Name: Honey Garlic Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1.5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or tamari); 1.5 tbsp olive or canola oil; 4 tbsp honey; 3 cloves garlic (minced)

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Have you ever stood in front of an empty fridge in the morning and realized that you’re out of groceries and will need to pick some up for dinner? This is usually when I just sigh and decide on take-out because grocery shopping after a long day at work isn’t exactly in my schedule.

Enter: the freezer marinade. Grab it from the freezer and let it thaw out in the fridge while you’re at work! Marinades are amazing at turning meat into flavourful, moist meals that can be stored in your freezer for up to four months. AKA you spend a couple minutes prepping these freezer friendly chicken marinades and you are ready to go for the next four months!

What Does “Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades” Even Mean?

To marinade something means soaking it. Marinating something essentially turns whatever you’re marinating into a flavour bomb. Freezer friendly means these chicken marinades can be stored in your freezer for up to four months until you’re ready to use them. Marinating meat for a couple hours makes it delicious but thawing it out overnight in the marinate recipes means the chicken will be next level delicious! Today I have 7 super easy freezer friendly chicken marinates for you down below.

The Marinade Formula: Meat + Marinade + Cook = Flavour Bomb

So how does this whole chicken marinating thing work? You pick your cut of meat (chicken breast – whole or diced, thighs, wings, drumsticks, etc), you pick your marinade (I’d like to think that mine are the best chicken marinades out there ;) ), and then you cook it! I’ve read about both baking and grilling but I’ve only tested these out with baking. All of mine went straight into the freezer to freeze but if you don’t have time to marinate the chicken overnight, you can usually get some pretty good flavours from two hours in the fridge.

How To Cook These Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

I bake mine in parchment paper to seal in the flavour and moisture. I make a little envelope by folding the parchment paper in half and then folding the edges in like I do with my freezer friendly beef empanadas (video instructions on folding empanadas can be found there)!

Freezer Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes

An alternative is to just toss them directly into the Instant Pot! I love how my Instant Pot can cook frozen chicken without thawing so if I ever forget to thaw my chicken marinades, the Instant Pot is a dinner saver. All you have to do is add one cup of water into the Instant Pot with the frozen chicken marinade!

Note: I used chicken breast and each chicken breast was just under 9 oz

Are These Freezer Marinades Healthy?

I’d consider these to be healthy chicken breast marinades! They’re quick, easy, and made with minimal ingredients. I also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for these marinades as it is low in fat and a good source of protein. However, you are welcome to substitute them with other chicken parts such as thighs or drumsticks.

Can You Marinate Frozen Chicken?

Technically yes, but I avoid doing it. I find that marinades don’t penetrate frozen chicken as well. Plus as the chicken thaws, you may notice extra liquid from the chicken – this will dilute your marinade as well. However, you should not thaw, marinade, re-freeze chicken so if you have no other choice, then go for it. The chicken will however only be marinating while the chicken thaws before cooking (as it can’t penetrate frozen chicken)

Can these Marinades be Used Without Freezing Them?

Yup! Marinate your chicken for 2-4 hours in the fridge if you prefer!

The Tools to Prep for Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

Ziploc Freezer Quart Bags
Tongs
Pyrex Simply Store 11 cup Food Storage Dish (to store in the freezer)
Bag Holders (makes it easier to put your marinade and chicken in without letting the raw chicken touch the seal of the ziploc bag. alternatively, fold the top half of the bag inside out.)
Sharpie (please mark the dates on the bag!)

7 Easy Healthy Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

Honey Garlic Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinade

Serve this with/ideas:

Quinoa Salad with Honey Garlic Sriracha Chicken

Honey Garlic Easy Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

Honey Garlic Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinade

5 from 18 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Per 9 oz chicken breast

1.5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
1.5 tbsp olive or canola oil
4 tbsp honey
3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a heavy duty ziploc freezer bag. Add chicken breast(s) into the back and move it around instead of the bag once closed to coat the chicken in the marinade.

Marinate

If placing in the fridge, marinate 2-4 hours before baking. If freezing, place it into the freezer immediate.

To Bake

Let the chicken thaw in the ziploc bag inside the fridge overnight.
Bake at 425F for 25 minutes.

For the Instant Pot

From frozen: place into the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water (or broth) and pressure cook for 8-9 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breast) and then Quick Release when done.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I'm always so happy to hear about it! I'd love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I'd really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Authour: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Meal Prep

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