We’re always trying to find ways to eat healthier, with a focus on eating whole foods and less processed foods. Rather than buying expensive, processed deli meats, we’ve both been taking leftovers to work, or better yet, preparing our own meats for lunches.
It only takes a little bit of prep work to have delicious baked chicken ready for our lunches. I wait until chicken breasts are on sale, and then buy a large value pack.
Garrett likes to eat it on its own with BBQ sauce and a side of veggies, while I toss my chicken into a salad along with whatever vegetables we have in the fridge.
What you’ll need:
- Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil (helpful if its in an oil mister)
- Your Favourite Seasonings: Seasoning Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Oregano, Paprika, Salt and Pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
Trim any fat off the chicken breasts, and then lay it on the lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil or spray with an oil mister if you have one (I love mine!). Sprinkle on your favourite seasonings. I like to use some combination of seasoning salt, cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika (for some colour!), salt and pepper.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Use a meat thermometer to determine that it is heated through to at least 170°F. Let chicken sit for 30 minutes.
You can either freeze the chicken breasts whole, chop it up into larger pieces for salads or thinly slice it for sandwiches. I prefer to chop it up before I freeze it because then I just need to thaw it in the fridge overnight and take it to work the next day for my lunch. I usually leave out 1-2 breasts in the fridge for the first few days after I’ve made this.
Place the wrapped chicken breasts into a larger freezer bag, making sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
When I’m packing my lunch at night, I just remove a bag of baked chicken from the freezer, place it in the fridge to thaw overnight and then toss it in with the salad in the morning.
I’ve even tossed it with some vegetables in a skillet for a quick weeknight stir fry when we’re in a rush!
That Cobb Salad looks so good!
Totally brilliant… I am so doing this. I knew there must be an easier way to cook all that chicken.
Thanks for the tip Amanda!!
Hugs, Bella
I definitely need to start doing this! My husband’s been packing his lunch a lot lately, and having something ready when I’m out of ideas would be wonderful!
does it taste any different after it’s been frozen for a while, I sometimes find it’s dry.
Good question! I haven’t really found that it is dry, but I’m usually using it in a salad with dressing.
Micaela, I am super picky when it comes to freezing and thawing food, but this chicken was absolutely delicious whether it was eaten fresh, or after a few weeks 🙂
I just bought the George Forman electric grill from QVC. Cooked a single boneless chicken breast tonight and it was delicious. Not dry at all. Nothing on it but Lawry’s Garlic Salt. I think the key is cooking it slow so it doesn’t dry out.
Will be doing it in bulk now!
I do this also. I usually buy two pkg of frozen breast from SAV A LOT, bake with some rottiserie chicken seasoning and wrap it and keep it in the fridge . We eat it within the 5 -7 days. I love chicken.
i like to tenderize my chicken breasts before baking or grilling. They will melt in your mouth!
This is a great idea and will definitely come in handy! Are you measuring out the spices you are using for this recipe? Or do you just sprinkle it over the chicken?
This will be going into my recipes for easy and must haves. My husband packs lunches and this would be awesome for salad on the go in a bag. Sandwiches, chicken and gravy in a bag, caesar salads in a bag or just chicken alone. Thank you for this post. My family will truly benefit from this recipe in more ways than one.
Perfect chicken! This methods a keeper!
I don’t know how to cook, so this helps me very much.
Do you use boneless or skinless or just regular chicken breasts?
I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you could use regular ones and adjust the cooking time.