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Writer's pictureAaisha Fakih

3 Best Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades

These 3 chicken marinades make your chicken tender, juicy and so flavorful. You can cook these on the grill or pop them in the oven. Super easy to prepare a bunch at once and freeze for later.


And if you want your chicken to be more flavorful and tender make sure you follow the rule of the 1st Marinade(which is a basic) which remains the same for any kind of marinade you intend to soak your chicken with. Today I am Sharing my 3 most favorite and so flavorful Chicken marinades that are going to bring you a ton of good critics on the table.

& not only these marinades are full of flavor, but they are perfect for meal prep!


Here's my meal prep trick: Take five minutes at the start of the week and make one of these marinade recipes. Pop the chicken + marinade into the freezer together, and your chicken will absorb so much flavor when you thaw it to cook!

It's also a great tip for when chicken breasts go on sale. Stock up and get a little assembly line going!



Reasons to ♡ these chicken breast marinades

  • they are simple and made with pantry staples

  • they are fridge and freezer-friendly

  • the chicken turns out tender, juicy, and so flavorful!

  • you can cook them in the oven or on a grill


Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these marinades. It’s so easy!

https://youtu.be/MyTtNcvwl_k


Freezing chicken in a marinade

Freezing chicken in a marinade is a great meal prep hack. As the chicken thaws, it absorbs so much flavor.

  1. Label bags with name, date and cooking instructions.

  2. Prepare chicken marinade as you normally would.

  3. Squeeze as much air out of the bag, then place in the freezer.

  4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

  5. Thaw completely before cooking.


How to cook after marinating

Baking

  1. Heat oven to 180°.

  2. Arrange chicken with marinade liquid into a baking dish or on a skewer.

  3. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. (don't ever over-do the chicken)

  4. Double check that your chicken before you get it out of the oven.

  5. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve.


Air Fryer

I recommend slicing the chicken breasts in half horizontally (if you are going to use it this way, if it's in cubes then go as it is) to create two thin slices; this prevents them from overcooking. Alternatively, you can pound the chicken to even thickness.

  1. Heat air fryer to 400°F.

  2. Shake off excess marinade, and arrange the chicken into the air fryer basket.

  3. Cook for 4 minutes, flip, then cook for an additional 2 minutes.

  4. Check that it has cooked well once, then remove from the air fryer.

  5. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.


Marinade FAQ


Can I use these marinades without freezing them?

Yes, absolutely. Pop them in the fridge for 2 hours all the way up to 24 hours. I don't recommend marinating longer than that without freezing.

How long can these be frozen?

Up to 3 months. As everything freezes, the marinating process stops, and starts up again as the chicken thaws.

What if my chicken is already frozen?

Do not thaw your chicken if you are going to freeze again. Add the marinades to already frozen chicken, and you will still get a ton of flavor from marinating while it thaws.

How to thaw the chicken?

The safest bet is in the fridge overnight, but you can do a rapid-thaw process in cold water for a few hours. Just make sure your freezer bag is heavy duty so you don't have any leakage!



 

3 Chicken Marinade Recipes (Freezer-Friendly!)

Course: Main Course Cuisine: Indian Author: Aaisha


 

Murgh Malai Tikka



Recipe Description

Chicken is marinated in a mixture of heavy cream (Malai), herbs and spices and baked in a Tandoor or oven.


Ingredients:-

  • Fresh cream – 1 cup

  • Chicken thigh boneless, cut into cubes – 750 grams

  • Oil – for greasing

  • Salt – to taste

  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon

  • Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

  • Nutmeg powder – a pinch

  • White pepper powder – ½ teaspoon

  • Lemon juice – ½

  • Processed cheese, grated – 1 cup

  • Cornflour – ½ Tablespoon

  • Green chillies, chopped – 2

  • Fresh coriander leaves, chopped – 2 Tablespoons

  • A pinch of green cardamom powder


Method:-

  1. Preheat the oven at 220 degree Celsius. Grease a baking tray with oil.

  2. Place chicken pieces in a bowl, add salt, garlic paste, ginger paste, nutmeg powder, white pepper powder and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside for one hour.

  3. Take a bowl add, grated cheese and mash with hands.

  4. Add corn flour, cardamom powder, chopped chilies, chopped fresh coriander leaves, marinated chicken pieces and mix well.

  5. Add cream and mix gently.

  6. Place the marinated chicken pieces onto baking tray and cooked into pre heated oven for twenty minutes.

  7. Transfer cooked chicken onto serving plate and garnish with silver varq.

  8. Serve hot.

 

Pahadi Tikka



Ingredients-


1st marinade-

  • 500 gm Chicken (boneless, cut into cubes)

  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 lemon juice

2nd Marinade-


  • 1/2 bunch each-

  • Coriander leaves, &

  • Mint leaves

  • 2 chilies

  • 1 tbsp oil

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

  • 3/4 cup curd

  • Pinch of cardamom powder

  • 1 tbsp mustard oil

  • 1/4 tsp carom seeds


Instructions-


  1. Marinade the chicken in the 1st marinade ingredients and set aside for about 15 minutes.

  2. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, chilies, salt, fenugreek and oil to a paste. Transfer to a bowl.

  3. Add 3/4 cup of curd, pinch of cardamom powder and mustard oil.

  4. Give it a mix and add the chicken.

  5. Mix it up and your chicken marination is ready.

  6. Leave this for about a couple of hours if you plan to use it the same day.

  7. If you plan to freeze it, transfer to a zip lock bag and keep in the freezer until it’s time for you to use it.

  8. Bon Appetite 🍽...


 

Chicken Kiwi 🥝 Tikka



Ingredients-


1st Marinade


  • 500 gm boneless chicken (cut into cubes)

  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 lime juice


2nd Marinade-


  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 1/4 tsp carom seeds

  • 1 heaped tbsp of gram flour

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

  • Green paste👇🏻

  • 1/2 bunch of coriander leaves

  • 1/2 bunch mint leaves

  • 2 green chilies

  • 2 kiwi fruits chopped

  • 1/3 cup curd

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp garam masala

  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder


Instructions-


  1. Marinate the chicken in ginger garlic paste, salt, lemon juice and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

  2. In a pan, heat the oil and add the carom seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add the gram flour and fry for a few minutes on low flame.

  3. Turn off heat and transfer the gram flour mix to a bowl.

  4. Add the 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder while the gram flour mix is hot. Mix it well.

  5. In a blender, add the coriander leaves, mint leaves, chilies and the kiwi fruit and grind to a paste.

  6. Add the green paste to the gram flour mix, and also add the curd, salt, cumin and garam masala powder and mix it well.

  7. Now add the chicken to this mixture and mix until well combined.

  8. Skewer and grill for about 8-10 minutes at 180 degrees.

  9. Serve Hot

  10. Bon Appetite 🍽...

 

Freezing chicken in marinades


To freeze chicken in marinades, prepare as directed, then pop into the freezer. They may be frozen for up to 3 months.


Thawing frozen chicken marinades


These marinades must be thawed before cooking.


  1. Thaw 24 hours in the fridge or

  2. Immerse the bag in a bowl of cold water (with a heavy item on top to submerge the bag). Let it sit for 2 hours.


Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these marinades. It’s so easy!

You can check for more such yummy easy and flavorful recipes on my Youtube channel.






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