My Dad’s 4-Ingredient Salmon Recipe is the Meal I Travel 2000 Miles Home For

Perhaps many sons and daughters go through the same experience. There is one dish—or perhaps a few—you can’t stop thinking about. It’s imprinted on us from childhood, and now we can’t shake the delicious thoughts anytime we see, smell, or taste something like it.

For me, the recipe I can’t stop craving is a simple 4-ingredient salmon dinner that comes from my dad. I’ve eaten this salmon recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s the dish I remember enjoying the most growing up and the dinner I want most when I’m home. 

It might seem silly to travel all that way for salmon—and it is. But when you’ve made this recipe as many times as my dad, you develop a sixth sense for how it’s supposed to turn out.

What are the four ingredients? Salmon, soy sauce, green onions, and jalapeños. That’s it! It’s savory, salty, and a little spicy. The soy sauce is an excellent simple marinade, and the jalapeños and green onions provide a fresh punch of flavor with every bite. Feel free to add another jalapeño to the recipe if you want it more spicy.

My father came across this recipe on a fishing trip along the Inside Passage, a route that stretches the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska. Cooks that worked with the fishing expedition served up the guests’ catch for dinner, and my dad loved it. He made sure to get the recipe before he left.

How To Make My Dad’s Salmon Recipe

When I say this recipe takes mere minutes to prepare, I’m not lying. The result is too delicious for how little work goes into this recipe. Obviously, quality salmon fillets will bring the best results as does a thicker piece of salmon.

You’ll use your broiler to cook it, which is an excellent way to get delicious, flaky fish. My dad recommends placing this salmon on the middle rack of your oven to avoid burning the jalapeños and onions too much. You want them to get a little crispy and brown but not overly so. And like any good salmon recipe, don’t flip the salmon at any point during the cooking process. 

This recipe can also be made on the grill in about the same time. Get your grill very hot, oil the grates and lay the salmon on carefully. Cook until the salmon is flaky. Serve these salmon fillets with your favorite rice, sauteed veggies, potatoes, or even with pasta. 

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (about 5 or 6 oz)
• 1 medium or large jalapeño
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce

Directions

1. Place all 4 salmon filets in a 9×13-inch baking dish. 
2. Cut jalapeños lengthwise, remove the seeds, and dice. Slice green onions and combine with jalapeños. Place jalapeños and green onions on top of the fillets until they fill the top of the salmon and are falling off.
3. Pour soy sauce directly over the fillets and marinate at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes. A thin layer of soy sauce should pool up in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Place the dish in the oven and broil for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the green onions and jalapeños are crispy and brown and the salmon breaks apart easily.