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
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
Tequila Chili Lime Marinade
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
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.
Herb and Lemon Marinade
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
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.
Garlic Teriyaki Marinade
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
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!
Nikki says
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!