3 Simple Sauces for Beginners

Are you feeling saucy? These three simple recipes will make you feel like a culinary genius—maximum flavor, minimal effort.  

Green Chimichurri  

This Latin American sauce is fresh, bright, and delicious on rich, grilled meats. There are many variations that exist, but we’re keeping this simple for beginners. It’s no-cook wonder that can be dialed up or down, depending on your tastes. 

Chop and prepare all your ingredients by hand, then add to the olive oil. Let it sit for a minimum of five minutes for the flavors to mingle, a maximum of 24 hours for freshness. The sweet spot—two hours.  

Salsa Verde  

This Mexican salsa highlights tart and tangy tomatillos with a smoky kick that comes from flame roasting. It’s a fresh topping that compliments rich, dry-aged beef in tacos, nachos, burritos, and bowls. 

Get all your ingredients ready—husk the tomatillos, peel the garlic, chop the onion, de-seed the peppers, and juice the lime.  

Roast your tomatillos over an open flame or under your broiler until they are soft and lightly charred. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt.  

Let the sauce fully cool, then enjoy!  

Teriyaki Sauce 

Japanese-inspired teriyaki sauce is delicious and simple to make. Stop buying the crap from the stores that’s full of preservatives, too sweet, and just not as good. When you’ve finished pan-searing or grilling your steak, brush it with teriyaki sauce while it’s still on the heat. Then, slice and toss onto a bed of fluffy rice and fresh green onions for a delicious and simple meal. 

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk continuously to make sure that sugar dissolves. 

When it reaches a boil, drop the heat to medium low and simmer to reduce for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally. You’ll know it’s done when you stir the sauce and some tiny bubbles appead on the surface.  

Let it cool—and it will get thicker as it cools! When you’ve finished pan-searing or grilling your beef, brush it with teriyaki sauce while it’s still on the heat. Then, slice and toss onto a bed of fluffy rice and fresh green onions for a delicious and simple meal. 

Fun Fact: In Japanese, “teriyaki” (or 照り焼き) originally described a cooking method that may have developed around the 1600s. Teri means “gloss” or “shine” and refers to the glaze created by a sauce, and yaki means “grilled” or “broiled.”