BBQ

BBQ Salmon (freezer meal)

This BBQ Salmon recipe is great for summer. It’s the lightness of a salmon meal but has a rich, bold sauce. It’s so fast to make that it’s sure to become one of your new go-to recipes. When people think of freezer meals, they usually imagine casseroles, soups, and stews, but they can be so much more than that. Salmon is one of our favourites. When we do our freezer meal marathons, we usually choose two salmon recipes such as this one and our Ginger Soy Salmon, Maple Dijon Salmon, or Dill Salmon.

BBQ Salmon Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless salmon fillets
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (your favourite kind)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 green onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Assembly instructions:

Place the salmon fillets in a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients and squish gently to combine.
Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Barbecue cooking instructions:

Thaw. The sauce marinates the salmon as it thaws.
Heat barbecue to medium heat.
Grill fish for 6 minutes on each side on greased barbecue rack or on a cedar plant on the grill. Turn the fish occasionally. The salmon should flake easily when done.

Oven cooking instructions:

Thaw and the salmon will marinate in the sauce as it thaws.
Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet lined. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the salmon thickness. It will flake easily when done.

What to serve with the salmon:

These side dishes pair really nicely with this salmon or you can serve with your favourite sides.

BBQ Salmon

Course: Main Course

Keyword: BBQ, salmon

Servings: 4

Calories: 328 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless salmon fillets
1/2 cup BBQ sauce your favourite
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 green onion sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the salmon fillets in a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients and squish gently to combine.
Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Barbecue cooking instructions:

Thaw. The sauce marinates the salmon as it thaws.
Heat barbecue to medium heat.
Grill fish for 6 minutes on each side on greased barbecue rack or on a cedar plant on the grill. Turn the fish occasionally. The salmon should flake easily when done.

Oven cooking instructions:

Thaw and the salmon will marinate in the sauce as it thaws.
Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet lined. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the salmon thickness. It will flake easily when done.

Check out some of our other seafood freezer meals:

Chili Lime Tilapia

Ginger Soy Salmon

Make-Ahead Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Grilled Flank Steak (Make Ahead)

By Sharla

On hot summer days, it’s so nice to be able to cook using the BBQ. It allows you to enjoy the nice weather without having your oven on and heating the house too much. This make-ahead Grilled Flank Steak and Veggies is perfect for just that.

You can have a delicious weeknight dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Having meals in the freezer that can be barbecued such as this flank steak meal, our Chili Lime Tilapia, or our Ginger Soy Salmon makes summer even better. You can relax more and still get your family fed.

Grilled Flank Steak and Veggies

Ingredients:

large flank steak
6 oz. Ginger Ale
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 zucchini, sliced
1 purple onion, coarsely chopped
2 red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the day of cooking:

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
aluminum foil

Assembly instructions:

Combine the sugar, seasoning salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium resealable bag. Seal and give it a good shake. This will be the spice rub for the flank steak.
Cut up the zucchini, onion, and peppers. Place the vegetables with 1 tsp. of oil in another medium freezer bag. Seal and shake to combine.
Trim the fat from the flank steak and place it in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the ginger ale and soy sauce. Remove the excess air from the bag. Seal.
Staple the 3 bags together above the seals. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Remove the flank steak from marinade and pat dry. Use the prepared spice rub and liberally coat the flank steak, shaking off the excess. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Wrap the vegetables in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of seasoning salt. Seal the packet tightly.
Prepare the grill to high heat. Oil.
When the meat has rested and the grill is hot, place the steak on the oiled grill grate.
Add the vegetable packet to the grill as well.
After about 4 minutes, flip the steak and veggie packet. Cook for an additional 4-6 minutes to medium or to desired doneness.
Allow the steak to rest after cooking for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with vegetables.

You can find other great family-friendly make-ahead recipes for the BBQ in our BBQ Freezer Meal Plan which includes printable shopping lists, prep lists, and labels.

Grilled Flank Steak and Veggies

Course: Main Course

Keyword: BBQ, flank steak, grilled

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 297 kcal

Ingredients

large flank steak
6 oz. Ginger Ale
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 zucchini sliced
1 purple onion coarsely chopped
2 red or yellow peppers coarsely chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the day of cooking:

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
aluminum foil

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Combine the sugar, seasoning salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium resealable bag. Seal and give it a good shake. This will be the spice rub for the flank steak.
Cut up the zucchini, onion, and peppers. Place the vegetables with 1 tsp. of oil in another medium freezer bag. Seal and shake to combine.
Trim the fat from the flank steak and place it in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the ginger ale and soy sauce. Remove the excess air from the bag. Seal.
Staple the 3 bags together above the seals. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Remove the flank steak from the marinade and pat dry. Use the prepared spice rub and liberally coat the flank steak, shaking off the excess. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Wrap the vegetables in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of seasoning salt. Seal the packet tightly.
Prepare the grill to high heat. Oil.
When the meat has rested and the grill is hot, place the steak on the oiled grill grate.
Add the vegetable packet to the grill as well.
After about 4 minutes, flip the steak and veggie packet. Cook for an additional 4-6 minutes to medium or to desired doneness.
Allow the steak to rest after cooking for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with vegetables.

Check out some of our other BBQ freezer meals:

Ginger Soy Salmon

Chili Lime Tilapia

BBQ Beans Instant Pot (Freezer Friendly)

By Sharla

This BBQ Beans Instant Pot® recipe is freezer-friendly. It’s a very hearty meal that hits the spot after a long day.

These BBQ baked beans make you feel like you’ve just come in from the ranch after herding cattle. They have that cowboy meal feel to them. While I haven’t ridden horseback in years, there’s no reason I can’t eat as if I do!

BBQ Beans Instant Pot Recipe:

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans spicy red chili or kidney beans
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced or minced
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce*
1 Tbsp. hot sauce (your favorite brand)

*To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.

Instructions:

Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Add the olive oil and allow it to warm up.
Stir in the garlic and onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink, mixing with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.
Add BBQ sauce to the Instant Pot.
Next, add the beans and give everything a quick mix.
Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the vent is closed. Set Instant Pot to 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10 minutes. Open the vent to release the remaining pressure.

Freezer instructions:

Follow the directions above. Allow the beans to cool slightly before putting them into a large resealable freezer bag or into a few medium-sized ones. If you prefer, you can use reusable silicone bags.
Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

If you want, you can top the beans with sour cream, grated cheese, and green chilies. You can also serve with extra hot sauce if you like things spicy.

If you’re looking for Instant Pot freezer meals, you can find more along with printable labels and shopping lists in our Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan. Other meals you may enjoy:

Tex Mex Pasta Bake Sausage and Peppers

Rustic Beef Stew

BBQ Beans Instant Pot Recipe

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword: BBQ, beans

Servings: 6

Calories: 335 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans spicy red chili or kidney beans
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic diced or minced
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce*
1 Tbsp. hot sauce your favourite brand

Instructions

Instructions:

Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Add the olive oil and allow it to warm up.
Add the garlic and onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink, mixing with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.
Add BBQ sauce to the Instant Pot.
Next, add the beans and give everything a quick mix.
Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the vent is closed. Set Instant Pot to 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10 minutes. Open the vent to release the remaining pressure.

Freezer instructions:

Follow the directions above. Allow the beans to cool slightly before putting them into a large resealable freezer bag or into a few medium-sized ones. If you prefer, you can use reusable silicone bags.
Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

Recipe Notes

*To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free Worcestershire sauce.

BBQ Pulled Pork Freezer Meal

By Sharla

This simple BBQ Pulled Pork freezer to crockpot® recipe packs a whole lot of flavor. 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, I brought out Blue Cheese Hamburgers, Dill Salmon, and this BBQ pulled pork.

We plugged the crockpot 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!

You can see a video of us assembling this recipe during one of our big freezer meal marathon days here:

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 crockpot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Once cooked, drain the extra fat and water from the crockpot.

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

Can you freeze pulled pork?

Yes, you can freeze pulled pork, but only either before you cook it like with this BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe or our make-ahead Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork or after. This is because you only want the meat to be frozen and thawed one time for food safety.

If freezing it after cooking it, shred it first and then store it with the sauce in a large resealable freezer bag, being sure to take out as much of the air as you can before sealing. Getting rid of the excess air will prevent freezer burn.

Then when you want to serve it, take it out of the freezer to thaw and reheat either on the stovetop, stirring often, or in the microwave.

You might also be interested in these recipes:

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo

Instant Pot Pork Shawarma Recipe

BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe

Servings: 12

Calories: 399 kcal

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.

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal with Garlic Mayo

By Sharla

This BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal recipe has always been delicious, but when my friend Christie introduced me to serving it with garlic mayo, it leveled up to drool-worthy status! Seriously, this tastes amazing.

Admittedly, this is messy to eat, but you won’t mind having drips of garlic mayo mixed with BBQ sauce and minced onions running down your wrists because it is so worth it! The garlic mayo also goes beautifully with our Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork and our Make Ahead Beef Dip.

We recently gave ourselves a challenge of making freezer meals with 5 ingredients or less and included this recipe. You can see this being put together as well as the other meals here:

BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe:

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup finely minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of barbeque sauce or 425 mL of your own homemade BBQ sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

To put this freezer meal together, place the chicken, minced onion, minced garlic, barbeque sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a large resealable bag. Remove excess air and seal.

On the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw. Cook it in the crockpot on low for 3-5 hours. Shred when done and serve in on buns on top of garlic mayo. You can also serve this shredded BBQ chicken on nachos or in tacos.

I’ve brought this with us camping and had it on a lazy Sunday afternoon and served it to company. You just really can’t go wrong when something tastes this good.

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal with Garlic

Admittedly, it is messy to eat, but you won't mind having drips of garlic mayo mixed with BBQ sauce and minced onions running down your wrists because it is so worth it!

Servings: 6

Calories: 509 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup finely minced onion
4 cloves garlic minced
1 bottle of barbeque sauce or 425 mL of your own homemade BBQ sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Place the chicken, minced onion, minced garlic, barbeque sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a large resealable bag.
Remove excess air and seal.
On the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw.
Cook it in the crock pot on low for 3-5 hours.
Shred.
Serve in on buns on top of garlic mayo. You can also serve this shredded BBQ chicken on nachos or in tacos.

Garlic Mayo Recipe:

1/2 cup mayo
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
dash of salt and pepper

Mix together all the ingredients and serve on buns before topping with the shredded BBQ chicken. If there’s any leftover, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container. We never have any leftovers though because it is lick-the-bowl good (or so I’ve heard)!

Garlic Mayo Recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 126 kcal

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayo
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
dash of salt and pepper

Instructions

Mix together all the ingredients.
Serve on buns before topping with the shredded BBQ chicken.
If there's any leftover, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

This drool-worthy BBQ Shredded Chicken recipe is included in the More Family Favourites Freezer Meal Plan along with other family-friendly recipes, shopping lists and printable labels.

Here are other “freeze ahead” recipes that may also interest you:

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo

BBQ Pulled Pork

Pizza Stuffed Chicken