The first set of Whole30 Instant Pot Marinades from a few weeks back was so popular, I got going right away on this set! In fact I barely had the first set of recipes out when I started get lots of requests for more marinade recipes.
So today I have another 5 for you, and I hope you love them just as much as the first set. I’d like to think there’s a little something for everyone here from the Orange 5 Spice to the Pesto, or the Honey Mustard. But I do hope you’ll give each one a whirl because they’re all so different.
Not to be picking favorites or anything… but the winner in our house was hands down the Orange 5 Spice. There’s just something about it that keeps everyone coming back for more! However I hate to even say that because the rest of them were devoured as well, and I wouldn’t want you to think the others weren’t as good.
The marinade pictured here is the Jerk Chicken which I made into a winter style bowl based off this Jerk Chicken with Avocado Peach Salsa bowl.
This one is made with pineapple salsa. I was going to make it with mango salsa because Tyler isn’t all the fond of pineapple. But when I couldn’t find any mangoes, I went with pineapple which is really great too, (if you like pineapple that is).
There’s a few ways to freeze these 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/extra instructions on the front of the bag for a 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!
And now some final notes about convenient work arounds!
- If you haven’t marinaded ahead you can still place thawed chicken breasts along with the marinade ingredients into the Instant Pot and cook them anyways. I’ve done this several times, and 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 and still have a good work around for when you don’t have anything prepped ahead! One tip though for cooking straight from frozen, is to make sure when you freeze your chicken in such a way that it’s in a shape/size that fits into the Instant Pot as a solid brick.
- And finally for the best flavor and perfect 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.
What I’ve made with these marinades so far:
- With the Orange 5 Spice Chicken, I served it with steamed Jasmine rice and broccoli roasted with garlic olive oil. With the small amount of leftover chicken and rice, I made a fried rice along the lines of this Pineapple Cauliflower Fried Rice.
- With the Jerk Chicken I made it into the bowls pictured with coconut rice, chicken, Pineapple Salsa, (I made this recipe without grilling the pineapple) and tostones.
- For the Honey Mustard Chicken, I chopped it up and made it into a wrap for Tyler’s birthday lunch. I mixed the chicken together with a bacon mayo, topped it with sliced cheddar cheese, genoa salami, lettuce, tomatoes, sliced avocados, and sprouts.
- I’ve only taste tested the next 2 but my plans for the Pesto Chicken is to fill baked acorn squash with it along with some sautéed onions, dried cranberries, and bake the squash again with some cheese melted on top.
- And the plans for the Red Coconut Curry is to add a pile of veggies to the mix and serve it with rice just like a normal curry.
Really there’s so many options with these marinades that I hope you’ll get creative and find some new favorite meals!
Notes about Whole30: Be really careful with the ingredients you use if you’re doing a Whole30. Read each label to be sure it’s Whole30 compliant. Many common ingredients contain sugar like mustard or even fish sauce! So look for brands that don’t like Annie’s for mustard, and Red Boat for fish sauce.
Print5 More Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Marinades
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings for each marinade 1x
Description
Dinner never needs to be boring again with all these marinade flavors!
Ingredients
Jerk Chicken:
1 Tablespoon jerk seasoning, see notes
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste, it will vary depending on the chicken stock you use
1 cup chicken stock, homemade if you can
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Pesto:
1 1/2 cups basil leaves, 3 ounces lightly packed
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, 1 1/2 ounces
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Honey Mustard:
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard or whole grain
2 Tablespoons honey, or 1 pitted date for Whole30
1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Orange 5 Spice:
1 Tablespoon orange zest, grated with a microplane grater
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from 2 oranges
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 Teaspoon five spice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons minced ginger
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
Red Coconut Curry:
2 Tablespoons red curry paste
2 Teaspoons lime zest, grated with a microplane grater
1 Teaspoon minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pound
1 can coconut milk
Instructions
For the Jerk Chicken, mix together all the ingredients except the chicken breasts until combined. Pour the marinade into a freezer container of your choice and add the chicken breasts. Seal and freeze, or refrigerate and use within 1 day.
With the pesto chicken, place all the ingredients except the chicken stock and chicken into a 12-cup food processor and process until a chunky pesto forms. Mix the pesto together with the chicken stock and place it into the freezer container of your choice along with the chicken breasts. Freeze, or refrigerate and use within 1 day
For the honey mustard whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken breasts until combined. If you’re keeping it Whole30 omit the honey, and using the pitted date, blend the marinade ingredients together until smooth. Place the marinade along with the chicken into a freezer container of your choice. Freeze, or refrigerate and use within 1 day.
For the orange 5 spice, whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken breasts. Then pour the marinade into a freezer container of your choice along with the the chicken breasts. Freeze, or refrigerate and use within 1 day.
With the coconut curry, whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken breasts and coconut milk. Place the marinade in a freezer container of your choice along with the chicken, reserving the can of coconut milk until after the chicken is cooked. Freeze, or refrigerate and use within 1 day.
To cook the red coconut curry chicken, defrost the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Then place the chicken along with the marinade into the Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook for 7 minutes. When the chicken is done, use the quick release function. When the Instant Pot is safe to open, remove the chicken breasts and set them aside. Turn on the sauté function and add the coconut milk. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and feel free to add as many veggies as you’d like. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
For any of the other chicken marinades, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and place them into the Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 7 minutes, 8 for 10 ounce chicken breasts. When the chicken is done, use the quick release function. Then when the Instant Pot is safe to open, remove the chicken, and use the sauté function to bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer for a couple minutes, and thicken if desired with 1-2 Teaspoons tapioca starch mixed together with 2 Tablespoons water. Serve as desired with sides and veggies. See the post for lots of ideas.
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 sure to check the labels of all your seasonings and ingredients to make sure they’re Whole30. Also with the jerk seasoning I used it wasn’t hot, so watch out for that as well.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
I want some…of all of them! They all look so tasty I’m literally drooling.
Right!?! When I have them all in the freezer, I can never make up my mind which one to eat first!
So creative. I am not sure I can pick a fave so will need to work my way through your list! Thanks Kari!!
Thank you, and I agree, it’s always hard to choose!
Thank you thank you for these chicken marinades! I am especially excited to try the red coconut curry.
Awesome, I sure hope you enjoy it!