Kickstart your summer grilling season with this mouthwatering Cilantro Lime Chicken freezer meal recipe. Perfect for meal prepping, this dish allows you to prep ahead and freeze, ensuring you always have a delicious option ready to go.
Combining fresh cilantro, zesty lime, and succulent chicken, this recipe promises vibrant flavors that are guaranteed to delight.
Simply thaw, grill, and serve for an effortless, crowd-pleasing meal that embodies the essence of summertime.
If you have never tried your hand at freezer cooking or freezer meals the summer time is a perfect time to start. With the kids out of school and the days filled with hanging out at the beach and summer activities, dinner time can become a real challenge.
Freezing ready-made meals in a bag so all you have to do is thaw it out and cook it at dinner time is a real sanity saver.
This Cilantro Lime Chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a back yard bbq. Buying chicken when it's on sale then preparing this make-ahead freezer meal will not only help with your summer menu planning but will help you save money on your food budget by stocking up on chicken when the prices are low.
Check out my other Boneless Chicken Freezer Meal recipes.
Freezer Meal Labels
Keep your freezer meals organized by properly labeling each freezer bag.
Chicken Poultry Freezer Meal Labels
Keep your frozen chicken organized and dinner time stress free. Purchase the Chicken Freezer Meal Labels today and always know what cut or recipe planning portions of your chicken or turkey are in those freezer bags. Freezer Meal planning is easy when you label your frozen packages with easy to read labels. Use these printable labels to stay organized with confidence!
Chicken Cooking Tips
Here is one of my favorite chicken cooking tips. Get yourself a metal meat mallet and pound the chicken breasts until they are about the same thickness along the length. This helps ensure that the chicken breast cooks quickly and evenly.
How to Make Freezer Meals: Cilantro Lime Chicken
Premade frozen cilantro lime chicken is easy to make and have on hand ready for the grill. Simply prep the chicken and add the marinade to a freezer bag.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I like to grill boneless, skinless chicken. You can also use chicken thighs.
- Cilantro lime marinade: lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, minced garlic, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper and sugar.
Directions
- Prepare the chicken by trimming the fat and pounding each breast half flat with a mallet.
- Place the chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. Set aside.
- In a spouted measuring cup mix the lime juice, zest, olive oil, pepper, sugar, salt, and garlic.
- Chop the cilantro and mix into the other ingredients in the measuring cup.
- Pour the marinade into the zip lock bag.
- Remove most of the air from the bag and squeeze to evenly cover the chicken with the marinade.
- Flatten the chicken into a single layer and place on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid.
- Remove from cookie sheet once frozen. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
- Serves 4.
How to Cook Freezer Meals Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator over night.
- To cook the chicken heat a grill to medium-high. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center or until the internal temperature has reached 165 F. degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Alternatively, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, cook each side about 8 minutes or until no longer pink at the thickest section. Or until the thickest section reaches 165 F. degrees on a meat thermometer.
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Freezer Meals Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast halves (trimmed of all fat)
- ½ cup lime juice ((about 4 small limes))
- 4 whole limes, zest and juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by trimming the fat and pounding each breast half flat with a mallet.
- Place the chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. Set aside.
- In a spouted measuring cup mix the lime juice, zest, olive oil, pepper, sugar, salt, and garlic.
- Chop the cilantro and mix into the other ingredients in the measuring cup.
- Pour the marinade into the zip lock bag.
- Remove most of the air from the bag and squeeze to evenly cover the chicken with the marinade. Flatten the chicken into a single layer and place on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid.
- Remove from cookie sheet once frozen. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
- Serves 4.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Grill: To cook the chicken heat a grill to medium-high. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center or until the internal temperature has reached 165 F. degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Skillet: Alternatively, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, cook each side about 8 minutes or until no longer pink at the thickest section or until the thickest section is 165 F. degrees on a meat thermometer.
Nutrition
Want to really get started with Freezer Meals but don't know where to start? Read How to Prepare for a Day of Freezer Meal Making
Just looking for more easy freezer meal recipe ideas? Check out the Flour On My Face Freezer Meals page for a list of all my freezer meal recipes.
Carrie C
Could this work to bake or put in the crockpot once thawed?
Arlene Mobley
Carrie
I've never cooked this in the crock pot. I prefer to grill it.
Diane
What about baking....plz reply to my e-mail, I loose trac of these comments.
Arlene Mobley
Diane
I have never tried baking this chicken recipe. You might try sauteing it in a skillet.
Melissa
Have you encountered any issues with the chicken getting a weird texture from being in contact with the lime juice for so long? I am starting to plan a list of freezer meals in anticipation of a baby coming (!). Last baby, I froze a bunch of a chicken breasts in bottled marinades, but this time I'd like to use homemade marinades. My only concern is that the chicken might get weird from the acid.
Arlene Mobley
Melissa
I haven't had that issue but if you get the freezer meals in the freezer fast it should help cut down on the change in texture.
Lisa B.
This looks like a great recipe to make! Thanks for linking up and sharing with us over at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party!
Cynthia Rusincovitch
This looks amazing. i'm always looking for more freezer meal ideas and am adding this to the list! Thanks for linking up with Delicious Dishes Recipe Party!
Arlene Mobley
Thanks for stopping by Cynthia! Enjoy the recipe.
Edith
Hi can you do this chicken in the crockpot? Thankyou
Arlene Mobley
Hi Edith
I haven't made this recipe in the crock pot yet. I don't see why you couldn't. 4 boneless skinless chicken breats on high in a crock pot will cook in about 3-4 hours depending on how large and thick the breasts are.
stacey
Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty