The 4-Ingredient Dinner I’ve Made Hundreds of Times

It’s ready in just over 20 minutes.

I’m a chef, so I know how to make sauces. But I’m also human, so I have a few favorite bottled sauces that I stash in the pantry for those nights when I don’t have time to do much cooking.

I remember having my mind blown by the first peanut sauce I ever made. It was from the gado gado recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook, gifted to me by my father way back in 1980.

I already loved peanut butter so much I wanted to marry it, so the idea of using it in a sauce was more than exciting to me. The same nutty spread we all ate with jam and in cookies could morph into a tangy, savory sauce? That peanut sauce became a staple in my fridge, and it ended up on everything I ate for a few years.

Now that peanut sauce is easy to find at the supermarket, I frequently pick up a bottle instead of making my own. Lee Kum Lee is a Chinese sauce that is easy to find and inexpensive, so I keep a couple of bottles in the pantry. There are some delicious Thai peanut sauces out there, too, made with coconut milk and spices.

Read More: What’s the Difference Between Atlantic and Pacific Salmon?

The Magic of Chili Crisp

The latest well-deserved food trend is the craze for chili crisp. If you are looking for an intense dose of flavors, a spoonful of this savory, crunchy topping really delivers, with just enough heat to warm your tongue.

The first widely sold chili crisp in the U.S., Lao Gan Ma brand, is a mix of dried chilis, onions, soybeans, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns fried until crispy and bottled with the flavorful oil.

Since chili crisp has become popular in the U.S., many versions of the sauce have arrived on store shelves, some with ingredients like star anise, garlic, seaweed, mushroom powder, and all kinds of dried chilis of varying heat levels. All of them will work in this recipe, so use your favorite.

A Note on the Salmon Cook Time

I bought the inexpensive frozen wild-caught fillets at Target, which are usually thin pieces from close to the tail of the fish. The thicker fillets command a higher price and take a bit longer to cook. If you buy farm-raised, they take a bit longer to cook than wild-caught, about 15 minutes. 

How To Make My Sheet Pan Salmon with Broccolini

For about four servings, you’ll need:

• 2 bunches broccolini (about 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup peanut sauce
• 1/4 cup chili crisp
• 4 (4-ounce) salmon fillets

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the bases of the broccolini, and halve any really thick ones lengthwise. Place on a large sheet pan and drizzle with the sesame or canola oil. Toss to coat, spread out in a single layer, and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with half of the peanut sauce and toss, spreading them back into a single layer. Place the fillets on top and drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce and the chili crisp.

Bake until the salmon is done to your liking, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.