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A quick dump-and-go freezer meal or a delicious meal to eat tonight, this flavorful chicken recipe is a surefire hit and easy to make! Paleo, Whole30, and AIP friendly
Table of contents
A chicken meal to make now or freeze for later
Let me just tell you that when we don't have meals ready to go in our freezer and things get busy, our “healthy food to less healthy food” ratio drops.
It's just so much easier to pick up a box of gluten-free rice pasta, sauce, and some precooked sausages and call it a day.
Not that there's anything wrong with doing that on occasion (except if you are actively on the elimination diet of AIP or doing a Whole30 effort). But when it becomes a several-times-a-week thing, that's when it can start to affect our well being.
I know I for one start to get tiny flare symptoms when we do this too much.
So instead – pre-freezing a few meals for those busy nights is a MUCH better option!
This Rosemary Lemon Chicken meal is one such option – you can either freeze it for later (without any cooking), or cook it for dinner tonight!
Freezing the Chicken
This is a “dump-and-go” style freeze meal, which means you do not have to cook any component of the meal before freezing.
I like this style of meal prep because you can get done a TON of meals at once and then have that security and peace of mind that a healthy meal is always waiting for you in the freezer.
All you need to do to freeze the chicken part of this meal is to dump the ingredients into a 1-gallon ziploc freezer bag or another freezer-safe container. Massage slightly to mix the ingredients and then lay flat in your freezer!
If you want to see more “dump-and-go” freezer meals like this, check out my Paleo & AIP Freezer Meals post that has a bunch of these!
Cooking the Chicken
When it comes time to cook the chicken, if you froze it you'll just need to thaw it overnight in the fridge or for about 30 minutes in a bowl of cool water.
Then you get to decide – oven or grill!
If it's in the summer I say grill just so my husband will cook dinner, lol. But the rest of the year the oven is super easy.
All you need to do though is remove the chicken from the bag and then either grill it or place it in an oven-safe baking dish and bake.
That's it!
Below I give instructions on making the Broccoli Cauliflower Rice side as well, which is cooking for a few minutes in a pan n the stove, which you can do while the chicken is cooking.
The Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Side
You can also make the broccoli cauliflower side dish as a freezer meal as well, or just prep it at meal time.
It's an easy side that pairs well with the flavors of the chicken. You can of course just do only broccoli or only cauliflower – but we like the combo!
You can either make your own broccoli cauliflower rice or buy it pre-riced from a store. In the picture, I actually used the broccoli and cauliflower “pearls” from King Soopers (Kroger), which are made from the stalks and found in the fresh veggie section of their stores.
However, making your own is super easy.
If you have a food processor, my favorite way is to just run the florets of the broccoli and cauliflower through the grater attachment. Or use a grater to make “rice” or a blender can work as well – but work in batches so you don't get mush.
You can also do this with the stalks – though I'd peel the tough outer layer first with a vegetable peeler.
Tip: To save money, roast the “tree” parts of the broccoli and cauliflower as a side for one dinner (or two) and then use the stalks for this rice! (This saves money if you typically throw the stalks out like we used to)
Freezing the Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Side
This is also a “dump-and-go” dish, where you simply dump the riced broccoli and cauliflower into a bag, then throw in the rest of the ingredients, massage a bit to mix, lay flat and freeze.
Cooking the Side
When it comes time to cook, if you've frozen it you can thaw it in the fridge overnight or even just cook directly from frozen.
All you need to do is dump it into a large pan on the stove over medium heat and cook for a few minutes until warmed through.
If you're a microwave sort of person, you could also just dump the rice into a large microwave-safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Recipes You May Also Like:
Cherry Balsamic Pot Roast Freezer Meal(Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Thai Chicken Soup Freezer Meal (Paleo, AIP)
5 Chicken Marinades to Eat Now or Freeze for Later (Paleo, AIP)
More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library
If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.
Rosemary Lemon Chicken Recipe
If you make this meal, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
Rosemary Lemon Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 lb boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 cup Olive or Avocado Oil
- 1 Lemon – juice and zest of
- 1 tbsp fresh Rosemary (chopped (or 2 tsp dried))
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced (about 2 tsp))
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
For the Broccoli Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 small head or 2 stalks Broccoli (riced (or approx 2–3 cups pre-riced))
- 1 small head or the stalks from 2-3 heads Cauliflower (riced (or approx 2–3 cups pre-riced))
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp Coconut Aminos (omit for coconut-free or use this recipe)
- 2 tbsp Olive or Avocado Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
Instructions for FREEZING:
- Put all of the ingredients for the chicken into a 1-gallon freezer bag. Massage lightly with your hands to mix the ingredients. Push all the air out of the bag, seal, label, and freeze.
- Put all of the ingredients for the broccoli cauliflower rice into another 1-gallon freezer bag. Massage lightly with your hands to mix the ingredients. Push all the air out of the bag, seal, label, and freeze. (see above if you need directions on how to make the rice, especially if just using the stalks)
Instructions if MAKING IMMEDIATELY:
- Put all of the ingredients for the chicken in a bag or bowl and marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight.
- Rice the broccoli and cauliflower (if you didn't purchase pre-riced), and then follow the directions below.
Instructions for SERVING (Do one of the following for the chicken):
COOK ON THE GRILL:
- If frozen thaw either overnight in the fridge or put the bag for approx 30 min in a bowl of cool water.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and grill on medium heat for 4-6 minutes and then flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 F. *If you thawed via the water bath method you may need to cook an additional few minutes as parts may have still been frozen.
- Cook the broccoli cauliflower rice by dumping it into a large pan on the stove and cooking over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. *This can be done from frozen as well, but it will take longer.
***OR**** COOK IN THE OVEN:
- If frozen thaw either overnight in the fridge or put the bag for approx 30 min in a bowl of cool water.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Pour the ingredients of the chicken bag into a baking dish and bake for 15-20 min (depending on the size of the chicken) until the internal temperature is 165 F. *If you thawed via the water bath method you may need to cook an additional few minutes as parts may have still been frozen.
- Cook the broccoli cauliflower rice by dumping it into a large pan on the stove and cooking over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. *This can be done from frozen as well, but it will take longer.
