Need a last-minute dinner idea? You can safely prepare frozen chicken with these delicious recipes that don't require thawing or planning ahead!
Whether you’re scrambling to get dinner on the table or looking for family-friendly meals for busy weeknights, these frozen chicken recipes have you covered.
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Frozen chicken is a mainstay in my freezer, but I often forget to take it out to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You, too?
Thankfully, modern technology has helped us out with ways to safely cook frozen chicken breasts, thighs, tenders or even drumsticks with little work on our part, other than choosing which tasty main course to try.
Traditional methods of oven baking and stovetop cooking join modern appliances like air fryers, slow cookers and the Instant Pot for a variety of ways to turn frozen chicken into a meal or a delicious protein for food prep options throughout the week.
Easy Frozen Chicken Recipes
Be sure to stock your freezer with chicken to have on hand for quick weeknight meals. (I get it delivered with ButcherBox.) These easy chicken recipes will have dinner on the table in no time.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
Pressure-cook frozen chicken thighs in record time with your Instant Pot for juicy and tender meat that practically shreds on its own. It's the perfect way to cook chicken for meal prep usage.
Here, use your favorite healthy salsa for extra flavor as the chicken cooks under high pressure in about 12 minutes. What could be easier?
Recipe
Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Breast
Frozen chicken breasts are cooked to tenderness on the inside and a light crispiness on the outside thanks to air fryer technology. Just a little brush of olive oil on the boneless, skinless chicken breasts along with your favorite dry seasonings is all you need before placing them in your air fryer basket.
Cook for about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Make sure and use a meat thermometer to get an accurate reading for doneness, which should be at 165° F for safe consumption.
Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Make this easy chicken tortilla soup with frozen chicken thighs in your Instant Pot for a delicious last minute dinner. Veggies are softened with a quick saute in the Instant Pot before adding a homemade chili powder blend, diced tomatoes, chicken stock and chicken thighs.
Make the crispy tortilla strips from cassava flour tortillas while the soup cooks. Serve the soup topped with avocado slices, lime wedges, fresh cilantro and the baked tortilla strips for a warm comforting dinner.
Recipe
Sheet Pan Chicken Tenders
Prepare your sheet pan by brushing it with olive oil or lining it with parchment paper before you place the frozen chicken tenders on it. Add Brussels sprouts and cubed butternut squash (or your favorite veggies) to the sheet pan, too.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes before seasoning the chicken tenders with salt and pepper or your favorite dry seasoning to taste (try lemon pepper or an herb blend). Continue baking until cooked through.
Recipe by Eat At Home Cooks
Frozen Chicken Wings In An Air Fryer
Add frozen wings to an air fryer to cook them to crisp perfection. With zero prep work, add the wings to your basket in a single layer and cook for approximately 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
To keep it healthy and low carb, mix up a tasty 2-ingredient sugar-free Buffalo sauce for this family favorite chicken meal.
Recipe by Temecula Blogs
Instant Pot Chicken And Sweet Potato Stew
Frozen chicken thighs cook along with coconut milk and coconut butter to give a creamy texture to this pressure cooked stew. This chicken stew is delicious as is or served over cauliflower rice.
Turmeric, ginger, garlic and other seasonings give this meal its robust flavor. Add in veggie goodness with sweet potato and broccoli and you've got an amazing healthy dinner filled with vegetables.
Recipe by Eat Beautiful
Boiled Chicken Breast
Consider boiling frozen chicken breasts for an easy way to meal prep with chicken to use in your upcoming lunches and dinners like this chicken salad.
Boiling, or poaching, can be achieved with salted water or by using chicken stock. Just boil your frozen chicken until the internal temperature measures 165 degrees Fahrenheit when calculated with a meat thermometer. Then slice or shred the cooked chicken to use in your upcoming meals.
Recipe by Where Is My Spoon
Instant Pot Mild Chicken Curry
You'll be delighted to know that you can use frozen chicken to create a creamy coconut milk curry that's mildly spicy, thanks to the pressure cooking ability of your Instant Pot.
Use frozen chicken thighs for the best flavor and be sure to add a little additional time for cooking from frozen, as directed. Serve this perfectly spiced meal with cauliflower rice. Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge or freezer.
Recipe by Red And Honey
Oven Baked Chicken Wings with Cilantro Garlic Chimichurri
Loaded with flavor, thanks to a zesty chimichurri, these frozen chicken wings cook to crispness in the oven on a baking rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Just toss the wings with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. They'll need at least 50 minutes in the oven until crisp and until an instant read thermometer reaches 165° F.
While they're baking, make the 4-ingredient cilantro and garlic chimichurri sauce. Coat the cooked wings with this delectable green sauce before serving.
Recipe by Wonky Wonderful
Skillet Blackened Chicken Tenders
Your stove top and skillet will easily cook un-breaded frozen chicken tenders to a delicious blackened status, for immediate enjoyment or to save in the fridge for easy meals throughout the week.
It's as easy as pan searing the seasoned chicken, on both sides, with a little oil in a skillet before covering it with a lid until the chicken tenders have reached an internal temperature of 165° F.
Recipe by Family Savvy
Air Fryer Honey Mustard Frozen Chicken
Seasoned with sweet and spicy honey mustard, frozen chicken thighs become a healthy chicken dinner option, courtesy of your air fryer. You'll actually use your air fryer to defrost the thighs at a lower temperature for a few minutes before adding the homemade honey mustard glaze to the chicken.
Kick up the temp a bit and air fry the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Keep it low carb and serve this deliciousness with your favorite steamed veggies.
Recipe by Whole Lotta Yum
Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
Instantly comforting, this chicken soup uses frozen chicken tenderloins or breasts to render, under pressure, a steamy and cozy bowl of broth filled with carrots, celery, onion, herbs and ultimately, shredded chicken.
Spiralized zucchini pasta subs in as a healthy noodle option for a paleo remake of a classic chicken noodle soup.
Recipe by You Make It Simple
Instant Pot Fajitas
Start this spicy fajita-inspired dish by pressure cooking frozen chicken breasts. Add in the sliced bell peppers at the end of cooking and let them steam to tenderness with the spicy chicken dish. Serve immediately or let cool and keep in the fridge for meal options throughout the week. So simple!
Recipe by Little Sunny Kitchen
Baked Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs always produce a tender and juicy meat and here, baking frozen thighs is a super simple way to get a chicken dinner on the table with little prep work. You'll need to cook the chicken at a slightly lower oven temperature for a little longer but the tasty results are worth it.
Drizzle the frozen chicken with olive oil and your favorite dry spices and bake for about an hour or until a meat thermometer reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recipe by Where Is My Spoon
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup
This creamy coconut milk, chicken broth and tomato-based soup is perfect for using frozen chicken breasts or tenders. After high pressure cooking for ten minutes, you can remove the meat and shred it or chop it in bite-sized chunks before returning it to the pot.
Other ingredients and zesty spices are added before continuing the pressure cooking process. Serve with sliced avocado, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro.
Recipe by Whole Kitchen Sink
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Tenders
Perfect for meal prep, keep a stash of frozen chicken tenders in your freezer for quick cooking sessions in your Instant Pot. Just toss them in, frozen, with chicken broth, lock on the lid and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
You can serve them whole, shredded for tacos, or chunk them up for chicken salad for easy weeknight dinner options.
Recipe by Clean Eating Kitchen
How To Roast A Frozen Chicken
If you're lacking the extra refrigerator space to thaw a frozen whole chicken for a day or so, no worries! You can safely and easily roast the bird in the oven. In a shallow baking pan lined with foil, elevate the chicken on a baking rack so the juices can drip as it roasts at a low temperature.
Halfway through the roasting, you'll be able to more fully season the chicken with your favorite fresh herbs (I love rosemary and thyme) as well as raise the temperature of the oven. Make sure and test for an internal temp of 165° F before removing it from the oven.
Recipe by Improvised Life
Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
Chicken drumsticks are loved by kids as well as adults. Frozen drumsticks are a quick way to get a chicken dinner on the table with the help of your pressure cooker.
Just add the seasoned frozen drumsticks to your Instant Pot with the liquid and cook for about 15 minutes. That's plenty of time to get your side items ready and make your favorite sauce for the drumsticks.
Recipe by Little Sunny Kitchen
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
Your slow cooker will make delicious sliders or sandwiches from the spicy buffalo-inspired shredded chicken, easily cooked from frozen breasts. Try it with these keto sandwich breads!
Or you can save the shredded chicken for meal planning throughout the week for tacos or toppings for other meals. It's a true set it and forget it slow cooker chicken dinner, thanks to your crock pot.
Recipe by Amee's Savory Dish
Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken
This homemade BBQ sauce adds a tasty kick to the frozen chicken breasts that cook to spicy tenderness in your Instant Pot. First, you'll blend up a paleo BBQ sauce with a host of zesty and spicy ingredients and pour it over the frozen chicken before sealing the pressure cooker and setting it for 40 minutes.
The result? Juicy, tasty and tender chicken breasts ready to be shredded for use in your upcoming meals or frozen for later use.
Recipe by Red And Honey
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Riced cauliflower is the perfect base to hold this teriyaki flavored chicken meal that's made sweet and savory, courtesy of your Instant Pot. Frozen boneless and skinless chicken thighs cook in just 15 minutes with apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and coconut aminos (in place of soy sauce).
Shred the chicken when done and combine it all with sautéed mushrooms, broccoli florets and carrots before serving over the riced cauliflower. Garnish this feast with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
Recipe by Finished With Salt
You're sure to find a handful of weeknight meal ideas to try in this collection of easy frozen chicken recipes.
