I did a vlog explaining how to make, freeze, thaw and cook Marinated Chicken, a recipe I created on the fly two weeks ago. It’s just about the easiest recipe in the world — especially when it comes to Freezer Cooking. I whipped up three meal’s worth of this for the freezer in about five minutes!
Here’s the recipe, for those who may not want to sit through my very amateur vlogging attempt (hey, it’s only my second vlog so I guess I still can get some grace, eh?):
Freezer-Friendly Marinated Chicken
- 3 whole frozen chicken breasts
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Put chicken breasts and garlic clove in a freezer bag. Mix together sweetener and soy sauce and pour over chicken in the bag. Seal bag air-tight (use a straw to remove extra air, if necessary). Stick in the freezer (or you can cook immediately).
To cook: Thaw on the counter top for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Cook in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.
Serve over rice, if desired. May also chop and add steamed veggies and serve over rice. Makes 3-4 servings.
Oh and I forgot to look up how to pronounce “agave” until after I shot the video (believe it or not, it’s not a word I’ve ever heard pronounced before!). And of course, I mispronounced it. Argh! I guess that’s why it’s better for me to stick mostly with writing!
And next time, I’m going to get someone to shoot the vlog for me so that you can actually see I have a face and also so that the camera isn’t jumping up and down all over the place as I film and talk with my hands. 
Note: I’m bumping the promised Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe and the Freezer Cooking Accomplishments linky to tomorrow because I ran out of space and time to get it up today. Thanks for your patience!
Subscribe for free email updates and be entered to win $100!
PREVIOUS POST: $1.50/1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments printable coupon
NEXT POST: Rite Aid: Nivea Creme Tins free plus overage
PREVIOUS POST: $1.50/1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments printable coupon
NEXT POST: Rite Aid: Nivea Creme Tins free plus overage
Money Saving Mom® is an upbeat and encouraging blog dedicated to helping you 
{ 67 comments... read them below or add one }
Really looking forward to whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes. Do you have anything for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies? Have not been able to find a good recipe there.
@Lisa, These are one of our all-time favorites:
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_chocolate_chip_oatmeal_cookies
(My sister made up that recipe and it’s been a family favorite for years!)
Thanks! I’ll give that one a try. I’m going to try this chicken recipe too. They both look great!
we just subsitute the whole wheat flour in the toll house recipe, or use 1/2 wheat flour, 1/2 all purpose. It works well & they still get eaten up!
Sounds like a fun recipe!
I love using maple syrup to sweeten stir-fry type dishes! 
I liked your video, I guess bc I have never heard you talk before
Thanks for sharing. Sounds good!
I’ll definately have to try this. One of my favorites is 3 lbs. of chicken with 1 jar of Heintz 57 and 1/4 cup of honey (freezer friendly, too!).
grilling the chicken is another option for cooking it and it is so good!
Great suggestion!
Love it!
I liked your video. I think that you did a fine job. At least you are doing something and sharing it with everyone. I have put a your recipe over steak, too. It really gives beef a good flavor, too. I am thinking about making some beef jerky out of the recipe, too.
Fun. I love vlogs! Hope you do more of them.
Ha! I was feeling so foolish because I figured *I* had been pronouncing agave wrong all this time. If you hadn’t said anything, I totally would’ve started saying it your way!
This is what I do with all my marinades! When it thaws, the chicken has a chance to “marinade” and it is ready. Only mess up the dishes once! But I like to grill it because then it is a REAL EASY CLEAN UP! And I find that flattening the chicken makes it tastier and cook faster.
And I like the grill because my husband usually mans it!
Haha, I like Megan, also second guessed my pronunciation of agave when you said it. I have to admit I was quite relieved to see your note at the end
Guess it wouldn’t make much difference since it’s not a word I use often either! Not to worry, we all make mistakes, at least you were humble enough to point it out to everyone!
This sounds super easy & good, I’ll be giving this one a try for sure, great way to give those frozen chicken breasts a good flavor kick
Love the video. I had no idea how to pronounce “agave” either!
don’t worry about your pronunciation… I still don’t know how to say “acai.” oh well
I have a marinade recipe very similar to yours and it uses a little bit of lemon juice and cumin… I think those spices really make it extra tasty when the chicken is grilled.
For a fun treat, I cut the chicken into strips and skewer it for my kids. They get really excited about their “chicken sticks.”
Thank you so much for the videos! I just got a 2nd hand freezer on craigslist and I’m super excited to start OAMC! I’ve gone back through your old entries about it (love your step by step instructions!) and some other stuff online,but I’m still confused about ‘undercooking noodles’, proper packacging, getting rid of air, etc e technicalities of freezer cooking. Can you do a vlog on these 101 freezer cookings?
Thanks for sharing. It was really good to hear your voice after reading your blogs.
Is a spanish word the plant from where tequila is made from. The agave comes from the core of the plant. jeje
Love this idea, cannot believe I never thought to *freeze* chicken in a marinade so it’s all ready to go when needed. I always make my marinade the day of… how nice to have it all ready! I think I’m going to come up with 2-3 marinade ideas and go use your suggestion! By the way, loved the vlog. It’s great to put your voice to your written words! : )
Crystal,
I’d like to try this chicken recipe. As far as taste goes, would you describe the final product as tasting like an oriental-type of chicken recipe?
Love it! Preparing some today!
I’m going to try this chicken reciepe tonight to thaw out for this weekend. Thank you!!!! I can’t wait to taste it. I need all the cooking tips I can get. Please keep the tips coming!!!!
Where is an economical source for purchasing agave syrup? I recently purchased it in our local supermarket, and loved it, but it is quite pricey!!
I got a really sweet deal from Amazon a few months ago. That’s the first time I’ve purchased it before.
@Crystal,
*Sweet* deal, ha!
I like to use lower sodium soy sauce to be healthier.
I’ve recently been reading that agave may not be as healthy as it was believed to be. Something about it having a higher fructose amount that high fructose corn syrup. I think it’s because it takes so much processing to make it that sweet.
Your recipe sounds great and I think I’ll just use some local honey.
Thanks for all your great ideas!
@Allyson,
Dr. Mercola had something on this a little while ago…. It isn’t as healthy as the media has made us think it is…. It is highly processed, unnatural sweetener (90% frutose/10% glucose) and has similar health ramifications that HFC has— do a google search for “agave not healthy” and you’ll come up with a lot of info on it.
You can use all natural fruit juices in your marinades too…they are wonderful.
I think you did really good!! There’s something about actually seeing the items and process for me that makes it click so much more than a recipe on paper does. Thank you for stepping outside your comfort zone. I’m excited for more vlogs from you, oh, and this recipe seems mighty simple and delicious!
Can’t wait for your freezer day recipes, I love them so much! I haven’t attempted the actual cooking yet, maybe one day this winter I will take it on.
Thanks again, yours is one of my favorite blogs that I read everyday = )
Lynn
Hi, didn’t read other comments, but wanted to say that I appreciate the written summary in addition to the video. I understand that videos are nice for a lot of folks, but I prefer to read – I love that you provided the option to do both, while still exploring a new medium/expanded offer for you!
You are so cute talking on your Vlog!
New recipe and it’s great! Buy the low-calorie Italian salad dressing from Aldi’s (Fit n Active) and pour about half of the container (or until covered) into a freezer bag with four chicken breasts and freeze. After thawing, you can either pan fry or bake the chicken, then top it with parmesan cheese. It’s amazing!
So simple yet so good!
Vlog is a new word for me, but I figured it out! Anyway, I am definitely going to try the chicken soon. It looks so easy to do and make! Thanks for everything! God bless you and your family!
I make a marinade like this but I add ginger,its a great teryaki taste!
Just wanted to clarify… the vlog says equal parts syrup and soy sauce (1/4 cup each), but your notes call for twice as much soy… Which should it be? Thanks for sharing!
Oops, thanks for catching my typo! It should be equal parts!
Yahoo has a group called friendly freezer that I belong to. It’s all about freezer cooking. Anyway, they have recipe files and these recipes are called “dump chicken.” Because, you literally dump the marinade over the chicken and freeze. There are hundreds of different recipes. Just some added info.
By the way, you sound so sweet and young in your video. Funny how different it is to hear someone’s voice.
That marinade is UNBELIEVEABLE on Salmon…. I used it often before I was married and could afford salmon. It will never let you down and it taught my friend to love fish; the marinade has the wonderful ability to eliminate any “fishyness.” Thanks for sharing!
Great idea. My husband dislikes salmon while I love it, so I might be able to get him to try it now!
This is how I marinate meat, too. (We’re big fans of honey-dijon chicken at our house.) You can throw frozen meat in the slow cooker; it just takes a bit longer to cook. But don’t thaw meat on the counter–the outer parts can be growing bacteria before the insides get thawed. See http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/big_thaw/index.asp. If I’m in a hurry, I use the microwave’s defrost setting.
We’ve thawed meat on the counter for a few hours ever since I’ve been alive and I’m still alive and kicking, so I think it’s okay.
However, feel free to thaw a different way if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.
{Personally, I think some folks at the USDA tend to be a little hypersensitive to the bacteria stuff! No offense to anyone who works there!
}
@Crystal, To be completely honest, everyone I know *knows* it’s “not safe” to thaw on the countertop… and does it anyway.
For me, it’s in the same camp as eating cookie dough. I’m just not going to get too fanatic over the off-chance it could make me sick…
You mean I’m not supposed to eat bowlfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough either??!!
@Crystal, Maybe the FDA is being overly cautious, but bacteria multiply exponentially at room temp, the frozen inside doesn’t keep the warmer outside cool enough to discourage bacterial growth, and some bacteria produce toxins that are heat-resistant. Call me overcautious, but I’d rather not play russian roulette with my food.
@Jan, I have heard this for years as well, and not until the other night did it prove true for us.
I had a 3 lb. package of ground turkey, going out of date that day. It smelled fine, and I cooked the first third for our dinner that night. The package was left on the counter so we wouldn’t forget it.
30 – 45 minutes later we cooked the remaining meat. In just that short amount of time, something happened. The kids were asking what the horrible smell was, and it was BAD!
I was afraid to eat it, so hubby tried it and quickly spit it in the trash. Who would’ve thought it could’ve gone bad so quickly!
Thanks for pointing this out, I was thinking doing the same thing. I’d rather alert someone to the dangers before they got really sick.
@Jan, My theory on this is that the frozen inside acts as an ice pack-keeping the chicken refridgerator fresh!
I think maybe the worry comes in if you are negligent and leave it out after it’s been thawed? I’m not so organized 
so I usually end up using it partially frozen…my husband and I are super picky about getting it to the right temp. and we’ve never had any problems.
LOL about the whole “agave” thing! The comments have cracked me up.
Unless you live in the southwest I don’t expect you to say agave (ah-gah-vay) correctly. LOL! Here is Phoenix, I just call it “that-pretty-plant-I-want-in-my-yard”.
ACK!! Don’t thaw meat on the countertop!!! Very unsafe!!! Overnight in the fridge is best, next choice is in the sink, in a bowl of cold running water. Say no to foodborne illness! I know our parents and grandparents all did it, but let’s not do it anymore.
Aside from that, delicious recipe!
Crystal,
Please do not advise people to leave the chicken on the counter to thaw. This is not an acceptable method of thawing. The four acceptable methods of safely thawing food are:
1. in the refrigerator
2. in the microwave only if it is to be cooked immediately
3. under a contanst stream of potable cold water (70 degrees or less)
4. as a part of the cooking process
I could also argue that it’s unsafe to thaw in the microwave.
No raw cookie dough either!!!!!!!
@Tracey, LOL! I must say I’m with you here! Raw eggs?! Eew! My mother in law would always give my husband a roll of pillsbury cookie dough as part of his b-day present and he would also mix up cookie dough on his own and keep it in his closet as a teenager…OMW! gross! gross! gross! He is alive still today, though he has digestive issues. hmmm…
@Tracey, Maybe the recent nationwide egg recall will make people think twice about that one! I never saw the appeal of raw dough; the warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookies are MUCH better
I thaw on the counter too, always have. I like to put the bag of whatever meat into a big bowl of cool water while it defrosts.
Crystal, thank you for your video! You did a fantastic, informative job! We will definetley have to try this recipe sometime! Dont ya just love that you can flavor chicken in many different ways?! It spices up the Menu for the week, lol!
P.S. I have a ton of Weber Marinades that I got free after coupons from Kroger, do you have any idea what I could do with those being that I dont have a grill outside? Thanks!
We make the same dish all the time, one of our favorites. Our version isn’t as homemade, however. We marinate the chicken in a baggie with Lawry’s teriyaki marinade. I bought a ton (because we use a ton!) for $1 a bottle a few months ago.
This is such a healthy, easy, delicious meal. I love how you can stretch chicken too. The first night we have whole chicken breasts off the grill and the second we make southwest chicken sandwiches with whole wheat buns. I dice up the extra pieces of chicken and freeze that. I love having pre-cooked, marinated chicken in the freezer. When I need a quick dinner, I get that out & add it to a quesadilla, top a salad or whip up a stir-fry.
I’m actually researching how I can utilize chicken for sack lunches. I buy my b-s breasts for $1.99/lb and realized how inexpensive that is compared to lunchmeat. Any ideas on how to make various sandwiches out of chicken breast are welcome. (I can only think of teriyaki chicken & BBQ chicken. I don’t want to use mayo for a chicken salad to keep it safer.) Using whole meat should be healthier than lunchmeat too.
Would it have too strong a garlic flavor if I crushed the clove first? I’ve never used a whole clove without opening it somehow, it just seems like it wouldn’t flavor that much without some help…
I’m laughing just a bit over the thawing concerns. I do it, too. Or if not on the counter, then in a sink of cool water. I would agree about being far more concerned over microwave thawing than other methods!
And, raw eggs are just fine to eat. In fact, they’re highly nutritious! Just make sure the shells aren’t cracked, they’re well washed, and it is preferable if they are from a very good source (like pastured or organic). We do it all the time.
Now I’m sure I’m going to get it from other commenters. I just couldn’t resist. I’m with ya, Crystal!
And you did a lovely job on your second vlog. Just so you know.
I have a quick question. I usually purchase my chicken breasts in the already frozen bags because it is cheaper. Would it be okay to put in a marinade to already frozen chicken and then let it thaw in the fridge and marinade overnight? Thanks!
Yes, I do that often.