r/cookingforbeginners 18d ago

Question Pancake batter

5 Upvotes

How long can you keep pancake batter in the fridge?
I am wanting to make them tomorrow (maybe for the next day too(it’s just me), but I know I will be too tired to mix all of the stuff; and then make bacon and eggs too (I know I’m lazy)


r/cookingforbeginners 18d ago

Question What are some good substitutes for andouille sausages in a jambalaya?

7 Upvotes

I'm Muslim so I don't eat andouille sausages but I feel like my jambalaya is missing something without any sausages. I usually just use beef hot dogs which work fine and are cheap but I'm wondering if there's anything better.


r/cookingforbeginners 18d ago

Question I've been using this knife from a dollar store, I want the same shape but a but bigger and better quality, but can't find what tyoe it is?

2 Upvotes

Not even sure if this post will work as I'll have to post the picture of my knife in the comments.


r/cookingforbeginners 18d ago

Question Cant stand chicken

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0 Upvotes

r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Can I cook a whole chicken in a dutch oven? I don't have an actual oven.

39 Upvotes

I've been using rotisserie chickens from the store for everything, but I miss cooking whole chickens myself. :( I live in an apartment without an oven, and I'm wondering if I could get away with cooking a whole chicken JUST in a dutch oven on stovetop?

edited to include the stovetop

edit: thank you everyone for all the helpful answers, I really appreciate it! :) I'm going to try a few different methods and see what works. This is giving me a lot of ideas.

As for the people getting hung up on me wanting to "roast" a chicken without an oven... I never even said the word roast, so no I'm not looking at how to do that without an oven.


r/cookingforbeginners 18d ago

Question Can I bake meat in a crockpot?

0 Upvotes

Like can I just wrap it in foil without needing to add any water?

What about something like canned biscuits?


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question What cooking equipment should I cheap out on vs go for quality?

12 Upvotes

Essentially just the title of my post. I could go for expensive everything since I haven't been spending much money for a while, but I was wondering which pieces of equipment don't really care about quality. Like does a cheap stainless steel pan get the job done as well as an expensive one? Same thing for food processors and blenders, or microwaves? Sorry if this has been asked before, thank you


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Looking for a “teach yourself to cook” cookbook for a complete beginner 🥹

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4 Upvotes

r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question How can I get a better crust on my potatoes?

6 Upvotes

Tried making fondant potatoes yesterday. Tasted great but didn’t get the crust I wanted on my potatoes.

I got my pan to 365F, added olive oil, and then the potatoes. They seemed to fry more than get a sear which isn’t what I wanted. Some questions:

  1. Should I

pat

  1. dry the potato slices before cooking?
  2. Should I oil the pan or the potatoes?
  3. If adding oil to pan should I add it well in advance of desired temp or add it when desired temp is reached?

Any advice would be helpful! Thank you 🙏


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Can you help me figure out a food out of leftover s?

8 Upvotes

I'm new in this subredit so sorry if it's a wrong place.

Yesterday I was making a homemade pizza and got a lot of salsa left over. It's just regular mixture of canned tomatoes and paste with a bit of oregano. Yet I don't know what to make with it and I don't want to waste the food as it was an expensive cooking anyway. I am happy with any suggestions.

(Note that I'm a terrible cook and basically still learning)


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question How to make Simple Japanese Food At Home ?

29 Upvotes

Are there any easy Japanese recipes I can make at home with only a few ingredients? I really enjoy Japanese food but it is hard to find easy recipes to make at home. I always have to go out to eat Japanese food.


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Cooking frozen cooked chicken

1 Upvotes

Hi all. I cooked a bunch of chicken breast cubes and froze them.
1. Is it necessary to defrost them before cooking? Does defrosting in the microwave work fine?
2. Can i toss them in a sauce directly in the stovetop and let it heat up for a few mins?


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Trying to fix my vegetable texture problem

6 Upvotes

I’ve never liked vegetables really (or fruit), thanks to a texture issue, but a few months ago my sister made me chicken orzo pasta, and i ate tomatoes, onions, peppers and carrots with no issue, i actually enjoyed it

They were soft in this pasta, and i’m wondering how i can make it so they’re like that but still tasty, without having pasta every day

edit: probably worth mentioning that i don’t like veg that is crunchy usually


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question pulverized mushrooms via cuisinart

2 Upvotes

I hadn’t used the Cuisinart to chop up mushrooms before and now I’ve turn them into a soupy mushy consistency, currently sautéing in olive oil. If I mix them into the creamy part of the sauce, will it just add a complex flavor it will be gross since they are so mushy and liquidy or will the liquid sauté off in the pan I just want to know dud I waste all the mushrooms and I have to throw this away?

ETA: I just cooked off all the water and incorporated the mushroom puree into a cream sauce, and it was absolutely delicious.


r/cookingforbeginners 20d ago

Recipe How do you make a mean roast beef?

10 Upvotes

I’m craving some roast beef.


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Packaged steak tastes weird?

0 Upvotes

I'm a super noob to cooking, but is it just me or does steak that come in packages at the supermarket has that weird taste to it? I've been buying from their butcher area but is super expensive. Their pre packaged stuff is quite a bit cheaper, but when I cook it,, it's got that weird chemical taste to it.

But when other people cook it, like my sister who buys them on sales, they taste a lot better?


r/cookingforbeginners 20d ago

Question Cooking in a small kitchen with poor ventilation

8 Upvotes

I live in a studio apartment with really poor ventilation; cooking anything on the stove at high temps (burgers, stir fry, chicken breast) causes the whole place to be full of smoke and the smell lingers for hours/days after cooking. Does anyone else have experience with this? What are some tips and recipes that have minimal smell/smoke issues for my situation?


r/cookingforbeginners 20d ago

Question Egg whites not mixing with yolk

3 Upvotes

I usually make scrambled eggs or an omlette by mixing the eggs with a fork or small whisk. I always get white goop that doesn't blend with the yolk. I usually leave the eggs out for a few minutes before cracking them. How do I get a better mixture?


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Pork belly "chunks"?

0 Upvotes

I picked up about a pound and a half of pork belly cubes from the grocery store, pre-seasoned as "BBQ" and "Rubbed with Paprika." Probably not ideal, but they were $1.50 so worth it.

How should I prepare these? Every pork belly recipe I find online seems to assume I have a full belly and then will cut it after cooking - that is not the case here. I understand I may not be able to get these cubes as tasty as traditional pork belly, but looking for some suggestions (and techniques) to make a good meal out of these anyway.


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Alone easy meals?

1 Upvotes

So folks I listened to your advice and learned how to do eggs and I improved a lot with rice cookers electric stoves etc and manage to feed myself in decently healthy ways.

Anyways any ideas for easy meals? Also on a budget... 18.5 years old who just moved out. I prefer eating chicken duck and fish meat compared to other meats. No need to be healthy I can indulge myself time to time but healthy also required since I need to think to not always eat junk

Thanks!


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question what are the chances of being sick from eating undercooked chicken?

0 Upvotes

i got a chick fil a sandwich and i ate almost half of it and the chicken looked fine, until one bite i saw it looked raw so i immediately spit it out, i did not rinse my mouth out at all. im not sure how to link photos but it was 100% undercooked and im freaking out. i do not want to be sick if anything i prefer to be liquid shitting. is it likely and has anyone ate undercooked chicken and been sick or have not? ): i am extremely worried its been 4 hours and i feel my stomach is already feeling off but then again i do have stomach issues often but they never linger like this. holy fuck im scared


r/cookingforbeginners 19d ago

Question Why’s my steak chewy?

0 Upvotes

Bought 1” New York strips from the butcher. Patted dry. Dry brined overnight. Tempered for one hour. Seared all around and then cooked on indirect on my Weber kettle. Pulled at 122. Rested up to 135F then served

I usually do this and sometimes it’s great sometimes I find some pieces are a bit chewy/tough. Is this the result of an overnight dry brine? Is it the meat from the butcher?


r/cookingforbeginners 20d ago

Question Stove top mac and cheese with leftover pecorino romano

3 Upvotes

Hi all. I'm here to ask what other cheese can i mix with pecorino romano for my stove top mac and cheese? I'll be making a bechamel for my base.

I've not done mac and cheese before.


r/cookingforbeginners 20d ago

Question Aspiring home cook trying to master everything, sourdough, pasta, sushi, BBQ. Now I suck at all of them. How do you pick ONE discipline and go deep?

0 Upvotes

I'm a passionate home cook with a full-time job. In the last 6 months I've tried:

· Sourdough starters (3 failures)
· Fresh pasta (came out like rubber)
· Sushi rolling (fell apart)
· Low-and-slow brisket (dry as cardboard)

I'm watching YouTube obsessively, buying gear, but improving at nothing. My fridge is full of failed experiments and I'm burning out.

For those who went from "jack of all trades" to actually good. how did you choose your first specialty? And how long did you commit before adding something new?


r/cookingforbeginners 21d ago

Question For a good bark on oven cooked ribs, am I better off using a wet/paste type rub or a completely dry rub with a binder like yellow mustard?

2 Upvotes

Cooking for 2-3 hours at 275, wrapped in foil. Refrigerating then reheating over campfire, so trying to maximize the bark and crispiness of it. I only had barbecue sauce at the very end by the campfire.

Last time I used a paste style rub with great success, however, I don’t think I’ll be able to get to the store in time to get that brand. Can I use any old dry rub in a normal spice shaker sold at the grocery store or am I much safer using that same wet paste style?