3 Meal Prep Chicken Recipes To Freeze & Eat Later by Ann Marie G. Halstead

I need to get better at meal prep because it’s so worth it! One thing that has helped me in the past has been marinating chicken in advance. That way, whether I’m cooking or my hubby is grilling, we have something ready to go. I prefer freezing so that I know nothing will expire in the fridge when our plans change.

We love these three easy chicken marinade recipes! The chicken absorbs so much flavor with these three easy marinade recipes. Then all you have to do it take it out to thaw the night before. Easy and delicious, too!

There's a flavor to suit anyone's tastes below. Here is your shopping list for the cilantro lime marinade: boneless chicken breasts, olive oil, limes for juicing, honey, fresh cilantro, garlic and salt. For the chipotle marinade you will need boneless chicken breasts. olive oil, adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), sweet or smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic, limes, salt and chipotle peppers (from the same can). For the lemon garlic marinade you will need boneless chicken breasts, olive oil, lemons for juicing, soy sauce, fresh garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper. 

Serve these make-ahead chicken dinners with your favorite side dishes.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 (per bag)

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Marinade

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped and loosely packed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Chipotle Marinade

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 - 2 chipotle peppers, chopped (optional if you want it spicy)

Lemon Garlic Marinade 

• 1 pound boneless, chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low-sodium soy sauce)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Nutritional Information

Cilantro Lime Marinade and Chicken

Chipotle Marinade and Chicken

Lemon Garlic Marinade and Chicken

Here's how to make it:

1. To make the marinades, combine all the ingredients in a heavy duty plastic food storage bag or reusable freezer bag. Seal the bag and then use your hands to combine (smoosh) everything together well. Add chicken to the bag and coat it in the marinade.
2. After combining the marinade ingredients with the chicken, squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can. Pro tip: Label the bag with marinade name and date. Then place in the freezer immediately. Freeze for up to 3 months.
3. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or by immersing the bag in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours. Cook as desired.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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