5 Easy Chicken Breast Recipes You Can Prep For Your Freezer In 20 Minutes!
These 5 easy chicken breast recipes allow you to quickly prep 5 meals to stash in the freezer for busy weeknights!
Many of you ask me to help you with prepping meals for the week. The answers to this problem are something I’ve struggled with simply because everybody eats so different! But there are lots of little tricks to use, depending on what you typically eat.
So for this post, I chose something that most clean eaters are very, very familiar with. Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. I picked up a large bag of the frozen chicken breasts at Trader Joe’s and divided them up as shown in the video above.
I designed these recipes to be single serving recipes. But you can easily double, tripe or quadruple them and freeze in a gallon-sized zipper-top bag. So multiply as needed.
I kept the variations very simple, and I have to say, these did really come together very quickly. Truly, in less than 20 minutes. It’s a fabulous way to prep a large bag of frozen chicken breasts to have handy when you need them. Simply buy frozen ingredients, toss together in a zipper top freezer bag, then return to the freezer until you are ready to cook them!
FREEZER MEALS
Prepping food for the weak makes everything flow easier. No matter how your day is going, you know you can come home to a fast and easy, healthy meal. Aside from chopping an onion (which you can also purchase frozen in some stores), most of these ingredients are found in your pantry or freezer.
SHOPPING LIST!!
And just cause I love ya, I’m including a shopping list for all the recipes below. You can download that here for free.
MORE CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES:
- Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts – A deliciously different way to enjoy chicken for dinner tonight!
- Pineapple Chicken Verde – An easy, tasty recipe for tacos or burritos, and your slow cooker does all the work!!
LOOKING FOR MORE FREEZER-FRIENDLY RECIPES?
CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES TO PREP FOR THE FREEZER
Hawaiian-Style Chicken
Equipment
- Zipper top bag for freezer storage
Ingredients
- ½ lb. chicken breast (frozen – 1 large breast or 2 small)
- ½ cup pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen – no sugar added if frozen)
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce OR coconut aminos
- 1 tsp. honey OR Sucanat (optional for sweeter flavor)
- salt and pepper to taste after cooking
Instructions
- Mix chicken breasts together with the flavorings you want in a zipper-top sandwich bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- To cook, bake from frozen at 350 F. for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer. Time will vary by oven. Or thaw overnight and bake from thawed at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Balsamic Italian Herb Chicken
Equipment
- Zipper top bag for freezer storage
Ingredients
- ½ lb. chicken breast (frozen – 1 large or 2 small)
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste (no sugar added)
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning (just herbs)
- salt and pepper to taste after cooking
Instructions
- Mix chicken breasts together with the flavorings you want in a zipper-top sandwich bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.To cook, bake from frozen at 350 F. for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer. Time will vary by oven. Or thaw overnight and bake from thawed at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Thyme & Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken
Equipment
- Zipper top bag for freezer storage
Ingredients
- ½ lb. chicken breast (frozen – 1 large or 2 small breasts)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste after cooking
Instructions
- Mix chicken breasts together with the flavorings you want in a zipper-top sandwich bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- To cook, bake from frozen at 350 F. for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer. Time will vary by oven. Or thaw overnight and bake from thawed at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Balsamic Chicken & Onions
Equipment
- Zipper top bag for freezer storage
Ingredients
- ½ lb. chicken breast (frozen – 1 large or 2 small breasts)
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped onion (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. dried basil
- ¼ tsp. dried rosemary (ground is best for texture, but use what you have)
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste after cooking
Instructions
- Mix chicken breasts together with the flavorings you want in a zipper-top sandwich bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- To cook, bake from frozen at 350 F. for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer. Time will vary by oven. Or thaw overnight and bake from thawed at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Coconut Curry Chicken
Equipment
- Zipper top bag for freezer storage
Ingredients
- ½ lb. chicken breast (frozen – 1 large or 2 small breasts)
- ¼ cup coconut milk (canned, full fat or light, no sugar added)
- ½ tsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. garam masala
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste after cooking
Instructions
- Mix chicken breasts together with the flavorings you want in a zipper-top sandwich bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- To cook, bake from frozen at 350 F. for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer. Time will vary by oven. Or thaw overnight and bake from thawed at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
i just wanted to thank you for these. I’ve seen a gajillion “make ahead freezer meals” on Pinterest which have quite intimidated me. Just looking at them stressed me up. Cooking isn’t exactly my forte. But the ones you have here are so simplified and do-able! so, thanks!
Toro – My pleasure! Let me know how you like them! 🙂
I love this! Especially since they are single serve. Just wondering, do you think these would also cook well in a crockpot?
Gillian – If you have a very small crock, it could work. One of those 1 quart crocks. But it has to have the high and low settings, otherwise it’s just a warmer that won’t safely cook the food. If you don’t, you’ll need to multiply the recipe enough to fill your crock at least 1/2 way. Otherwise, it will turn out very tough and mostly burnt. The point being, you have to have enough food in the crock for it to cook appropriately.
Yes but wouldn’t take . maybe 2 Hours
These are great! Got anymore? Maybe with a different meat/protein aswell? I also don’t use any type of sweetener (including honey, agave, stevia etc) except fruit and managed to lose 30lbs in about 6 months so looking for some more quick and easy food ideas.
Fiona – I have more planned, yes. These take some time to put together, but it is in the works. 🙂
As someone who has just started meal prep for 1, I’m so thankful for these recipes. I plan to try one tonight. Can’t wait to see the other ideas you have shared. Thanks!
Kindra – Awesome!! I’m working on 5 more for sheet pan dinners at the moment. So stay tuned…!
This is a real eyeopener for me! Never thought of it but it looks so good, why have I never thought of that!
Thanks for the recipes and congratulations with you house. I think it’s great for you and Mini chef, all the best of luck for you!!
Miranda – Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the recipes! 🙂
I’m wondering if anyone has tried to package these in tin packs to be cooked over an open grill?? going camping next week and looking for a few healthy meal ideas that can be done on a BBQ or open fire pit
Alex – In theory, most things can be cooked on a grill or over a fire pit. You would just want to be sure to thaw them first or everything could end up a little on the tough side.
Could I do these with fresh chicken breast as well and then freeze?
Katherine – Absolutely!!
Hello! I froze the Hawaiian style chicken recipe about a month ago and am trying to cook it tonight. The recipe doesn’t say to cover it – but should I have? I followed the recipe when freezing it, dumped it all into a preheated oven in a casserole dish (as is) and it’s been 45 minutes on 350 and looks dry and is uncooked at least on the top under the pineapple.
Kyla – That’s odd. Are you sure your oven is cooking at the correct temp? I’ve baked this multiple times without any issues. You can definitely cover it if you feel that would work better, I never have, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a good idea in your own oven. It’s possible you may need to make sure that everything is in a single layer to ensure everything cooks properly, but again, that’s not something I’ve ever worried about. Just trying to think of what the issue could be…
Thank you, going from cooking for a family of 5, then 4 when my eldest young adult moved out. Now to a single mom who never knows if my two youngest will be home for dinner, at friends or at their dads… until just before dinner time. As a diabetic (type 3c, from pancreatic resection, cancer) I need my healthy meals, and have found its easier to skip or eat junk when I am alone. Thank you.
A Mom – I know how that is! I’m so glad these are helpful for you. I hope you enjoy them! 🙂