15 Sauces That Turn Anything Into Dinner

The difference between a plate of cooked food and an actual dinner is usually a sauce. Not an elaborate French reduction — just something that adds fat, acid, and salt to whatever plain thing you've just cooked. A piece of chicken with nothing on it is a chore to eat. The same piece of chicken with three tablespoons of chimichurri poured over it is dinner worth sitting down for.

Every working cook has a short list of sauces they reach for constantly — things they can make in five minutes, keep in the fridge all week, and pour onto almost anything. Here are 15 of the ones I use most, with the exact ratios and what to put them on.

The Cold Sauces (Make Ahead, Use All Week)

1. Chimichurri. Finely chop a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley (about 1 cup packed), 3–4 cloves of garlic, and half a small red onion. Combine with 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir together — no blender needed. Keeps for a week. Use on: grilled or pan-seared steak, chicken, roasted vegetables, eggs, rice bowls.

2. Yogurt-tahini. Combine ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 2 tablespoons tahini, juice of half a lemon, 1 clove garlic (grated or minced), and a big pinch of salt. Thin with a tablespoon of water if needed. Use on: roasted vegetables, grain bowls, lamb, falafel, stuffed peppers, spread on a wrap.

3. Peanut sauce. Whisk together 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon honey, a small knob of fresh ginger grated in. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable consistency. Use on: cold noodles, grain bowls, roasted or raw vegetables, chicken, tofu.

4. Simple vinaigrette. One part acid (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar) to three parts good olive oil, a small amount of Dijon mustard to emulsify, salt and pepper. This is not just for salad — it's the right finish for roasted vegetables, fish, chicken, and grain dishes. Make a jar every Sunday.

5. Green herb oil. Blend or finely chop any soft herb (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, tarragon) with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon. This is the single move that makes a plain chicken breast or piece of fish look restaurant-level. Use the blender for a smoother result.

6. Harissa-yogurt. Stir 1–2 tablespoons harissa paste into ½ cup plain yogurt. Add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. The heat of the harissa varies — taste as you go. Use on: roasted carrots, lamb, chicken, eggs, as a spread on flatbread.

7. Tahini dressing. Whisk together ¼ cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 garlic clove grated, and a pinch of salt. It will seize up before it loosens — add cold water a tablespoon at a time and keep whisking. Use on: everything. Grain bowls, roasted cauliflower, chicken, fish, a simple salad of cucumbers and tomatoes.

The Quick Pan Sauces (Made While the Protein Rests)

8. Pan sauce from the fond. After searing chicken, steak, or pork, remove the protein and let it rest. Pour off most of the fat, leaving the brown bits. Add a splash of wine, stock, or even water — it will sizzle and lift the fond. Add a small knob of butter and swirl. Season with salt. Two minutes. Use on: whatever just came out of the pan.

9. Garlic butter. In the same pan you cooked the protein, over medium heat: add two tablespoons of butter and three cloves of thinly sliced garlic. Stir until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 90 seconds. Add a squeeze of lemon and a handful of herbs if you have them. Use on: fish, chicken, pasta, sautéed greens, bread.

10. Quick tomato sauce. Sauté 2–3 cloves of garlic in olive oil until golden. Add a can of crushed tomatoes, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt. Simmer 10 minutes. This is not just a pasta sauce — it works as a base for eggs (shakshuka), a braising liquid for chicken, a dipping sauce for bread, or a topping for polenta.

11. Soy-ginger glaze. Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a small knob of fresh ginger grated in a small pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Use on: chicken thighs, salmon, tofu, roasted broccoli, rice bowls.

The Pantry Sauces (From What's Already There)

12. Aglio e olio oil. Thin-slice four cloves of garlic. Cook slowly in ½ cup of good olive oil over low heat until pale golden, about 8 minutes. Add red pepper flakes. Do not let the garlic brown. The result is a fragrant infused oil that works on pasta, bread, roasted vegetables, fish — almost anything.

13. Miso-butter. Soften two tablespoons of butter, mix in one tablespoon of white or yellow miso paste and a small squeeze of lemon. Stir until combined. Use as a finishing sauce over fish, chicken, roasted vegetables, noodles, or spread on toast. The miso adds depth that salt alone doesn't.

14. Lemon-caper sauce. In a small pan, heat two tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of capers (roughly chopped) over medium heat until the capers start to fry slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the juice of one lemon and swirl to combine. Use on: fish — especially salmon, trout, and white fish — and roasted cauliflower or asparagus.

15. Simple cream sauce. After removing a sautéed protein from the pan, add a minced shallot and cook briefly in the remaining fat. Pour in ¼ cup of heavy cream, add a spoonful of Dijon mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Use on: chicken, pork, mushrooms over pasta, as a sauce for stuffed vegetables.

The One Principle Behind All of Them

Every sauce on this list works because it hits at least two of three elements: fat (richness, carries flavor), acid (brightness, cuts through), and salt (amplifies everything). When a dish tastes flat, it's usually missing one of these. A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a knob of butter — these are not optional finishing touches. They're the thing that turns cooking into food worth eating.

For how these sauces fit into a broader cooking-from-what-you-have system, see Cooking From a Half-Empty Pantry and The Minimalist Pantry: 20 Ingredients, Infinite Dinners. For more recipe ideas built around what's already in your kitchen, browse the recipe collection.