No more dry, tasteless chicken for the family! Use one of these 4 delicious chicken marinades to infuse flavor into your chicken— each can be made ahead and tossed into the freezer. Never have bland, plain, boring chicken again!
Today we're talking about dinner— weeknight dinners to be exact. In an effort to make those weeknight dinners less hectic, more flavorful and a bit easier, I'm sharing basic chicken marinade recipes that you can make ahead of time.
Why You'll Love These Recipes
- Saves time during the week
- Incredibly flavorful
- Creates a tender, juicy chicken every time
- Easy to prep ahead of time
Here's Why You Should Marinate Your Chicken
A chicken marinade is a combination of herbs, spices, oil, and other add-ins tossed tossed together that you use to flavor the chicken. You can think of it like a sauce that over a set time infuses into the chicken creating layers of flavor— the longer it sits, the better the flavor.
The best part of marinades is that you can make them ahead of time. The recommended marinating time is anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours, if there's no acid in the marinade, up to 24 hours.
How To Freeze Marinated Chicken
This is why you're really here— freezing marinated chicken. This is one of my meal-prep tips! Simply place the chicken in a large, gallon-size bag and then add the marinade. You want to remove as much air as possible and then seal the bag shut. Then, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. There's no need to let the chicken marinate for a set time prior to placing the freezer, as it thaws it will marinate.
How To Cook Chicken
There's a few ways that you can cook chicken— it's really based on preference and what you have available.
- Instant Pot: Chicken cooks pretty quick overall, but when frozen, the best way to cook it is in the instant pot.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the marinated chicken breasts, even thickness, into an oven-safe baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If using chicken thighs, bake for 8-10 minutes. Keep in mind that the total time varies based on the overall thickness of the chicken breast.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat— the higher heat gives the chicken a nice crust. Place the marinated chicken breasts, even thickness, onto the hot grill, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
No matter the way you cook the chicken, allow it to rest for 5 minutes prior to slicing to let the juices redistribute through.
Zesty Italian Marinade Ingredients
- Lemon
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Dried Parsley
- Onion Powder
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Lemon Garlic Marinade Ingredients
- Lemon
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Salt
- Pepper
Teriyaki Marinade Ingredients
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
- Honey
- Sesame Oil
- Garlic
- Red Pepper Flakes
Cilantro Lime Marinade Ingredients
- Lime
- Olive Oil
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
Marinating Tips
- Marinades can be pre-made and stored in a air-tight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Do not thaw chicken if you are going to freeze again— marinades can be added to already frozen chicken (flavor will be absorbed while thawing.)
- Trim/cut your chicken to your liking.
- Prepared marinated chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Store marinated chicken in a zip top bag and remove excess air or a vacuum sealed bag.
- To thaw chicken, place in the refrigerator overnight or raid-thaw in a bowl of cold water for a few hours.
- These marinades can be used on steak or fish.
Recipes To Serve With Chicken
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Cauliflower and Broccoli Au Gratin
4 Chicken Marinade Recipes You Can Freeze
Description
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Marinade
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons pre-minced)
- 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (3-4 sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cilantro Lime Marinade
- 2 limes, zest and juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced)
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Teriyaki Marinade
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced)
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Zesty Italian Marinade
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoon pre-minced)
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients into a jar or air tight container. Shake well. OR whisk together in a bowl. Leftover marinade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Alex
After I marinate raw chicken should I pre-freeze it for a short time either individually or all together before I then vacuum seal it and freeze it?
If I'm just brushing with olive oil and then with dry rub same question above and should I separate with wax paper before vacuum Sealing? Asking because I don't want the oil and dry rub all sticking to the bag after it is thawed. Or maybe I should take it out of the vacuum sealed bag before thawing in refrigerator?
Christina
This is really up to you. I just throw it all together in the bag (even when I vacuum seal it) and then toss it in the freezer. As it thaws the marinade is fine in the bag just as if it was just sitting in the refrigerator with it.