Winner winner, chicken dinner! I’ve got 6 fabulous chicken dinner recipes right here, for your dining pleasure. Chicken is an easy and cost effective source of protein, and there is a multitude of delicious ways to prepare it. I have so many wonderful keto chicken recipes, and no shortage of ideas for more.
But this time, I did something a little different. I created six different low carb chicken marinades for easy keto meal prep. Simply mix up the ingredients, add the chicken, and freeze for up to several months. So the next time you’re stuck wondering what to do for dinner, it’s all ready and waiting for you!
★★★★★
Tracy says: Tried the Italian and it was awesome. Thank you so much for these recipes. For some reason fresh marinade recipes are hard to come by. Can’t wait to make the rest.
Marinating Brings Out Flavor
Chicken can be easy and delicious when prepared well, but it can also be dry and boring if you don’t plan ahead. Marinating it in a sauce that includes oil, salt, aromatics, and a little acidity helps tenderize the chicken and make it more juicy and flavorful.
And there are about as many kinds of chicken marinades as there are chickens in the world! You can go spicy or sweet, tangy or mild. You can evoke the flavors of faraway places or lean on familiar favorites.
Whatever you do, don’t skip the salt. Salt helps penetrate the flesh and allows the chicken to soak in the flavors and juices. If you’ve ever brined your chicken, you will know just how important this is.
Six Delicious Flavors
I decided to do six of my favorite flavors for chicken, each one a little different from the others. I went with a classic lemon garlic, one with a bit of a Mexican flair, an Italian vinaigrette style, as well as Indian, Thai, and Argentinian.
I chose these particular flavors because they are all freezer friendly, allowing you to prep your chicken in advance and freezer for a future use. They can be used with any kind of chicken you like best. I prefer chicken thighs, but I did some with boneless skinless thighs, and some with bone-in, skin-on.
All of these recipes are made for about 4 servings of chicken, which is about one to one and a half pounds of meat. You can scale them all up or down, as needed.
How to Marinate and Freeze Chicken
Use fresh chicken when possible. Frozen chicken is great in many cases, but you would have to thaw to marinate it and then re-freeze, which can deteriorate the quality of the meat.
Coat thoroughly. Make sure to toss the chicken in the marinade very well, so that all pieces are nicely coated.
Use heavy duty freezer bags. These work best because they fit well into any freezer and they help protect against freezer burn. Make sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing. If you don’t want to use plastic, try these reusable silicone bags. I just bought some!
Or use freezer safe containers. You can use glass or BPA-free plastic containers as well. Choose a size that allows you to fill them almost all the way to the top. But leave a little headspace because the contents will expand slightly as they freeze. I recommend starting without the lids on top. Once they are fully frozen, you can add the lids.
Let sit in the fridge for two hours. This allows the marinade to start penetrating the meat before you freeze.
How to Cook Marinated Chicken
Here’s the best part with these keto-friendly marinade recipes: you can cook the chicken any way you want after thawing. Grilling, baking, broiling, air-frying, pan-frying – whatever your little heart desires. All six of these delicious chicken marinades are incredibly versatile.
Simply thaw the chicken completely in the refrigerator first. Then chose your cooking method and you’re on your way to an easy and delicious meal.
Keep in mind that bone-in chicken will take longer to cook through properly than boneless and skinless. And if you love crispy skin, I recommend the air fryer.
More Keto Chicken Recipes to Love!
Keto Friendly Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Marinade
- 2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest , (about 1 lemon)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Cilantro Lime Marinade
- 1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest, (about 1 lime)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, (about 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Italian Herb Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar , (or red wine vinegar)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Tandoori Marinade
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 tbsp tandoori seasoning
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Thai Green Curry
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp thai green chili paste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Chimichurri
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped red onion
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
All marinades except chimichurri
- Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over 1 1/2 lbs of chicken in a bowl or in a ziploc bag.
- Refrigerate and let marinate at least 3 hours before cooking. Grill, pan-fry, air-fry, or bake!
- Chicken and marinades can all be frozen for up to several months. Be sure to thaw completely before cooking.
Chimichurri marinade
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Proceed as instructed for other marinades.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Carolyn – What do you think of the reusable silicone freezer bags? Seems like they would be a pain to clean between uses . . .
Your Italian Herb Marinate is my favorite!