BBQ Pulled Pork Freezer Meal

This simple BBQ Pulled Pork freezer to crock pot recipe packs a whole lot of flavour. The rub is really what makes this meal so delicious. Last weekend, we were invited out to my brother-in-law’s lake. It’s always such a treat to go out there. They have a boat and our kids love getting to waterski and tube on the lake.

Since my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are such great hosts, I like to bring along some freezer meals so that they don’t also have to cook for us. This past weekend, pulled pork was one of the freezer meals I brought out.

We plugged the crock pot in, plopped the roast inside, and were able to enjoy the day without worrying about supper. The kids had a blast out on the lake, we all had a rather intense but fun Ladder Ball tournament, and played some board games.

When suppertime came, everyone had worked up quite an appetite. The pulled pork sandwiches really hit the spot!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe:

12-15 lbs. pork shoulder butt roast
1 bottle BBQ sauce
3 Tbsp. liquid smoke
buns for serving

Rub Ingredients:

3 cups brown sugar
¼ cup onion powder
¼ cup garlic powder
¼ cup paprika
¼ cup salt
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground thyme
1 Tbsp. dill

Rinse the pork roast under water to allow the rub to stick better.

In a mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, thyme, and dill.

Place the rinsed meat on a cutting board and spread the dry rub all over the outside of the roast. Gently place the rubbed pork roast in a large resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air, seal, and freeze.

You can store any leftover rub in a medium resealable freezer bag and freeze to use next time.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Once thawed, place 1/2 cup of water and 3 Tbsp. of liquid smoke in the slow cooker.

Place the seasoned roast into the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Once cooked, drain the extra fat and water from the crock pot.

Use a set of tongs or two forks to pull the roast apart. After it’s shredded, add 1/2 to the full bottle of BBQ sauce and mix through. Some people like their pulled pork saucier while others prefer it to be less messy. Adding more of the BBQ sauce will make this saucier and therefore, messier.

Serve the pork on buns. Hamburger buns work well. You can top your BBQ pulled pork sandwich with pickles and onions if you want. I like to add garlic mayo. to the buns before slopping the pork on top.

Other ways to serve slow cooker pulled pork:

If pulled pork sandwiches aren’t your thing or if you’re wondering what to do with the leftover pulled pork, here are some other suggestions:

pulled pork nachos
in a flour tortilla wrap
on salad
Pulled Pork Mexican Pizza
on poutine (for those not familiar with poutine, top cooked french fries with cheese, gravy, and in this case, pulled pork)
in lettuce wraps
pulled pork tacos
in a quesadilla
on pasta

You might also be interested in these recipes:

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo

Instant Pot Pork Shawarma Recipe

BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe

Ingredients

12-15 lbs. pork shoulder butt roast
1 bottle BBQ sauce
3 Tbsp. liquid smoke
buns for serving

Rub

3 cups brown sugar
¼ cup onion powder
¼ cup garlic powder
¼ cup paprika
¼ cup salt
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground thyme
1 Tbsp. dill

Instructions

Rinse the pork roast under water to allow the rub to stick better.
In a mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, thyme, and dill.
Spread the rub all over the outside of the rinsed roast. Gently place the rubbed pork roast in a large resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air, seal, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Once thawed, place 1/2 cup of water and 3 Tbsp. of liquid smoke in the slow cooker.
Place the seasoned roast into the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Once cooked, drain the extra fat and water from the crock pot.
Use a set of tongs or two forks to pull the roast apart. After it's shredded, add 1/2 to the full bottle of BBQ sauce and mix through.

Make Ahead Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

By Sharla

These make ahead fish tacos are lovely for summer. They are so fresh tasting with the mango salsa. Being able to make everything ahead means in just minutes, supper can be on the table for those busy weekday evenings.

I often order fish tacos at restaurants because it’s hard to go wrong with the flavours, but this was my first attempt at making them as a freezer meal. I wasn’t sure how making the mango salsa ahead of time was going to go, but it held up well.

I love the colours of the salsa. The sweetness of the mango pairs really well with the slight spiciness of the jalapenos and purple onions to balance it our nicely.

Fish doesn’t take long to cook, so having your salsa already made makes this meal take literally minutes to make the day of serving.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa Recipe:

1/2 lb. Basa or other white fish
1 cup mango, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup purple onion, diced
1/4 cup jalapeno, seeded and diced small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey, melted
flour tortillas for serving
optional: guacamole, hot sauce

Place the fish in a medium sized freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

Stir together the mango cubes, diced onions, diced jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and melted honey. Put the salsa in another medium freezer bag and seal. Staple the two bags together.

On the day of cooking, take the bags out of the freezer. In a skillet, grill the fish 3-4 minutes per side. Thaw the salsa.

Place a piece of the grilled fish and some of the mango salsa in a flour tortilla. If you want, you can top it with guacamole and/or hot sauce.

Yes, you read the instructions right! There is a total of 6-8 minutes of cook time on this recipe. That means that once you’ve got these in your freezer ready to go, you can come home, grill up that fish, throw in the salsa, and be sitting at the table eating (or curled up on the couch under a blanket with a glass of wine watching re-runs of Friends – I’m not judging!) in less than 10 minutes!

If you want to make this recipe gluten free, all you have to do is substitute corn tortillas for the flour ones and voila!

Personally, I love the look and taste of these fish tacos with guacamole. While I usually like hot sauce on my tacos, I find that these don’t need it because of their fresh taste.

If I had known how easy and fast it was to make fish tacos at home, I would have started doing it a whole lot sooner! These make a great summer meal because you don’t need to turn the oven on so the house doesn’t get hot. They also taste like a little bit of summer on a plate.

This easy recipe is one that you’ll make again and again.

You might also be interested in these other seafood freezer meals:

Seafood Curry Pasta Freezer Meal Shrimp Stir Fry Packets

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa Recipe

Keyword: fish tacos, make ahead fish tacos, mango salsa

Ingredients

1/2 lb. Basa or other white fish
1 cup mango peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup purple onion diced
1/4 cup jalapeno seeded and diced small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey melted
flour tortillas for serving
optional: guacamole
optional: hot sauce

Instructions

Place the fish in a medium sized freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.
Stir together the mango cubes, diced onions, diced jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and melted honey. Put the salsa in another medium freezer bag and seal. Staple the two bags together.
On the day of cooking, take the bags out of the freezer. In a skillet, grill the fish 3-4 minutes per side. Thaw the salsa.
Place a piece of the grilled fish and some of the mango salsa in a flour tortilla. Optional: top it with guacamole and/or hot sauce.

Tequila Lime Shrimp Freezer Meal

By Sharla

I have no idea why this recipe is called Tequila Lime Shrimp because tequila is nowhere to be found in this dish. Alcohol of any kind for that matter is not involved in the making of this meal.

I suppose you could serve it with a glass of wine or in the summer, even a margarita which has tequila in it. But regardless of how it got its unusual name, if you like shrimp, chances are, you’ll like this.

This cooks up so quickly that dinner can be on the table in less than 10 minutes! I know the pictures don’t make it look all that exciting, but it’s got nice flavours. One of my daughters loves to eat this on top of pasta.

Tequila Lime Shrimp Recipe:

1 lb. large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Place the shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients into the bag. Squish together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out to thaw. Stir fry the bag contents in a large skillet on medium-high until the shrimp are heated through and turn pink.

Serve the shrimp with rice, potatoes, or pasta and a side of vegetables. If you want, you can top the shrimp with some additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

OR you can cook up the marinated tequila lime shrimp to use inside shrimp tacos. Serve them in a soft tortilla with guacamole. The taste of summer in a simple dish.

And here’s where that tequila could come in. Imagine sitting on your patio with a margarita in a frosted glass while a plate of shrimp tacos is perched on your lap. Yum!

Other seafood freezer meals you might enjoy:

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Seafood Curry Pasta Freezer Meal

Make Ahead Shrimp Stir Fry Packets

Instant Pot Pork or Chicken Shawarma Recipe

By Sharla

You really can have restaurant quality pork or chicken shawarma at home. Better than that, you can make it ahead as a freezer meal and then cook it in the Instant Pot. Yep, easy Chicken Shawarma without losing the flavours!

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law spent some time in Israel. When they got back, they invited us over for dinner and introduced us to Chicken Shawarma.

While we ate, they told us about their time in Israel and the people they met there. Their stories blended in with the flavours to create such a memorable evening.

Afterwards, I was able to find a local Mediterranean restaurant that served the dish, but they often aren’t open when I have a craving. I knew I had to find an easy way to make it at home.

Since I make most of our meals ahead, I adapted this recipe to make it into a freezer meal. I make several at a time (which takes the same amount of time as making one). This way, I can always have one on hand for when a craving hits!

Having this Middle Eastern inspired dish go from the freezer to the Instant Pot makes it so quick and easy.

Instant Pot Pork or Chicken Shawarma Recipe:

1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken or pork, sliced
2 Tablespoons shawarma seasoning
2 Tablespoons oil (for cooking day)
1/2 cup broth or water (for cooking day)
Pitas (for serving)
Parsley, optional (for garnish)
Dill Pickles, optional (for serving)
Hummus, optional (for serving)

Homemade Shawarma Seasoning:

1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon all spice
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 Tablespoon ground cloves
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 Tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 Tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Pat the chicken or pork dry and cut into 1/2 thick strips. Place all the cut meat into a medium or large resealable freezer bag.

Combine all shawarma seasonings together in a bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons of the mix to the bag and toss until the meat is completely coated in seasoning. (If you prefer, you can do the mixing in a bowl before adding to the bag.)

Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze. Place the rest of the seasoning in a medium sized resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer to maintain its freshness.

On the day of cooking, take the bag of shawarma out of the freezer to thaw.

Place the 2 Tbsp. of oil in the Instant Pot and select the Sautee setting. Place the chicken or pork in the Instant Pot to sear for about 2 minutes.

Turn off the sautee setting and add your broth or water.

Select the meat setting for 10 minutes. You can use the natural or quick release.

Some notes about serving pork or chicken shawarma:

The best way to eat shawarma (in my opinion) is to spread a layer of hummus on a pita, add some of the cooked meat, top with some dill pickle slices, and sprinkle with a bit of parsley. Roll the pita and get to the eating! I know that the dill pickle thing sounds weird. It sounded strange to me too at first. My sister-in-law, Marcia, convinced me to try it and I’m so glad that I listened. If you’re unsure, just add one slice and take a bite. You’ll probably open your pita back up to add more!

You can make your own hummus or use store bought. For this recipe, homemade hummus isn’t going to make a big difference one way or the other.

If you want to take this dish to the next level, you can also add a dollop of tzatziki or yogourt to your pita.

Check out some of our other Instant Pot freezer meals:

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Vegetables Instant Pot Butter Chicken

If you are looking for Instant Pot recipes, check out our Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan. It includes great recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.

Chicken Freezer Meals

By Sharla

It is such a nice feeling to have meals in the freezer. These chicken freezer meals are family friendly with great flavours. Best of all, they are so easy to make.

Chicken is one of those things that a fair number of people like and most kids will actually eat. The best thing to do is to look for sales on chicken and plan your freezer meal sessions around the sales. That way, you can get the most meals made for the least possible amount of money.

Chicken Freezer Meals from Freezer Meals 101:

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo on Buns – Yum! This is a delicious crock pot recipe.

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping – The topping really is the star of this recipe.

Chicken Tikka Masala for the Instant Pot or slow cooker – This dish packs big flavour.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken – This East Indian inspired dish is amazing!

Lemon Garlic Chicken – a fresh tasting chicken dump recipe that can be cooked in the crock pot or oven

Apple Maple Chicken – a chicken dump recipe that can be cooked in the oven or slow cooker

Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo – a family friendly make ahead pasta casserole

Mahjong Chicken – deliciously easy!

Chicken Cacciatore – also an oven or slow cooker recipe served on pasta and can be gluten free

Chicken Fried Rice – This was adapted for freezer cooking from my Tante Gisele’s “famous” recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Freezer Meal Recipes:

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken from Crystal & Co.

Cashew Chicken Recipe from Eating on a Dime

Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup from The Chaos and The Clutter

Better Than it Sounds Prune and Olive Chicken from The Chaos and The Clutter

Chicken Dump Recipes – includes recipes for:

Chicken Hurry
Caribbean Chicken
Lemon and Garlic Chicken
Sticky Chicken
Cantonese Chicken

More Chicken Dump Recipes – includes these recipes:

Teriyaki Chicken
Lemon Mustard Chicken
French Canadian Chicken
Pepper Lime Chicken
Cindy’s Chicken

Honey Sesame Chicken from Fabulessly Frugal

Lemon Garlic Chicken from Gwen’s Nest

Black Pepper Chicken on The Magical Slow Cooker

Teriyaki Chicken from Thriving Home

For the fastest way to make chicken freezer meals, check out our Chicken Dump Recipes Cookbook. Recipes, shopping lists, printable labels, and plans designed for you to be able to make 10 meals in less than an hour!

Other Chicken Freezer Meals:

Baked Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken from Make Ahead Meals Mom

Chicken and Veggie Freezer Packs from Gimme Delicious

Cilantro Lime Chicken Freezer Meal on A Few Shortcuts

Orange Chicken on Fabulessly Frugal

Chicken and Green Chili Freezer Meal at Joyful Momma’s Kitchen

The only question left is “which ones you’re going to make to fill your freezer?”

Happy cooking!