Freezer Meals 101

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Freezer Meal Dump Recipes

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe

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This easy to make recipe has a unique flavour. We call it Mahjong Chicken and it’s a must-try.

Using the dump recipe method, this meal can be assembled in minutes and then frozen. It can be cooked in the crock pot or in the oven.

Mahjong Chicken with rice and broccoli saladMy neighbour and I loved the taste of this recipe, but we weren’t sure what to call it. Given some of the Asian flavours like the fish sauce, Chinese 5 spice, and thai sweet chili sauce, we decided to name it Mahjong after the game that originated in China.

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe:

  • 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (alternately, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
  2. Squish to combine.
  3. Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Suggested side dishes for Mahjong Chicken:

You can find other simple to make chicken recipes in our Chicken Dump Recipes cookbook. It includes printable labels and grocery lists, making it easier than ever to get dinner on the table. 

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Mahjong Chicken
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken, chicken dump
Ingredients
  • 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic minced
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
  2. Squish to combine.
  3. Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.
Crock pot cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Recipe Notes

Instead of chicken breasts, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

Some of our other easy chicken freezer meals for you:

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Recipe 

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Meal

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Dump recipes are the fastest way I know to make delicious suppers. This honey sesame chicken dump meal is just that. Put it together in minutes to create a dish your whole family will enjoy.  Supper doesn't get much easier than this honey sesame chicken dump recipe #freezermeals101 #chickenrecipes #dumprecipes #makeaheadmealsWhen you’re making any type of dump recipe, it’s just as easy to make 2 or 4 as it is to make one. Just set the bags out on the counter so that the bottom is open and the top is folded over. This will allow the bag to stay open without being held. Then you can place the chicken thighs in each bag before you go along and “dump” the rest of the ingredients in.

The recipe that follows is for one bag (meal). If you’re making multiple meals, add this amount to each of the bags. Be sure to label the bags with the cooking instructions before freezing.

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Meal:

  • 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup honey, melted
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch
  • optional: 1-2 tsp. Sriracha sauce

For the day of cooking:

  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds
  • optional: sliced green onions for garnish

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the ingredients reserved for the day of cooking.
  3. Give the bag a squeeze to mix the sauce. Get the air out and seal before freezing.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove the bag from the freezer to thaw.
  2. Fry in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes, until it has begun to caramelize on the outside and is no longer pink on the inside.
  3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. You can also top with some fresh sliced green onions.

This meal is gluten free if gluten free soy sauce is used. You can adjust the spiciness level of the chicken by adding Sriracha to the honey sesame sauce.

Personally, I like things with the heat kicked all the way up, so I add about 2 tsp. of Sriracha to the sauce and then put the bottle on the table when serving so that I can add some to my chicken. A few of my kids like to improve/test their spice tolerance, so they add more to theirs as well. 

What goes with honey sesame chicken?

Looking for more easy recipes you can put together in minutes? Our Chicken Dump Recipes cookbook contains recipes that are designed to be made in minutes so that you can stock your freezer and simply your life. It also contains shopping lists and printable labels to take away all the guesswork. 

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Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
  • 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup honey melted
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch
  • optional: 1-2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
For the day of cooking:
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds
  • optional: sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the ingredients reserved for the day of cooking.
  3. Give the bag a squeeze to mix the sauce. Get the air out and seal before freezing.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Remove the bag from the freezer to thaw.
  2. Fry in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes, until it has begun to caramelize on the outside and is no longer pink on the inside.
  3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. You can also top with some fresh sliced green onions.

Check out some of our other easy chicken dump recipes:

Chili Glazed Chicken Dump Recipe Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe 

Shredded BBQ Chicken 

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns

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The first time I made this shredded buffalo chicken on buns for dinner, I didn’t get to taste it. My kids were so in love with it, that some of them went in for seconds and thirds before I realized what was happening. When I went to scoop up myself, there was nothing left!

Gotta love an awesome tasting meal that goes from the freezer to the crock pot! Buffalo Chicken on Buns #freezermeals101 #crockpotrecipes #buffalochicken #makeaheadmeals #freezertocrockpotLooking at the inside of that empty crock pot could have made me angry, but instead, I was thrilled! I love when I find a meal that every single one of my kids will eat with no complaints. We had a winner on our hands!

I was slightly less thrilled with the notion of warming up leftovers for myself for supper, but I knew I would get to try it the next time. I also knew how easy it had been to put together. It was an easy decision to put it into the regular freezer meal rotation.

This recipe takes minutes to throw together, so it’s easy to make several at a time so that you always have one on hand to pull out of the freezer.

I love freezer to slow cooker recipes because they combine two things that make getting supper on the table easier and faster.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1 bottle of Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 1 envelope of dry Ranch seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions for assembly:

  1. Put the chicken breasts into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag.
  2. Dump the other ingredients into the bag.
  3. Take out any extra air. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

If you are using a slow cooker liner, add it to the slow cooker. They are not necessary, but make clean up so simple.

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken.
  3. Spoon the chicken mixture onto buns to serve.

This mixture would also be great for making cute little buffalo chicken sliders to serve at a potluck or Super Bowl gathering or birthday party.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to me how much my kids loved this recipe. They devour my buffalo chicken dip and request that I make it often. This shredded buffalo chicken has many of the same flavours as the dip does.

Possible Toppings for Buffalo Chicken Buns or Sliders:

  • blue cheese (slice or crumbles)
  • mozza or cheddar cheese (slices or shredded)
  • pickles
  • Ranch dressing
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • coleslaw

Find more freezer to slow cooker recipes in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. It includes recipes, shopping list, and printable labels, making it so easy to get dinner on the table for your family. 

Check out some of our other make ahead crock pot recipes that can be served on buns:

BBQ Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Beef Dip BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo on Buns 

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns
Ingredients
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1 bottle of Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 1 envelope of dry Ranch seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
For cooking day:
  • buns
Instructions
Directions for assembly:
  1. Put the chicken breasts into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag.
  2. Dump the other ingredients into the bag.
  3. Take out any extra air. Seal and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. If you are using a slow cooker liner, add it to the slow cooker. They are not necessary, but make clean up so simple.
  2. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  3. Cook in the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken.
  4. Spoon the chicken mixture onto buns to serve.

Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe

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When we are making freezer meals, the chicken dump recipes are the fastest to assemble. Because of that, we tend to choose to make many chicken dump recipes to speed things up. Not wanting to eat the same thing over and over, we have come up with a lot of variations. This lemon mustard chicken dump recipe is a nice one. Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe #crockpotrecipes #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmeals #slowcooker #chickenrecipes #dumprecipes

With this recipe, I prefer to use chicken thighs because I find that they come out juicier, but it works with either thighs or breasts.

One of the other things I like about this particular recipe is that it uses ingredients that I always have in the house. I buy a huge pail of local honey each year and lemon juice and dijon mustard are just fridge standards in our house.

That means that this recipe is often one that gets made at the end of our freezer meal sessions. I like to buy extra chicken so that we can make extra chicken dump recipes since they are so easy to put together.

Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe:

  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup honey, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh lemon juice or from a jar)
  • 2 tsp. lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

To assemble this meal, open a large resealable bag, fold down the top and prop the bottom so that it stays upright on the counter. It’s easiest to make several of these meals at one time. Prop open as many bags as the quantity of meals you want to make.

Melt the honey. Place the chicken pieces in each bag. Dump in the rest of the ingredients including the melted honey. Squish everything together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag(s). Seal, lay flat, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Bake at °350 for one hour, covered, uncovering the last ten minutes or cook in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours. This freezer to crock pot recipe is included in our Chicken Dump Recipes book. Check out all the recipes included. 

Lemon mustard chicken is gluten free and of course, dairy free. This makes it quite allergy friendly.

If you are on a keto diet, you can make this recipe without the honey. I have made it without the honey and it still tastes amazing.

What side dishes go with lemon mustard chicken?

The flavours of lemon mustard chicken go well with a variety of side dishes. Here is a list of ideas of side dishes to accompany this meal:

You may be interested in some of our other easy chicken freezer meals:

Instant Pot or Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe Make Ahead Chicken Marsala 

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Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken dump, freezer meal
Ingredients
  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup honey melted
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions

  1. To assemble this meal, open a large resealable bag, fold down the top and prop the bottom so that it stays upright on the counter. 

  2. Melt the honey. Place the chicken pieces in each bag. Dump in the rest of the ingredients including the melted honey. 
  3. Squish everything together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag(s). Seal, lay flat, and freeze.

  4. On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. 

Oven instructions

  1. Bake at °350 for one hour, covered, uncovering the last ten minutes.

Slow cooker instructions

  1. Cook in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.

Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

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Would it surprise you to know that I had never tried chicken tacos before this year? I had always made our tacos with beef (or Mexican ground round). These Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos were a first for me. Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos - freezer to crock pot or Instant Pot #freezermeals101 #crockpotrecipes #tacorecipes #tacotuesday #instantpot #slowcookerOur whole family loves tacos, so I was expecting to get some dissent on the change. They surprised me. I surprised me! We all loved the chicken version just as much.

In fact, when one of my daughters recently requested tacos as her birthday supper, she wanted both types of meat. Most of us just chose one or the other, but some of my kids are strange eaters and they used both chicken and beef in their tacos. Weird, I know!

Make this freezer to slow cooker or Instant Pot recipe for Taco Tuesday or Taco Wednesday or Taco Thursday or… I think you get the idea!

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos Recipe:

  • 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup jarred salsa verde
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin

Dump the chicken, diced onions, cumin, and salsa verde in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze. Instant Pot Cooking Instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Add bag contents to the Instant Pot. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.

Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (or 20 minutes if cooking from frozen). Release the steam.  Once vented, shred the chicken using tongs or two forks.

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions:

Thaw. Place the bag contents into the crock pot on cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred before serving.

Serving suggestions:

Serve the shredded chicken on corn or flour tortillas with cheese and all of your favourite taco fixings. Possible toppings are black beans, salsa, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, sliced black olives, avocados, sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro. You can also offer sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side. If chicken tacos aren’t your thing or if you have leftovers, you can also use the shredded meat as a topping on nachos or in wraps.

This salsa verde chicken recipe is included in our Instant Pot Freezer Meal plan along with other easy recipes, prep and shopping lists, and printable labels. 

You may also be interested in these recipes:

Freezer to Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

Tex Mex Pasta Bake 

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Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 1 cup jarred salsa verde
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Instructions
  1. Dump the chicken, diced onions, cumin, and salsa verde in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Instant Pot Cooking Instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Add bag contents to the Instant Pot. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.
  2. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (or 20 minutes if cooking from frozen). Release the steam.  Once vented, shred the chicken using tongs or two forks.
Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions:
  1. Thaw. Place the bag contents into the crock pot on cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred before serving.
Recipe Notes

Serving suggestions: Serve the shredded chicken on corn or flour tortillas with cheese and all of your favourite taco fixings. Possible toppings are black beans, salsa, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, sliced black olives, avocados, sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.