice, or spice to your liking.
- Store or freeze: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or freeze in portions using ice cube trays for later use.
Expert Tips
- Keep the stems on: No need to pick off all the leaves—both cilantro and parsley stems are tender and full of flavor. They blend right in and actually add to the sauce’s vibrant, herbaceous taste.
- Texture: Stop blending once you reach a pesto-like texture—overprocessing it can turn it into an herb puree.
- Using mortar and pestle: While the food processor is a great time-saver, if you’ve got a little extra time and a mortar and pestle, it’s worth trying the traditional way. Start by grinding whole spices, such as cumin and coriander. For even more flavor, you can toast them in a dry skillet for a minute until fragrant before grinding. Then add the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt to create a flavorful paste. Next, add the fresh herbs and green chilies, pounding until you reach a chunky paste. Finally, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while mixing to bring everything together into a smooth, spoonable sauce.
- Wear gloves: Since this Israeli schug is made with hot peppers like jalapeños and serranos, it’s a good idea to wear gloves while handling them, especially if you’re sensitive to spice or tend to touch your face while cooking.
- Schug replacement: Wondering what to use instead of schug in a recipe? While the flavor profiles are quite different, you can use chimichurri, salsa verde, or even pesto as a substitute in a pinch.
Serving Suggestions
One of the best things about this spicy schug is its versatility. It can totally transform a simple dish into something exciting and flavorful. If you’re wondering where to start, here are a few of my favorite ways to use it— any place you’d typically use a punchy green sauce, schug fits right in.
- Grain Bowls: I love spooning this Yemenite hot sauce over my Homemade CAVA Bowl—it adds a zesty flavor that ties everything together. It’s even better when paired with other Middle Eastern condiments like Harissa and Tzatziki.
- Hummus: Whether you’re making a classic batch or going with something a little different, like Roasted Carrot Hummus, the spicy kick and fresh herbs swirled right in add an extra layer of flavor. Serve it with some warm Pita Bread on the side, and you’ve got a snack that everyone will love.
- Meat Dishes: Schug pairs beautifully with richly seasoned dishes from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It’s especially good with Shish Tawook, Beef Shawarma, or Grilled Harissa Chicken—adding a fresh, spicy contrast that lifts all those bold flavors.
- Eggs: A spoonful stirred into your scrambled eggs in the morning or drizzled over poached eggs is a game changer. If you like savory breakfasts, try it on top of my çilbir, also known as Turkish poached eggs with yogurt. It brings just the right amount of heat to balance out the creaminess.
Other Green Sauces You Might Like:
If you try this schug sauce and bring the bold flavors of the Middle East to your home, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leaving a rating and a comment below is a great way to support the site and helps others who are thinking about making it. And if you snap a photo, be sure to tag it on Instagram with #foolproofeats—I’d love to see and share your creations with the Foolproof Living community.
Photos by Tanya Pilgrim.
Schug Recipe
This bold and herb-packed green sauce is a staple Middle Eastern condiment with roots in Yemenite cuisine. Made with fresh herbs, chili peppers, and spices, it's perfect for adding a spicy kick to grain bowls, grilled vegetables, and meats, or even hummus.
Ingredients
- 7 jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed (98 g.)
- 2 serrano peppers, stems and seeds removed (12 g.)
- 2 cups fresh cilantro, with stems and loosely packed
- 2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley, with stems and loosely packed
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one large lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place both the jalapeno and serrano peppers in the bowl of the food processor and pulse 10 times, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper and process until all ingredients resemble a “chunky” blend. Again, stop and scrape down the sides a few times to ensure that everything is processed evenly.
- While the food processor is still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. It should (almost) resemble a pesto-like texture.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust the amount of seasoning, lemon juice, and spices as needed.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week (be sure to stir before using it) or spoon it into an ice cube tray and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes about ~ 2 cups of green schug sauce. The nutrition information below is per cup.
- Size of the peppers: I used seven medium-sized jalapenos, which were about 3.5 ounces (98g). If yours are smaller or larger, adjust the number of peppers accordingly.
- Remove the seeds (or not): You can adjust the spice levels by removing or keeping the seeds of the peppers.
- Olive oil solidifies in the fridge: It’s normal for the olive oil in schug to firm up when chilled. Just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, and it will return to its smooth, spoonable consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 1209mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6731IU | Vitamin C: 166mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @foolproofliving or tag #foolproofeats!
Would love to try it
I would want to make a smaller version to see if I enjoy it
Would I cut in 1/2 or even 3/4 What’s your suggestion for one serving
Thanks
Hello Eileen,
You can definitely make a smaller batch to try it out, but since the original recipe makes about 2 cups, scaling it down to one serving can be a bit tricky. If you’re aiming for about ½ cup, using roughly a quarter of the ingredients should get you close. That said, the good news is that this sauce keeps well, so even if you end up with a bit more than you need, you can store the rest for about a week or freeze it for later.
Super EXCITED to now review and plan on recreating your SCHUG recipe.
For me, I had surprise introduction of SCHUG
while in San Diego, I had visited a traditional upscale bakery, it was offered layered inside a homemade pita bread sandwich with meat & vegetables. The SCHUG made this sandwich extraordinary!
I was hooked immediately thinking about it frequently – YEP
that fantastic homemade pita with SCHUG.
It is a game changer to have SCHUG and have it present when needed.
Thank you!!!!
YAY! This makes me so happy Millette. Thanks for coming by.