5 Freezer-Friendly Chicken Marinades

These 5 Simple Freezer-Friendly Chicken Marinades are perfect for midweek meals when you’re short on time and/or inspiration.

You know this scene – it’s 5 pm and you’re standing in front of the fridge wondering what on earth you’re going to make for dinner. A simple chicken marinade is a lifesaver in these moments. Perfect for busy families and meal preppers who don’t want to sacrifice on flavor mid-week or reach for the takeout menu. Plus, these were some of my best postpartum meals to freeze!

Great for grilling, pan-searing, or baking, these recipes are easy to prepare and freeze when you have extra time to meal prep. Then, you’ll have a bunch of delicious chicken portions to whip out. I always have at least a couple of these freezer-friendly chicken marinades on hand.

If you’re looking for other delicious freezer-friendly recipe ideas, you’ve got to try my round-up of Freezer-Friendly Meatball Recipes! This Freezer-Friendly Chicken and Rice Soup is another one I make on repeat. A batch of this soup makes one of the best postpartum meals to bring over to a friend with a new baby. Trust me, she will be super grateful.

THE BEST FREEZER FRIENDLY CHICKEN MARINADES

Here are the 5 easy chicken marinades I make time and time again. Each goes in a slightly different flavor direction so I have loads of variety available.

I like to use chicken breasts thighs for my freezer friendly chicken marinade recipes because they are so quick to cook. The thighs are always incredibly tender and the skin gets nice and crispy while cooking!

Coconut Curry Chicken

This hearty and gently spiced Coconut Curry Chicken recipe is loaded with aromatic spices, rich garlic and creamy coconut sauce. I LOVE it over steamed rice and a side of green veggies.

It’s one of the best freezer friendly chicken marinades for slow cooking. Cooking it gently means the sauce stays super silky and doesn’t split. It’s really good with a half of lime on the side and a little chopped cilantro!

Teriyaki Chicken

As far as simple freezer friendly chicken marinades go, this Teriyaki Chicken is one of my favorites. Great for freezer prep, enjoy it with a side of noodles or coconut rice. The pineapple juice helps tenderize the chicken so you get fork tender chicken that’s cooked in minutes.

The soy sauce seasons the chicken beautifully and the fresh ginger and garlic seeps deep into the chicken. It’s SO good. I love a teaspoon of sliced green onions, some toasted sesame seeds, and braised bok choy with each serving.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken is a pretty classic flavor combination that I find everyone loves. You can whip up this freezer marinade for chicken in minutes and whip it out just as easily.

Serve it with a side of my Cheesy Baked Truffle Potatoes or with a bowl of Creamy Cheddar Mac n Cheese! It’s also perfect with regular mashed potatoes, rice, any roasted veggie recipe and a simple side salad.

Honey Soy Chicken

This is another one of my go-to and simple freezer friendly chicken marinades for baking, grilling and so on. I love the little hint of chili and the honey and soy–sweet and salty combination.

This Honey Soy Chicken recipe is perfect with crunchy green veggies or steamed carrots, some egg noodles, or sticky rice.

Spicy Chipotle Chicken

Bold and smoky, this Spicy Chipotle Chicken marinade is packed with flavor. It’s perfect for tacos, bowls, salads or just good old meal prep.

This was one of my favorite and best postpartum meals that I reached for over and over again. Try this chicken recipe with a side of my Air Fried Elote Mexican Street Corn or the best guacamole recipe.

HOW TO STORE MARINATED CHICKEN

You can either freeze your marinated chicken straight away or keep it in the refrigerator to use within 2-3 days. Keep in mind that marinades with pineapple can over-tenderize the chicken, so you want to either freeze or use them within 24 hours.

I like to pack my freezer-ready chicken into freezer-friendly bags like Ziplock bags. You can also use other freezer-safe containers, as long as they seal airtight. These simple freezer friendly chicken marinades will keep well frozen for around 3 months.

HOW TO THAW MARINATED CHICKEN

Here are my two thaw-out methods:

In the fridge: Place the frozen marinated chicken in a glass bowl and pop it into the fridge. Let it thaw overnight.
In cold water: Submerge the freezer bag in cold water (never hot) and change the water every 30 minutes.

Once thawed, don’t refreeze the uncooked chicken. The USDA has guidelines for safe thawing methods here.

5 TOP TIPS

These are my 5 tips and tricks for great results with these simple freezer friendly chicken marinades:

If you can, use my thaw in fridge method. Slow thawing delivers better flavor than quick thawing, but either way is delicious!
Labelling is a lifesaver: You think you will remember which marinade is which and how old it is, BUT you won’t. Trust me! Add a label with the recipe name and the date you made it.
Why make one recipe when you can batch prep and make 5? Save your future self time.
Double bag: If you have a busy freezer, lol, protect your bags by packing the first into a second to prevent them from leaking.
Freeze flat: This makes a big difference in saving space in your freezer AND speeds up the thawing time.