Easy Chicken Recipes for Beginners Who Have Never Cooked Before

If you have never cooked before, chicken is one of the best places to start. It is forgiving, quick to cook and works with a huge variety of flavours. The two recipes in this blog are genuinely beginner-friendly. They require no special equipment, no complex techniques and no prior cooking experience. Both can be made in under 30 minutes and both taste like you put in far more effort than you actually did.

The first is a Chicken Tikka Wrap that uses pre-marinated chicken tikka so the hardest part of the recipe is already done for you. The second is a Chicken Seekh Kebab Rice Bowl using Ready-To-Cook seekh kebabs that go straight from pack to pan. Read through both recipes once before you start cooking and you will see just how straightforward they are.

Chicken Tikka Wrap

Chicken Tikka Wrap made with Boneless Tandoori Chicken Tikka in a flatbread with green chutney, sliced red onion, tomato and fresh coriander, served with a lemon wedge

This wrap uses pre-marinated Boneless Tandoori Chicken Tikka that is already spiced and ready to cook. All you need to do is cook the tikka in a pan, slice it and roll it up in a roti or flatbread with a few fresh toppings. It is one of the easiest meals you can make and it tastes genuinely satisfying.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the tikka:

For the wrap:

  • 2 large rotis, chapathis or flatbreads
  • 1/4 cup green chutney or mint chutney (store-bought is fine)
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small tomato, thinly sliced
  • A few fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp chaat masala
  • 1 lemon wedge

Steps

  1. Take the chicken tikka out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking. Pat the pieces lightly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This helps them colour better in the pan.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the tikka pieces in the pan in a single layer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on one side without moving them. Flip and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes on the other side until the chicken is cooked through and has a golden colour. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius. Remove from the pan and rest for 2 minutes.
  3. Warm the rotis or flatbreads in the same pan for 30 seconds on each side.
  4. Slice the cooked tikka into strips.
  5. Lay a roti flat on a plate. Spread a generous amount of green chutney down the centre. Add the sliced tikka, onion, tomato and coriander leaves. Sprinkle with chaat masala and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.
  6. Roll the wrap tightly and serve immediately. Cut in half if preferred.

Tips

  • Do not press the chicken down with a spatula while it cooks. Let it sit undisturbed so it develops a proper golden colour.
  • If the pan starts to smoke, reduce the heat slightly. The marinade on the tikka has sugar and spices that can catch if the heat is too high.
  • Store-bought green chutney works perfectly here. No need to make it from scratch.

Chicken Seekh Kebab Rice Bowl

Chicken Seekh Kebab Rice Bowl made with Ready-To-Cook Chicken Seekh Kebabs sliced over steamed basmati rice with yoghurt raita, sliced red onion, cucumber, fresh coriander and a lemon wedge

A rice bowl is one of the easiest meals a beginner can make. This one uses Ready-To-Cook Chicken Seekh Kebabs that are already seasoned and shaped. Cook them in a pan, slice and serve over rice with a simple yoghurt raita and some fresh toppings. It is a complete, balanced meal that requires almost no cooking skill.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the kebabs:

For the bowl:

  • 1 cup basmati rice, cooked as per packet instructions
  • 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • A few fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp chaat masala
  • 1 lemon wedge

Steps

  1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. While the rice cooks, prepare the raita by mixing the yoghurt with roasted cumin powder and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the seekh kebabs in the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on one side until golden brown, then turn and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. Turn once more and cook for 2 minutes to make sure they are evenly browned and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius.
  3. Remove the kebabs from the pan and rest for 2 minutes. Slice into pieces.
  4. Assemble the bowl. Add a generous serving of rice to each bowl. Place the sliced seekh kebabs on top. Add the sliced onion and cucumber on the side. Spoon the yoghurt raita over the top.
  5. Sprinkle with chaat masala, add a few coriander leaves and squeeze fresh lemon juice over everything. Serve immediately.

Tips

  • Do not move the kebabs around too much in the pan. Let them sit undisturbed for a few minutes on each side so they develop a good colour and do not fall apart.
  • Cook the rice first so it is ready when the kebabs are done. Both should be warm when you assemble the bowl.
  • The raita can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a day. It tastes even better once the cumin has had time to infuse.

Both of these recipes are proof that cooking does not have to be complicated to be genuinely good. Once you have made them a few times they will feel completely natural and you will start to build the confidence to try more. That is exactly how good cooking begins.

Pick up Zorabian’s Boneless Tandoori Chicken Tikka and Zorabian’s Chicken Seekh Kebabs from shop.zorabian.com and try both recipes this week.

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