Fast Easy Chicken Recipes

Chicken is tasty, versatile, and economical; a whole chicken can give you several meals. But what can you make with chicken? Here are some fast, easy chicken recipes which I hope you’ll enjoy.

The chicken was first introduced as food around 2,200 years ago; before that,  chickens were used in cockfighting. This practice goes back around 10,000 years. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of chicken being used for food in Israel but it may have originated elsewhere.

In modern times, chicken has unfortunately become mass-produced and this has made it much cheaper. The downside to this is that it doesn’t have much flavour. If you can afford to buy organic, free-range chicken then you will notice that it has a much better flavour and texture.

But if your budget won’t stretch to organic food, don’t worry – I’m going to show you how to get the maximum amount of flavour from your chicken without spending hours in the kitchen.

Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

A favourite on Chinese takeaway menus, this lovely warming soup is easy to make and quite filling. This is a good recipe for using up leftover roast chicken. Serves 4.

1 tablespoon groundnut oil
200g chicken breast, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 cm root ginger, grated
2 tablespoons cornflour
1.2 litres of hot chicken stock
200g frozen sweetcorn
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Sesame seeds to garnish

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chicken, garlic and ginger gently for about 5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with a little of the stock to make a smooth paste and add to the pan with the rest of the stock and the sweetcorn kernels. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl and gradually add them to the soup, stirring with a fork until you have eggy strands. Season and ladle into warm bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with some prawn crackers.

BBQ Chicken Wings

Sweet, spicy and sticky these are perfect finger food. Just make sure you have plenty of paper towels handy! Serves 4.

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons runny honey
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
8 large chicken wings, tips removed
2 tablespoons flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Fresh chopped parsley to garnish

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion and garlic for 7 – 10 minutes until softened. Stir in the ketchup, honey, mustard, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce and simmer gently for a couple of minutes.

Put the seasoned flour onto a plate and dust the chicken wings all over. They should have a good coating of flour. Brush generously with the sauce then place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper and cook in a preheated oven, gas 6/200C/400F for about 30 minutes, turning a couple of times and brushing with the remaining sauce.

Serve hot sprinkled with parsley. These are good enough to eat on their own but you can serve your favourite dip on the side if you like, and maybe some crispy fries too.

Chicken Goujons

These tender strips of chicken breast have a lovely crunchy coating and are served with a tangy mustard mayonnaise. Serves 4.

4 medium-sized skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 medium eggs
100g dried panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise dip:
100 ml good-quality mayonnaise
3 teaspoons grain mustard
1 teaspoon runny honey
1 lime
Chopped fresh chives

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Cut each chicken breast lengthways into 4 strips. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and tip the breadcrumbs onto a plate, then add the mustard powder to the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken goujons into the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Make sure they’re fully covered in the breadcrumbs. Put each strip onto the baking tray as you go along.

Bake in a preheated oven, gas 6/200C/400F for 12 – 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the coating is crisp and golden and the chicken is cooked. Cut a piece in half to test; there should be no trace of pink remaining.

Mix together the mayonnaise, honey, mustard, chives and the juice of half the lime. Set aside until needed.

Arrange some crisp lettuce leaves and the goujons on a serving plate with the dip in the centre and the remaining lime wedges to squeeze over.

Coq au Vin

This French-style casserole of chicken, bacon and baby onions cooked in red wine usually takes a long time to cook. Here’s a quick version that tastes just as good and is ready in half the time. Serves 4.

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 button onions, peeled and quartered
6 rashers smoked bacon, chopped
125g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
300 ml red wine
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Cut the chicken thighs into 4 pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan and tip the flour onto a plate. Season it with salt and pepper and coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. Fry for 5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the chicken is browned on the outside. Add the bacon, thyme and onions and fry for 3 – 4 minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and bring the mixture up to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the tomato puree, stir, then season and cook, covered, for 25 – 30 minutes.

Serve with steamed new potatoes or rice and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Chicken Satay

These little skewers are good enough to serve as a main course but I like them as a side dish to a Thai or Indian feast. They are very moreish, especially the sauce! Coconut cream can be found in cartons and is thicker than coconut milk. Serves 4.

400g coconut cream
8 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
A good pinch of dried chilli flakes
Juice of half a lime
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
A teaspoon of light soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped unsalted peanuts
Fresh coriander to garnish

Put the coconut cream and peanut butter into a bowl and beat well until combined. Stir in the lime juice and chilli flakes and cover. Leave it to one side but don’t put it in the fridge unless you’re making it the day before.

Pour half the sauce into a shallow dish and add the chicken pieces, turning to thoroughly coat them in the sauce. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, take 6 wooden skewers and soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. This prevents them from catching and burning under the grill.

Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, about 4 pieces on each, and cook under a hot grill for 5 – 6 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through. Warm the remaining sauce in a small pan and pour it into a serving bowl. Scatter over the chopped peanuts.

Serve with the sauce and a simple salad of diced fresh tomato, onion and cucumber. Garnish with fresh coriander.

French Roast Chicken with Garlic

This method of roasting ensures your chicken will be moist and full of flavour. It does contain a lot of garlic but roasting mellows the flavour so it’s sweet and sticky, not overpowering. Serves 4 – 6.

1 whole chicken, preferably free-range, weighing about 2 kg
1 lemon, cut in half
4 tablespoons olive oil
20 cloves of garlic
A sprig of fresh rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
Chicken stock for the gravy
Salt and pepper

To prepare the chicken for roasting, put it into a deep-sided roasting tin and drizzle over the olive oil. Use your hands to massage it in, season generously with salt and pepper and push the lemon halves inside the cavity of the chicken. Place in a hot oven, gas 9/240C/475F for about 25 minutes. The skin should be starting to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, remove the skin from each head of garlic (you will need 2 bulbs in total) and separate the cloves. No need to peel them, the skin will help prevent the garlic from overcooking. Remove the chicken from the oven, lift it out of the roasting tin, and scatter the cloves of garlic and the rosemary all over the base of the tin. Replace the chicken and pop it back into the oven, reducing the temperature to gas 4/180C/350F and cook for a further 1 hour and 30 minutes.

To test if the chicken is done, push a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife into the thickest part of the leg. If only clear juices seep out, it’s cooked. If the juices are tinged with pink, give it another 10 minutes and test it again.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a carving board. Use a slotted spoon to lift the garlic cloves out of the tin and put them into a bowl. Pour in some chicken stock or white wine to deglaze the pan – putting the roasting tin containing the cooking juices on a low heat and stirring until combined and slightly thickened.

Carve the chicken into thick slices and serve with the garlic cloves on the side and the gravy poured over. The best way to eat this dish is to pop the garlic cloves out of their papery skins and spread the deep yellow, butter-soft puree onto each piece of chicken as you eat it. Good served with mashed potatoes to soak up the wonderful sauce.

Indonesian Chicken Curry

This curry is a bit different to an Indian curry; it has flavours of citrus, ginger and coconut and a rich sauce. Serves 4 – 6.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
5 cm fresh ginger, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly chopped
400 ml canned coconut milk
Salt and pepper
50g desiccated coconut
50g unsalted cashew nuts
Chopped fresh coriander

Crush the onion, garlic, lemongrass, chilli and ginger to a paste using a pestle and mortar or a blender. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok and add the spice paste. Stir fry over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until it smells fragrant. Add the chicken and fry for 10 minutes, stirring and turning to coat it thoroughly in the spice paste.

Add the turmeric followed by the coconut milk. Season and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 30 – 35 minutes.

Crush the nuts in the pestle and mortar or put them into a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin. Stir the nuts and desiccated coconut into the curry sauce, which will thicken it slightly. Serve with rice and sprinkle over the chopped coriander.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Mixed Peppers

Stir-fries are so quick and easy to make. They’re even faster than ordering a takeaway! The secret to a successful stir-fry is to make sure everything is cut into similar-sized pieces and ready to add to the pan or wok as you go. Serves 2.

1 tablespoon of cornflour
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
200g chicken breast fillets, sliced into thin strips
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
2 cm fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
A bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
2 celery sticks, cut into 2.5 cm lengths
150 ml fresh chicken stock
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Put the cornflour into a bowl and whisk in the stock and soy sauce until smooth. Set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan and fry the chicken strips for 5 minutes, stirring and turning them as they cook. Add the garlic, ginger, peppers and spring onions and stir-fry for a further 5 minutes then add the thickened stock and hoisin sauce. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the celery sticks and cook for just 2 minutes so that they retain their colour and crunch. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

Tagliatelle with Roast Chicken and Cream Sauce

This is deliciously indulgent and a great way to use up leftover roast chicken. And it’s very quick to make too. Serves 4.

500g leftover roast chicken
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
25g butter
125 ml dry white wine
150 ml double cream
Salt and pepper
350g tagliatelle
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put a large pan of water on and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and add the pasta. Stir and cook for 8 – 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the cooked chicken into chunks and heat the butter in a small pan until sizzling. Add the garlic and chicken and stir over a medium heat until the chicken is warmed through and the garlic softened. Add the wine and bring it to the boil. Cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by about half. This should happen quite quickly.

Drain the pasta in a colander, leaving some of the cooking water clinging to the strands. Add the olive oil and stir to coat then add the chicken, wine and garlic. Pour over the double cream, season and toss together. Serve immediately on warmed plates.

I hope that you enjoyed this article. If you have any comments or questions please leave them below.

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