Freezer Meal Dump Recipes

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe (Freezer Friendly)

Cooking meat on the grill is a great way to enjoy the warm summer months. That means you’re going to need to add some grill recipes to your meal plan rotation! Luckily, it’s easy to prepare your grilling recipes ahead of time with the help of your freezer! With this freezer friendly Jamaican jerk chicken recipe, you can enjoy tons of island flavour from the comfort of your home using your grill, slow cooker, or your oven.

This recipe has long been one of our go-tos. The flavours are insanely good and it’s so fast to assemble. Whenever we do one of our big marathon freezer meal sessions, we like to choose several chicken dump style recipes such as this one because they are done in no time at all.

Other chicken dump style recipes we love:

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons soya sauce
2 Tablespoons liquid honey
2 Tablespoons Jamaican Jerk Spice

Freezing instructions:

Add the chicken thighs to a large resealable bag, then top the chicken with the green onion, lime juice, olive oil, soya sauce, honey, and Jamaican jerk spice.
Squish the ingredients together inside the bag to mix the sauce ingredients and coat the chicken.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Place the bag flat in the freezer until you’re ready to start cooking.

Serving instructions:

These Jamaican jerk chicken thighs can be baked, cooked in the slow cooker, or grilled. No matter which method you use, start by thawing the chicken in the refrigerator until the thighs are no longer frozen.
To prepare the jerk chicken on the grill, start by preheating the BBQ to medium. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the remaining marinade. Oil the grill and place the chicken on the BBQ to cook for 15 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes until no longer pink in center.
To bake the jerk chicken thighs, preheat the oven to 350. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and discard the remaining marinade. Cook for one hour.
To prepare the chicken in the crock pot, place the thighs in the slow cooker and discard the leftover marinade. Cook the chicken on low for 3-5 hours.

What is in Jamaican Jerk Seasoning?

Making your own Jamaican jerk seasoning is quick and easy when you know what ingredients are used to prepare it! If you’re hoping to whip up your own jerk seasoning for this quick freezer recipe, you’ll need:

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all the spices in a small bowl and stir until they’re well combined. Then, add the mixture to your chicken to create a delicious homemade jerk chicken recipe.

Can You Marinate Chicken and Then Freeze It?

Adding marinade to your chicken is a great way to enhance the flavour of the meat. But keeping the chicken in a marinade too long can break down the meat. That might make you wonder whether it’s a good idea to store your frozen chicken in a marinade.

The good news is that it’s totally safe to marinate your chicken before freezing it. Once the marinade and chicken are frozen, the marinating process stops. That means your chicken will be safe until it’s ready to be cooked.

In fact, adding sauce, seasoning, and marinade to your chicken before freezing it is one of the best ways to speed up dinner time prep work! Simply add the marinade to the bag with your chicken and place it in the freezer. When you’re ready to cook, remove the bag from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. While the chicken is thawing, it will begin to soak up the marinade flavours, ensuring your jerk chicken is packed with Jamaican flavour when you’re ready to start cooking.

How Long Can You Keep Marinated Chicken in the Freezer?

Since the marinade will freeze around your chicken, it’s safe to store the poultry in the freezer for an extended period of time. Chicken is typically safe to freeze for up to eight weeks before it needs to be cooked. Make sure to note the date you place the chicken in the freezer and the approximate expiration date on the bag before you freeze it so you’ll know when you should cook the chicken before it goes bad.

Can You Freeze Cooked Jerk Chicken?

The beauty of freezer cooking with chicken is that you can store your chicken in the freezer raw or cooked! Combining the raw chicken with the marinade in the freezer is a quick way to meal prep. But if you’re looking to speed up your prep work at dinner time, freezing cooked jerk chicken is a great idea.

After the chicken is prepared, allow it to cool to room temperature. After that, you can transfer it to a freezer bag or freezer safe container. When you’re ready to eat your frozen jerk chicken, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, you can reheat the chicken in the oven or microwave.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

17 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken dump

Servings: 6

Ingredients

8-10 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
1/3 cup green onion chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. soya sauce
2 Tbsp. liquid honey
2 Tbsp. Jamaican Jerk Spice

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add the chicken thighs to a large resealable freezer bag, then add the green onion, lime juice, olive oil, soya sauce, honey, and Jamaican jerk spice.
Squish the ingredients together inside the bag to mix the sauce ingredients and coat the chicken.
Remove excess air and seal. Freeze.

BBQ Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat the BBQ to medium. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the remaining marinade. Oil the grill and place the chicken on the BBQ to cook for 15 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes until no longer pink in center.

Oven Cooking Instructions:

Thaw.
To bake the jerk chicken thighs, preheat the oven to 350. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish. Cook for one hour.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Thaw.
Place the thighs in the slow cooker. Cook the chicken on low for 3-5 hours.

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Recipe (Freezer Friendly)

By Sharla

When it comes to freezer cooking, you often find a variety of one pot casseroles and basic pasta dinners. And while those menu options are usually great for simple weeknight dinners, sometimes you need something with a kick!

This spicy chipotle chicken recipe is perfect for those days when you need a little bit more flavour in your meal. The delicious combination of adobe sauce and chili peppers makes this flavourful make ahead chicken the perfect option for your meal prep menu.Since this is a chicken dump recipe (meaning you just “dump” all the ingredients into a bag and freeze), it is so fast to make. Then on the day of serving, you can choose if it works best to cook it up quickly in a skillet or have it in the slow cooker while you get other things done.

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons adobe sauce (from can of adobo chili peppers)
1-2 adobo chili peppers, (from can) sliced
½ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
3 teaspoons brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Freezing instructions:

Add the chicken to a large freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients to the bag.
Close the bag, then use your hands to squish the ingredients to combine and coat the chicken breasts.
Open the corner of the bag and remove excess air, then seal and freeze.

Skillet Cooking Instructions:

Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the inside of chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
Place the thawed chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Can You Use Frozen Chicken for Freezer Meals?

Using frozen chicken for your freezer meals may seem like a quick way to prep dinner. So, if you’re wondering whether you can use frozen chicken breasts for this recipe, the answer is – it depends.

It’s never a good idea to refreeze previously frozen meat. So, if your frozen chicken breasts have been thawed, don’t use them in your freezer cooking.

But if your frozen chicken breasts are still frozen, they’re fair game! If you plan on using frozen chicken for this chipotle chicken recipe, start by combining all the sauce ingredients in your freezer bag first. Then, add the frozen chicken the bag and return the chicken to the freezer immediately to keep it from thawing.

While using frozen chicken in your freezer meal is acceptable, keep in mind that it might not be as flavourful as it would be if you use fresh chicken breasts. That’s because frozen chicken doesn’t soak up the marinade or sauce as freely as thawed chicken would, but as it thaws, the chicken will begin to marinate.

What Do You Serve with Spicy Chipotle Chicken?

Once you have your chipotle chicken recipe ready to go, you’re going to need some side dishes to go with it! Luckily, there are a few delicious sides you can whip up to go along with your spicy chicken, so your family has a yummy meal to enjoy when you’re ready to cook this frozen chicken dinner. Add these easy sides to your meal plan:

Cilantro corn
Jalapeño corn bake
Cornbread
Rice – any kind will do, but I especially like saffron rice with this meal
Peas

Spicy Chipotle Chicken

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. adobe sauce from can of adobo chili peppers
1-2 adobo chili peppers (from can) sliced
½ tsp. paprika or smoked paprika
3 tsp. brown sugar
3 cloves garlic minced
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add the chicken to a large freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients to the bag.
Close the bag, squish to combine.
Open the corner of the bag and remove excess air, then seal and freeze.

Skillet Cooking Instructions:

Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the inside of chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
Place the thawed chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Egg Roll in a Bowl (freezer meal)

By Sharla

Egg rolls are delicious dinner option. But they’re also time-consuming to prepare. What if you could enjoy all the flavours of an egg roll without all that hard work? This egg roll in a bowl recipe has that egg roll flavour you’re craving without all the rolling.

And the best part about this simple dinner idea is that it’s perfect for freezing! Follow these easy instructions for making your own freezer meal to help speed up your dinner prep.

Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork or ground Italian sausage, browned
1 cup onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix (I like the colourful one)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1-2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

Assembly instructions:

Add the browned ground pork, diced onion, minced garlic, coleslaw mix, and shredded carrots to a large freezer bag.
Season with the onion powder, red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and olive oil.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal it. Squeeze the bag a few times to mix the ingredients together, then place it flat in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Allow the ingredients to thaw completely.
Add the contents of the bag to a large skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Serve with sliced green onions on the top, if desired.

Egg Roll Bowl Recipe Ideas

Once you have the basic egg roll bowl prepared, there are so many different ways you can enjoy it! Try one of these egg roll bowl recipe variations the next time you whip up this quick and easy freezer meal:

Serve over rice. Create even more servings for your dinner with the help of rice. Steam enough rice to make one serving for each member of your family, then top the rice with your egg roll bowl mixture.
Add more veggies. Another simple way to enhance your egg roll bowl is to add more vegetables the meal. Stir fry veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and zucchini all make great additions to your egg roll bowl.
Use different meat. You can easily swap out the ground pork for another meat depending on your family’s preferences. Ground meat, like beef or turkey, is a good choice because it’s quick and easy to cook in bulk. Or use shredded chicken in place of ground pork for a different variation on this easy dish.

Can You Freeze Egg Roll Filling?

You’ve probably seen egg rolls in the freezer section of your grocery store before, but have you ever wondered if you can freeze the filling of those egg rolls? All the ingredients inside your egg rolls are freezer-friendly, which means you can absolutely freeze egg roll filling! These simple tips will help you make your egg roll bowl ahead of time and store it in your freezer until you’re ready to enjoy it.

Egg Roll in a Bowl Tips:

Cook the meat before freezing. Adding raw meat to the veggies when you store your egg roll filling in the freezer will contaminate the other ingredients. That’s why it’s important to take the time to cook your meat before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Brown your ground pork or sauté your chicken before freezing to ensure your egg roll filling is safe to eat when you take it out of the freezer.
Allow the meat to cool completely before mixing with other ingredients. After cooking your meat, it’s a good idea to allow it to cool before adding the veggies to the bag. Placing tender vegetables, like the cabbage in the coleslaw mix, in a freezer bag with hot meat will cause the cabbage to wilt.
Remove excess air to prevent freezer burn. Once you have all your ingredients added to your freezer bag, take a minute to press out as much extra air from the bag as possible. This will prevent freezer burn on the egg roll ingredients.
Freeze until ready to eat. You can store your egg roll in a bowl in the freezer for up to three months before you need to reheat and eat it.
Allow to thaw before cooking. For best results, it’s a good idea to let your egg roll filling thaw completely before cooking it. This will make it easier to cook the ingredients and ensure everything is cooked evenly. To thaw your egg roll filling, place it in the refrigerator 24 hours before you plan on cooking it.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. After cooking your egg roll filling, you should store your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftover egg roll bowl ingredients can be kept up to four days when refrigerated.

Some of our easy other skillet freezer meals:

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork or ground Italian sausage browned
1 cup onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Add bag contents to a large skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat.

Recipe Notes

If desired, sprinkle with some sliced green onions before serving.

Maple Cranberry Chicken Freezer Meal

By Sharla

With just a handful of ingredients and just a few minutes of your time, you can prepare a delicious freezer chicken recipe that everyone in the family will love. The combination of sweet maple syrup and tangy cranberries creates a flavourful sauce that pairs perfectly with poultry. Once you try this simple one-pot maple cranberry chicken, you’ll be sure to make a double batch the next time you prepare it.

Maple Cranberry Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 green onions, sliced
5 large white mushrooms, sliced
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced

For day of cooking:

¼ cup dried cranberries

Assembly instructions:

Place the green onions, white mushrooms, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and minced garlic in a large freezer bag. Pinch the top together and squish the bag to combine the ingredients.
Put the chicken breasts in the bag and seal. Be sure to remove all excess air.
Squeeze the bag again to coat the chicken in the sauce and seasonings.
Lay the bag flat and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely.
Pour the chicken and sauce in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Halfway through the cook time, add the dried cranberries and stir to combine.

How Do You Prepare Chicken for the Freezer?

Raw chicken is one of the easiest ingredients to prep for freezing! All you need to do is remove it from the package and transfer the chicken to a freezer bag. You can freeze your chicken plain or add a sauce or marinade to the bag to speed up prep time for dinner. Once you have the ingredients added to your freezer bag, make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing it. This will help prevent freezer burn while your chicken is in the freezer.

How Long Can You Keep Chicken in the Freezer Before Cooking?

If your chicken is frozen properly, you can keep it stored for several months. To ensure your chicken stays safe in the freezer, make sure it stays continuously frozen. Once the chicken is frozen, it can be stored for up to nine months.

How Do You Keep Chicken from Getting Freezer Burn?

Once you have your maple cranberry chicken prepared, you don’t want to ruin it with freezer burn! The key to keeping your chicken from getting freezer burn is to remove as much air as possible from the bag or container first. Then, make sure you maintain your freezer while your food is stored. In addition to keeping the freezer set to the proper temperature, it’s also important to clean the freezer out regularly. An overfilled freezer could cause issues with freezer burn down the road.

What to serve with Maple Cranberry Chicken:

Couscous Tabbouleh
Cilantro Corn
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes with Rosemary
Crunchy Kale Parmesan Salad
Firehouse Green Beans with Bacon
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Honey Glazed Maple Carrots
Rice
Peas

Maple Cranberry Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Ingredients

5 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
3 green onions sliced
5 large white mushrooms sliced
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. rosemary
2 cloves garlic minced

For day of cooking:

¼ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the green onions, white mushrooms, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and minced garlic in a large freezer bag. Pinch the top together and squish the bag to combine the ingredients.
Put the chicken breasts in the bag and seal. Be sure to remove all excess air.
Squeeze the bag again to coat the chicken in the sauce and seasonings.
Lay the bag flat and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw.
Pour the chicken and sauce in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Halfway through the cook time, add the dried cranberries and stir to combine.

Citrus Chicken Freezer Meal Dump Recipe

By Sharla

Featuring a sweet and tangy marinade and quick prep time, citrus chicken is a great choice for freezer cooking. In fact, this recipe is a quick and easy freezer dump meal that’s perfect for a quick dinner. Just toss the chicken thighs in a citrus marinade, store it in the freezer, and heat it up for dinner when you need a quick dump and go meal. Chicken dump recipes are among the fastest freezer meals to make. We enjoy many of these recipes such as our Chili Glazed Chicken, Apple Maple Chicken, and Honey Sesame Chicken.

How to Make Citrus Chicken:

Ingredients:

10-12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup VH honey-garlic sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/4 cup red wine (or red cooking wine without alcohol)
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp ginger powder (or ginger from a squeeze tube)
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken thighs in a large zip top freezer bag.
Add the honey garlic sauce, unsweetened orange juice, red wine, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic cloves to the bag.
Seal the bag and squeeze it between your hands to mix all the ingredients together.

Serving instructions:

Allow the chicken to thaw completely.
Pour the ingredients into a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Citrus Chicken Recipe Ideas and Substitutions:

This simple freezer dump recipe is quick and easy to prepare and cook. And with these recipe ideas, you can create a delicious meal that’s perfect for your family.

Use red cooking wine for an alcohol-free marinade. Cooking wine is a simple alternative if you prefer not to include alcohol in your sauce. Use the same amount of red cooking wine to traditional red wine as listed in the recipe.
Substitute fresh ginger or squeeze ginger for ginger powder. Add more ginger flavour with the help of freshly grated ginger. Or make your prep work even easier by adding squeeze ginger to the recipe in place of fresh ginger.
Serve over rice. Once you have your chicken prepared, you’ll need to come up with some side dishes to enjoy! Try serving your citrus chicken over rice to round out your dinner.

How Do You make Freezer Dump Meals?

Freezer dump meals are one of my favourite types of recipes. In addition to be super easy to cook, dump meals are also so easy to prepare! Dump meals get their name because all you need to do is dump the ingredients into the bag! To make freezer dump recipes, just:

Combine the ingredients in a freezer bag. With this citrus chicken recipe, simply add the chicken and marinade to the bag.
Seal and freeze. Let the extra air out of the bag and place it flat in the freezer for easy storing.
Thaw and cook. Allow the dump meal to thaw complete, then dump the ingredients into a pan or slow cooker and cook.

Side dish suggestions for citrus chicken:

Citrus Chicken Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Ingredients

10-12 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
1/2 cup VH honey-garlic sauce
1/2 cup orange juice unsweetened
1/4 cup red wine or red cooking wine without alcohol
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken thighs in a large freezer bag.
Add the honey garlic sauce, unsweetened orange juice, red wine, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic cloves to the bag.
Seal the bag and squeeze it between your hands to mix all the ingredients together.

Serving instructions:

Allow the chicken to thaw completely.
Pour the ingredients into a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately.