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    Home » Bulk Breakdown

    October 14, 2020

    Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    5 pouches on marinated chicken with an apron on a blue background
    5 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades ready to go

    One of my most helpful time saving routines is to marinade or pre-season chicken breasts and freeze them. I have a few favorite freezer friendly chicken marinades that are easy to assemble and really infuse flavor into chicken breasts. 

    The Process

    When I get home from Costco, I open all of my chicken breast packages and drain them into a bowl. One by one, I butterfly them in half through the center all the way through. This makes very thin chicken cutlets.

    After the chicken breasts are prepped, I mix up the marinades and portion them in Food Saver bags. Some pouches will get 4 cutlets and some will get 6 depending on my meal plan for the week. To vacuum seal a Food Saver bag with liquid, I use the pulse feature to slowly pull out the air without making a mess of the marinade. You can watch my step-by-step video to see how it's done.

    Dry Rubs

    I do also like to use a few dry rubs or seasonings. Penzeys have some great mixes! I really like their Bavarian and Tuscan Sunset blends. This time I used their BBQ rub. One other pouch of chicken got salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in case I need a simple seasoning to go into a pasta or sandwich. All of my chicken pouches get some oil, even the dry rubs. Since there is basically no fat in a boneless-skinless chicken breast, you need the moisture.

    Why I love freezer friendly chicken marinades

    grey cutting board with three grilled pieces of chicken cooked with a freezer friendly chicken marinade and a set of tongs on a wood table
    Grilled and marinated chicken. Tasty and easy.

    When chicken breasts are cut thin, they absorb whatever marinade or seasoning all the way through. I also like how quickly they cook on the grill or skillet. These cutlets cooked on a the grill at 400F in 10 minutes total. So by organizing these freezer bags on a day when I have shopped at Costco, I have 5 weeknight dinners that I can make in 30 minutes. And that's a real 30 minutes. Not a pretend 30 minutes for a magician that takes normal people and hour to pull off.

    Marinade Recipes

    a bottle of kirkland signature tequila and olive oil with a lime cut in half jar of salt and chili powder
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Tequila Chili Lime Marinade

    A zippy marinade of bright tequila and warm chili powder.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 30kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon tequila
    • 1 lime juiced
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ¼ cup veg oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Measure all marinade ingredients and combine in a bowl.
    • Prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts by cutting through the center into thin cutlets.
    • Pour marinade over chicken breasts and marinade for 2-4 hours. Or pour into a freezer bag with chicken and freeze for future use.
    • When you're ready to cook the chicken, grill on high for 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165F on a meat thermometer.
    • Serve with rice and veggies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 30kcal

    I especially like this chicken with my saffron and roasted pepper rice, but it is also very good for fajitas. If I'm in a hurry, a side dish of black beans and avocado is also delish.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Herb and Lemon Marinade

    A fresh and bright marinade that combines fresh thyme, rosemary, and lemon.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 30kcal

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup veg oil
    • 1 clove minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
    • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
    • ½ lemon juiced
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Measure and combine all ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup.
    • Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts through the center to make thin cutlets.
    • Marinade chicken in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Or save marinated chicken in freezer safe bags in the freezer for future use.
    • When you are ready to cook the chicken, grill on high for 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reads 165F on a meat thermometer.
    • Serve grilled chicken with parmesan butter noddles and asparagus or over a crisp salad with Italian dressing and garlic bread.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 30kcal

    This chicken can go with roasted herby potatoes (the air fryer is super quick for that). Or on a big salad with a vinaigrette. It's also perfect for a quick pasta with butter and parmesan.

    a bottle of soy sauce honey sesame oil next to spice containers of garlic onion ginger powder white pepper and an orange spatula on a wood cutting board with blue background
    Print Recipe
    4.67 from 3 votes

    Garlic Teriyaki Marinade

    A quick Asian inspired marinade with soy sauce, honey, and spices.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 40kcal

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup gluten free low sodium soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • ½ teaspoon ginger
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

    Instructions

    • Measure and combine all ingredients in a bowl.
    • Add thin chicken breast cutlets. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or save marinading chicken in a freezer safe bag until you are ready to use.
    • When you are ready to cook, grill chicken breast cutlets on high for 5-6 minutes per side. Pull chicken off of the grill when the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165F.
    • Serve with steamed rice, broccoli, and your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 40kcal

    This meal is so good. I serve the teriyaki chicken with steamed rice and throw a sheet pan of veggies in the oven for a complete meal. I like roasted mushrooms, but they have to play on their own side of the pan. Dan doesn't like mushrooms in the house, let alone near his food, haha!

    a vacuum sealed package of teriyaki freezer friendly chicken marinade and a sheet pan with sliced mushrooms broccoli florets and shredded carrots on parchment paper
    Ready. Set. Cook the veggies at 400F for 20 minutes. Toss with a little soy sauce before serving.
    a bowl with cooked rice chicken mushrooms broccoli carrots green onions in a white bowl with chopsticks and a omission lager beer
    Everything you need for a perfect weeknight dinner 🙂
    « Rotisserie Chicken Stew
    Easy Twice Baked Potatoes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nikki says

      January 05, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Just saw someone post your pesto tri-tip recipe on a FB site and started looking through your other posts. I’m so happy with how you present your recipes! Excited to try all of them and spread the word. Thank you for your work!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alexis! I love cooking from scratch using my favorite ingredients from Costco.

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