5 Chicken Dump Recipes (2024)

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Usually, when I make freezer meals, I make a variety of different things including casseroles and various meat and seafood dishes. This method works well when I have a lot of time and have prepared ahead of time. But when I just want to throw some meals together quickly and don’t want to spend hours planning and shopping for ingredients, I make chicken dump recipes. Most of them can be cooked in the crockpot which saves even more time!

These time-saving recipes are just a sample of the ones I have in my ebook, Chicken Dump Recipes.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (1)Chicken dump recipes are fast to make and they often include ingredients that I already have in the house. They are perfect to make if I happen to find some spare time. These dump dinner recipes are perfect for freezing and make a wonderful gift for someone who has just had a baby, is experiencing an illness, or going through a hard time.

To get the recipes in this article along with free printable labels and full shopping lists, sign up here.

Last week, I had some appointments booked for Wednesday but then found out that my sitter for that day couldn’t make it. I had to cancel my appointments and found myself with sort of an extra day. I went on Tuesday and bought a lot of chicken and Wednesday made two sets of ten chicken meals. Since each session took me about an hour so, subsequently I had 20 meals made in two hours!

In my morning chicken dump session, I made Chicken Hurry, Caribbean Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Chicken, Sticky Chicken, and Cantonese Chicken. I made two of each of the five recipes, therefore, I had ten meals in one hour. In the afternoon, I made Teriyaki Chicken, French Canadian Chicken, Cindy’s Chicken, Pepper Lime Chicken, and Lemon Mustard Chicken.

It is such a feeling of accomplishment to look in your freezer and see so many meals ready for busy weeknight dinners!

For all of my chicken dump recipes, printable grocery lists, and printable labels, you can purchase myChicken Dump Recipes. You can read more about it here.

You asked and it is now available! Beef Dump Recipes!

You also have the option to purchase all the chicken dump recipes and beef dump recipes together at a saving!

The key to successful chicken dump meals is having all your ingredients out before you start assembling. This saves time and aggravation!

Steps to making Chicken Dump Meals:

  1. Get out all ingredients.
  2. Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
  3. Press the bottom of the bags to lay flat and then fold over the top in order to keep them open.
  4. Add chicken into each bag. You can use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts.
  5. After the chicken is in all of the bags then you dump the remaining ingredients into the bag.
  6. After all the ingredients are in each bag, you then remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (4)

Chicken Hurry

  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix*

*I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6hours.

Caribbean Chicken

  • chicken
  • 8 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

  • chicken
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp. of olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Sticky Chicken

  • chicken
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce**
  • 3 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp. ketchup

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes. **if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce

Cantonese Chicken

  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup melted honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce**
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Notes:

  • The recipes work best with 3-5 chicken breasts or 8-10 thighs per bag. If you use a lot more or a lot less chicken, you will then need to adjust the recipes accordingly.
  • Plan the meals so that they have some common ingredients, which saves even more money, given that there is less waste.
  • All dump dinner recipes can be made gluten-free as long as you follow the notes indicated.
  • I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of such a thing, however, given that it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot, these are another time-saving strategy.
  • Don’t forget to check out the other chicken dump recipes for even more options!

To get the recipes in this article along with free printable labels and the shopping lists, simply sign up here.

Buy my Chicken Dump Recipes book which includes 25 recipes divided into 5 plans. Each plan comes with printable grocery lists and printable labels. Read the list of included recipes.

You can also purchase both the Beef Dump Recipes and Chicken Dump Recipes together for more meal options and savings!

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (6)

Print

Chicken Hurry

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • 1/2cupketchup
  • 1/4cupwater
  • 1/4cuppacked brown sugar
  • 3Tbsp.dry onion soup mix*

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Recipe Notes

*I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (7)

Print

Caribbean Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Caribbean

Keyword:Caribbean, chicken

Servings: 6

: 295 kcal

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • 1can8 oz pineapple chunks with juice
  • 1/4cuppacked brown sugar
  • 1/2tsp.nutmeg
  • 1/3cuporange juice
  • 1/2cupraisins

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place chicken and all other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (8)

Print

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

Course:Main Course

Keyword:chicken, garlic, lemon

Servings: 6

: 280 kcal

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • 2-3clovesgarlicminced
  • 4Tbsp.olive oil
  • 2Tbsp.fresh parsleychopped
  • 3Tbsp.lemon juice
  • 1/4tsp.pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

  1. Add the ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (9)

Print

Sticky Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Cantonese

Keyword:Cantonese, chicken

Servings: 6

: 264 kcal

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • 2Tbsp.vegetable oil
  • 1Tbsp.soy sauce**
  • 3Tbsp.peanut butter
  • 3Tbsp.ketchup

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a large resealable (gallon sized) freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes.

Recipe Notes

**if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (10)

Print

Cantonese Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • 1/2cupketchup
  • 1/4cupmelted honey
  • 1/4cupsoy sauce**
  • 2Tbsp.lemon juice

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken and other ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for one hour or in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep chicken breast moist for meal prep? ›

We recommend baking your chicken on a sheet tray on a bed of chopped vegetables. As the vegetables cook, they release steam, which helps to keep the chicken moist — and you get more bang for your buck. Opt for veggies (or fruits) that cook quickly, in about 30 minutes.

How to cook a lot of chicken at once? ›

Use multiple cooking pots: If you need to cook a large amount of chicken, you may need multiple pots, like multiple slow cookers or roasting pans. You'll want to avoid overstuffing a single pot so the chicken can cook evenly and thoroughly.

Can you cook chicken in a skillet? ›

Bring a little oil, butter, spray or whatever you'd like to heat over high heat in a skillet. Add the chicken once the oil starts to shimmer and smoke a little. You should hear an immediate pop and sizzle (psshhhhh) when you add the chicken. Now quickly turn the heat down to low and let cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Can you meal prep chicken? ›

FMC Tip: If you want to know how to meal prep chicken without it getting dry, the secret is cooking the chicken pieces whole. When you dice the chicken before cooking you lose a lot of the juices in the process. So keep the pieces whole until after the cooking and resting periods, then chop away!

How do you keep skinless chicken breast from drying out? ›

To bake: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the breasts on a lined sheet tray in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. To maintain extra moisture, tent the foil halfway through to keep the breasts covered and lock in some more moisture.

How do you keep chicken breast from drying out when cooking? ›

Thinner breasts or cutlets are less likely to dry out, as they won't spend as much time in the pan. A simple option is to pound the chicken until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a meat mallet/pounder, heavy skillet or even a hammer. This is best done between parchment paper or plastic wrap.

How do you meal prep chicken so it doesn't taste bad? ›

If I'm going to do chicken for meal prep, I cook it in the crockpot, but I also use boneless skinless breasts and then completely cover them in broth after adding whatever spices I want to add. Then I shred it afterwards and use it throughout the week.

Does chicken get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

How do you flavor chicken all the way through? ›

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

Is it better to cook chicken in oven or frying pan? ›

If they are boneless/skinless, pan fry them- you have more control over their done-ness, and a better chance of them not drying out or get overdone. Bone-in, especially with skin on, I'd recommend oven-cooking- both the bones and the skin protect the meat, and give them good flavor.

Should I cover the pan when cooking chicken? ›

When chicken is covered while baking, it traps steam and moisture within the dish, resulting in juicier results. The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat.

Can I eat leftover chicken after 4 days? ›

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

How long does cooked chicken last in the freezer? ›

If you're freezing cooked chicken, you can expect that to last for 2–6 months. Freezing cooked chicken is a great way to reduce food waste. When freezing cooked chicken, it's a good idea to mark the bag with the date it was cooked and frozen so you remember to use it while it's still good.

Can I freeze cooked chicken? ›

Yes, you can freeze almost any kind of cooked chicken! Whether it's roasted, grilled, poached, or sautéed, as long as it's cooked thoroughly, you can preserve its flavour in the freezer. You can freeze the whole bird – chicken thighs, breasts, wings and drumsticks.

What is the best way to keep chicken breast moist? ›

Brine the chicken: Soak the chicken breasts in a saltwater solution for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. This helps retain moisture and flavor. 2. Use bone-in, skin-on chicken: Cooking chicken breasts with the bone and skin helps preserve moisture and adds flavor.

How do you keep chicken breast moist the next day? ›

Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil and a teaspoon or two of water over the chicken. This will help keep the meat moist. (You can also use water and salsa or chicken broth for extra flavor.)

How do caterers keep chicken moist? ›

Brining: Before cooking, some restaurants soak their chicken in a brine solution, which is a mixture of water, salt, and sometimes sugar and other seasonings. Brining helps to tenderize the meat and keep it moist during cooking.

References

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