I’m Making Nadiya Hussain’s 30-Minute Dinner All Summer Long

Nadiya Hussain is just one of many proof points supporting my theory that literally nothing but pure wonderfulness comes of “The Great British Bake Off.” Nadiya took top prize during the sixth season, has been hosting and cooking on the BBC since, and is now the hero of my summer—culinarily speaking, that is!

In anticipation of moving into a home with a far superior kitchen than my current one, I was browsing recipes for future cooking adventures when Nadiya’s Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Salsa caught my eye.

The salmon is marinated in a simple teriyaki sauce, and a gorgeous mango salsa is sprinkled across the top. As sunnier days are becoming more frequent, I start to crave anything that feels like summer, and salmon gives summer vibes. I particularly appreciate a salmon recipe that doesn’t require a grill. As lovely as my new place is, I will not have access to a grill.

The dish looked so good, I couldn’t wait for the move—I had to make it right away. It’s incredibly easy, has a great balance of sweet and spicy, and with the mango salsa, it’s absolutely out of this world.

I inhaled it and immediately knew it was going into my summer dinner rotation.. I especially loved that the salmon only takes about six minutes to cook. It just needs two minutes on each side on the stovetop, then you turn the burner off and cover the pan to continue cooking for a couple more minutes. This seems to lock in moisture, making it nearly impossible to end up with a dry piece of salmon, one of my biggest food pet peeves.

I will be putting this recipe into my summer dinner rotation.

Tricks to Make This Salmon Dinner Even Easier (and Tastier)

• Make the rice ahead of time. This will save about half an hour! Alternatively, use frozen rice.
• Make the teriyaki sauce ahead of time. All you need to do is make the mango salsa while the salmon marinates, and then cook it. Easy peasy.
• Use dried red chili flakes instead of fresh red chili. I wasn’t able to find a red chili pepper at my grocery store, so I just used 1/4 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes for the mango salsa, which worked great. I wouldn’t change a thing. 
• Add cilantro to the mango salsa. I was moving very quickly at the grocery store and didn’t realize the recipe said to use dried coriander or fresh coriander (a.k.a. cilantro). I used the dried version, and it was delicious, but I can’t wait to try it again with fresh cilantro.
• Make a veggie side to pair with it. I was craving a little green with this dish, and thought this Sugar Snap Pea Salad, Stone Fruit, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad, or 4-Ingredient Cucumber Salad would be great alongside it.

This recipe is everything I want in a summer dinner: fast, flavorful, and effortless. I love that it doesn’t require a grill or any complicated steps—just a pan and a few fresh ingredients.