These 5 Instant Pot Chicken Marinades are my favorite thing to meal prep for the freezer. You’ll find everything from and Asian ginger garlic, to a chipotle and Greek lemon marinade. There’s lots of variety to choose from here, and they’re all gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30, and sugar free.
This post has been a long time in the making, but I’m so excited to finally get it to you! I developed these simple marinades to make dinnertime easier, but also still flavorful.
I’ve been testing and testing for the last several weeks trying to see what works and what really doesn’t. The good news is, these are easy to make. But while I was really hoping these would work straight from the freezer without having to thaw anything ahead, they’re definitely better if you thaw them.
You can cook them straight from the freezer, but I’ve found the chicken is always a bit tough this way. However I did find a work around for that which I’ve included in the recipe and tips below. If you don’t have one of these freezer meals thawed in the fridge, you can just cook it a little longer and make shredded chicken out of any of these 5 marinades!
The chicken marinade pictured above is the Ginger Garlic, and we served it with steamed Jasmine rice and sautéed/steamed bok choy. To make the bok choy, just add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet.
When the oil is hot add 1 minced clove of garlic and sauté just a few seconds, then add the bok choy and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Finally partially cover the pan with a lid and cook until tender, (adding water if necessary) which is where the steaming comes in. I love cooking all sorts of veggies this way because they’re so flavorful and tender.
How to freeze these healthy chicken marinades
- You can marinade the chicken breasts right in a 7-cup Pyrex dish like the one pictured above.
- Or secondly you can use freezer bags, I used gallon bags because I was out of the quart size, but quarts would work best for 2 chicken breasts.
From there the marinaded chicken is frozen for a later date.
Tip 1: Be sure and add the cooking time on the front of the bag for handy future reference.
Tip 2: To thaw one of these marinaded packages, place them on a plate with a deep rim, or in a bowl to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Always be sure to place the frozen bag into some sort of container, because you never know when they might spring a leak!
Tips and Tricks
- If you haven’t marinaded ahead you can still place thawed chicken breasts along with the marinade ingredients into the Instant Pot. I’ve done this several times. While they’re good, they’re definitely a bit more flavorful if you do have time to marinade ahead.
- You can also make these straight from frozen – marinaded or not. I like to cook them a little bit longer though and make them into shredded chicken. Trying to cook them from frozen as a whole chicken breast results in slightly tough chicken every single time. So by adding a bit more cooking time, and shredding the chicken, you avoid the tough factor. But you still have a good work around for when you don’t have anything prepped ahead! To cook the chicken straight from the freezer, be sure to freeze it so it fits into the Instant Pot.
- For the best flavor and texture that’s not shredded, thaw the marinaded chicken in a bowl overnight in the refrigerator. Then follow the normal cooking time below and serve with your choice of sides.
I really hope you enjoy these Instant Pot Chicken Marinades! And if you do get a chance to make them, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here!
If you’re looking for more marinade inspiration, try my 5 More Instant Pot Marinades. Or you can find 10 marinade options with my Best Chicken Marinades that are perfect for the oven or grill. Also for lots more chicken recipes, head on over to the recipe index.
Print5 Instant Pot Chicken Marinades
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings for each marinade 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These 5 Easy Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Marinades are my favorite thing to meal prep for the freezer. You’ll find everything from and Asian ginger garlic, to a chipotle and Greek lemon marinade. There’s lots of variety to choose from here and they’re all gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30, and sugar free.
Ingredients
Greek Lemon Herb:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon lemon zest, grated with a microplane grater
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Balsamic Italian:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning, no additives
1 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Cilantro Lime:
2 cups roughly chopped cilantro, not packed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Ginger Garlic:
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup coconut aminos, or gluten free soy sauce/tamari
1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flakes, or 1/2 Teaspoon for a slight spice
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Mexican:
1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons ground chipotle powder
1/4 cup coconut aminos, or gluten free soy sauce/tamari
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Instructions
For the cilantro lime marinade, place the cilantro, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and sea salt into a mini food processor and process until it forms a paste/pesto like texture. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine before pouring it over the chicken breasts.
To make any of the rest of the marinades, mix together all the ingredients, and place the chicken breasts with the liquid marinade into a freezer safe container of your choice. I use either plastic freezer quart sized bags or 7-cup glass Pyrex round containers.
After prepping any of these marinades, freeze immediately. Or you can leave one in the fridge for up to 24 hours to cook right away.
When you’re ready to cook one of these marinades, remove it from the freezer and place it in a container in the refrigerator to thaw for 24 hours until the next evening at dinnertime.
To cook the thawed marinated chicken, place it into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set to ‘sealing’. Then select pressure cook and set the time for 8 minutes. When the cooking time is up, use the quick release function. When the Instant Pot has released it’s pressure and is safe to open, remove the chicken breasts.
From here you can reduce the juices, or slightly thicken them with a teaspoon of tapioca or cornstarch mixed together with water and whisked into the juices. Use the sauté function to keep the mixture boiling while you do this. Serve the chicken with the juices and your choice of sides.
To cook from frozen, run the frozen container with the marinaded chicken under hot water until it loosens. Place the frozen block into the Instant Pot and add 1/2 cup water. Set to pressure cook for 35 minutes. Then use the quick release method.
When the Instant Pot is safe to open, shred the chicken breasts and place them back in their juice to serve. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment to quickly shred chicken.
If you haven’t marinaded ahead, simply add the marinade ingredients to the Instant Pot. Then add the thawed chicken breasts and proceed as directed above with the 8 minute cooking time for thawed.
To cook frozen un-marinaded chicken breasts, place the marinade ingredients into the Instant Pot along with 1/2 cup water. Then place the frozen chicken on top, and proceed as directed above with the 35 minute cooking time followed by shredding.
Notes
Make all 5 flavors as part of a meal prepping day and you’ll always have these ready to go in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Q: What are the cooking instructions if you simply marinade the chicken and either put it in the refrigerator overnight or cook within hours? I apologize if I missed it above. Thank you.
Hi Stacie, the cooking instructions would be the same as cooking thawed from the freezer marinated chicken. To cook the thawed marinaded chicken, place it into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set to ‘sealing’. Then select pressure cook and set the time for 8 minutes. I sure hope you enjoy the recipe, and be sure to let me know how it goes!
Thank-You!! My daughter does not like cilantro, so I am wondering if you have any suggestions for a replacement. Sauces go amazing over roasted veggies and rice.
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying these! I’m not sure what herb I would suggest in place of the cilantro since there’s so much of it, parsley would probably work in theory, I just don’t think the flavor would be all that great. I also have another post with 5 more marinades that has a pesto one in it, so some of those might work better in the end. I hope you enjoy them, and be sure to let me know if you have any more questions!
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/5-more-whole30-instant-pot-chicken-marinades/
The Ginger Garlic is beyond delicious. Roasted some broccoli and carrots to go with it and poured the extra sauce on them. Omg SO delicious! Got more chicken yesterday and am gonna make the rest of the recipes now. It’s a gamechanger to have such easy and delicious Whole30 Instant Pot recipes. Thank you!!
This definitely makes my day to hear you’re enjoying these, and that you found them super easy since that’s always the goal!
Do I still need to add the cup of water into the IP with these recipes or no?
I don’t add any extra water or liquid with these marinades because the liquid is built into the recipe. I sure hope you enjoy them, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!