Spicy Chipotle Chicken Recipe (Freezer Friendly)

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:

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

Skillet Cooking Instructions:

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

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
2. 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

Print

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:

1. Add the chicken to a large freezer bag.
2. Add the other ingredients to the bag.

3. Close the bag, squish to combine.

4. Open the corner of the bag and remove excess air, then seal and freeze.

Skillet Cooking Instructions:

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

Slow Cooker Instructions:

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