This Creamy $3 Sauce Makes the Best 2-Ingredient Chicken Dinner

There are entire books, endless online recipes, and millions of social media posts dedicated to the pursuit of quick, easy dinners for time-pressed weeknights. Like most people, I too am in constant search of a meal that requires minimal ingredients, time, and effort that’s not takeout. One of my favorite solutions to a last-minute dinner that satisfies all these needs (and then some) is Saffron Road Lemongrass Basil Simmer Sauce. 

Two words: dump dinner. If you’re not already on the dump-and-go train, jump on — we saved you a seat. And if you’re already well-situated in the laid-back, fuss-free world of dump dinners, let me sweeten the deal with a two-ingredient dump dinner. 

All you need to put together a flavorful meal that tastes like you scoured the grocery store (in a good way) is Saffron Road Lemon Basil Simmer Sauce and your protein of choice. The sauce has a bright, punchy citrus flavor tempered by creamy coconut milk. The texture is rich and hearty enough to coat meat, seafood, and veggies without overpowering more delicate proteins. It’s lightly sweet and mild with a fresh herby finish that gives you a light, summery flavor any time of year. 

The sauce also happens to be shelf-stable, so you can keep it in the pantry and grab it in a pinch. 

I love to make a quick one-pan chicken dinner with the Lemon Basil Simmer Sauce from Saffron Road. I’ll quickly brown chicken pieces (I like thighs, but you can use breasts or drumsticks) in a large skillet, then add the sauce, cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and juicy. You can even skip the browning step and simply simmer the meat in the sauce if you’re tight on time. 

I often serve the chicken and sauce over quick-cooking white rice (I love heating a pouch of A Dozen Cousins Bone Broth Rice).

The great part about using a simmer sauce like this one from Saffron Road is that a single ingredient takes care of all the flavor in your dish, so there’s more room to experiment with your veggies, proteins, and grains. You can toss in a bag of frozen mixed veggies, broccoli florets, or a handful of fresh spinach for extra fiber and color. Or try this lemony sauce with tofu, beans, shrimp, or other delicate seafood.

If you’re looking for more dump-dinner inspiration, I also love simmering chicken or shrimp in the Meyer Lemon Braising Sauce from Williams Sonoma (a splurge option), and the Cilantro Lime Sauce from Kevin’s Natural Foods is great with steak. 

Buy: Saffron Road Lemongrass Basil Simmer Sauce, $3.29 for 7 ounces at Kroger

What store-bought sauces do you break out for weeknight dinners? Tell us about it in the comments below.