I know it’s not the most pleasant-sounding name for a dinner entree, but don’t let the name fool you! “Dump chicken” is not only delicious it’s deliciously EASY to make which makes it even more attractive for dinner! :-)
You may have heard of a thing called “dump cake”… you know, where you “dump” a couple of ingredients (usually a cake mix and a can of fruit) into a 9×13 pan and bake? Well, dump chicken is just as easy! Another great thing about dump cooking is you probably already have all the necessary ingredients right in your pantry! No trip to the grocery store necessary. A major plus in my book!
There are all kinds of different varieties you can make and freeze for future dinners. Today I’ll be showing you how to make one of these dump chicken recipes that features two of my favorite flavors… garlic and lemon. :-)
Lemon Garlic Dump Chicken
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp parsley flakes
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of one whole lemon)
- 4-6 chicken breasts (or 8 to 10 chicken tenders)
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a 1-gallon freezer bag. I used wide mouth half gallon mason jar to hold the bag upright while I filled it with the chicken and other ingredients.
After sealing the bag, turn the bag over several times until everything is combined and the chicken is well coated. Freeze flat.
I decided to prepare several of these meals at the same time, so I could store them in my freezer to use later on. Here is my stack of prepared dump chicken dinners all ready for the freezer!
How To Cook Your Dump Chicken
To cook you have a few different options:
Option 1 – Bake
Thaw chicken. Pour chicken and marinade into a baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
Option 2 – Grill
Thaw and grill in a cast iron skillet on the stove, or outside on the barbecue grill, until no longer pink inside.
Option 3 – Slow Cooker
More Ideas You'll Love
Place the frozen chicken in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or high for 4-6 hours.)
-OR-
Related: How To Make 3 Easy “Dump Chicken” Recipes In Your Instant Pot
This is one of the best-tasting marinated chicken breast recipes I’ve tried. Can’t wait to try out some more dump chicken recipes!
Do you do any sort of dump or freezer cooking?
Lemon Garlic Dump Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp parsley flakes
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or the juice of one whole lemon
- 6 chicken breasts or 8 to 10 chicken tenders
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a 1-gallon freezer bag. I used wide mouth half gallon mason jar to hold the bag upright while I filled it with the chicken and other ingredients.
- After sealing the bag, turn the bag over several times until everything is combined and the chicken is well coated. Freeze flat.
- I decided to prepare several of these meals at the same time, so I could store them in my freezer to use later on. Here is my stack of prepared dump chicken dinners all ready for the freezer!
Option 1 – Bake
- Thaw chicken. Pour chicken and marinade into a baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
Option 2 – Grill
- Thaw and grill in a cast iron skillet on the stove, or outside on the barbecue grill, until no longer pink inside.
Option 3 – Slow Cooker
- Place the frozen chicken in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or high for 4-6 hours.)
Since chicken breast is a drier type of meat I always prick both sides with fork tines before marinating so the marinade has a chance to permeate the meat. My favorite go to quick marinate is lemon juice (the dollar store brand works just fine and you can cover the meat without spending a lot of $) and garlic powder. Just before grilling I sprinkle on Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. If something comes up and I decide not to grill that day, it can stay in the frig for another day. Why not grill all the meat at once (one mess) and then freeze what you are not using right away. That way, all you have to do is defrost and heat for another meal.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Satindoll, I followed your cue and pricked both sides with a sharp knife so the flavor seeped in. I also made sure to put a lot of lemon pulp and it turned out delicious. People who are complaining it was bland can even add a bit of lemon zest.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Make it ‘Greek’ by substituting oregano (and maybe dill) for the parsley, marinade overnight …. layer in a baking dish, add the marinade (plus a little water or more lemon, to brink it half way up chicken thickness, and bake 350 til tops are very brown. This is not a freeze..mand use boneless thighs with skin. Yum
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for sharing this. In addition to the ingredients I used chicken seasoning and garlic powder, served with noodles and homemade alfredo sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It amazes me how some people were surprised about the bland taste considering there were no seasonings in the ingredient list.
I made this chicken last night and it had zero flavor. It was in the marinade for 2-3 hours and I baked it for 35 min, covered with aluminum foil. It was moist, but tasted like I baked a plain chicken breast, without any seasoning. Very disappointing. We had to smother it in bar b q sauce, just to eat it. I will be deleting this pin.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It says to marinate and freeze. I wanted to make it tonight.. how long should I marinate it before cooking?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.About 30 minutes :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I so wanted to love this recipe, but when I made it in my slow cooker, although there was plenty of liquid, the chicken breasts came out way too dry! Maybe I cooked them too long? They were in for 8 hours.
I ended up shredding them and adding mayo for chicken salad. I thought that was delicious but my husband didn’t like the garlic lemon flavor in his chicken salad. (More for me!)
I just came back from Costco with 7 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs and I’m going to put together some ziplocks with the lemon garlic recipe and try again.
I’ll let you know how it comes out. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you cook chicken frozen in slow cooker so people are saying not to reheat in slow cooker?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.how many calories are in this meal
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Each chicken breast will be around 200-300 calories, depending on the size of the chicken breast and how much of the marinade ends up on your plate. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1- is there a need for seasoning (salt)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.2- what do you serve it with?
3- would chilli flakes work with this?
You can season it to taste, I like serving it with noodles for rice, and chili flakes would be great if you want a little heat!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Making tonight…. using frozen breasts, added everything to bag- refrigerating for a couple of hours…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.added artichoke hearts … and was going to add a cup of white wine… thoughts?
Could I use legs or thighs? If so how long should I cook them
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely! Cook them until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cooked this on the BBQ. It was great. Both teenagers loved it and requested that I make it again!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I added it to rice…but I have to say…it was soooo bland and dry. I had to add a lot of siracha. I slow cooked the chicken with broth, too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How long do you cook in the crock pot if it’s not frozen?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.2 hours on high or 4 hours on low :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you just marinade in the frig for a while and then put in crock pot?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sounds so easy and good , now i know whats for supper tomorrow night , ty.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Don’t you have to add any liquid to the crockpot for this recipe?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nope!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Doesn’t the length of time the chicken is in lemon juice cause the chicken to “over-tenderize” & become mealy, compared to marinating for only 20-30 minutes prior to cooking?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I haven’t noticed any issues with texture, I think the freezer prevents over-tenderizing :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds and look yummy, can’t wait to give it a try.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If I didn’t want to freeze, how long do you suggest to marinade the chicken before cooking? Thanks so much! This recipe sounds delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.At least 30 minutes :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Note to self: WAKE UP b4 checking out recipes! Thought you said “dumb” chicken, but couldn’t find a recipe on your site for that!! Thanks for the excellent ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not seeing the comment from the other day about the safety of using a slow cooker for frozen foods. You referenced this article as saying it was safe: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Slow_Cookers_and_Food_Safety.pdf
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think you were looking at an older article? Because this says it is not safe to cook frozen foods in the slow cooker. I have done it, and obviously I’m still alive, but it sounds like it could be a dangerous thing to do.
I have been cooking frozen beef roasts in the slow cooker for years without any issues.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes it does. I do it all the time
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do quite often, but this time it is not.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m certainly going to try the recipe dump chicken sounds yummy
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I freeze make ahead meals like the dump chicken I use Pyrex glass casserole pans with lids. They stack nicely in the freezer saving space and money for freezer bags. I can cook the food right in that pan or in other ways.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What do you serve it with??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Riced cauliflower, spices and of course butter!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Rice! Or pasta :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this question, and both answers, of course! I’ve been really interested in the recipe but was confused by the accompanying pic, w/no mention of the added ingredient(s) shown, so I was going to ask this myself!
And Julie, adding butter when serving dishes is something I often do! “Love me some butter!!!”
I have wanted to try dump recipes but was told you can’t put frozen food in the slow cooker or it will crack the ceramic pot. Do you know if this is true or not? This recipe looks wonderful and I am dying to try it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always put frozen meat in my slow cooker. It has never caused a problem
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Not true. The pot heats gradually warming and thawing the contents at the same time.
With I freeze dinners like the dump chicken I store them in Pyrex casserole pans with lids. It’s easier to get the food into and saves on plastic bags.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It is not considered safe to cook frozen items in the slow cooker as they do not bring the temperature of the food up quickly enough, allowing bacteria to possibly grow. It is much better to thaw the lemon garlic dump chicken in the refrigerator first and then add to the slow cooker.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lisa R is correct according to the link Jille posted yesterday (I think it got deleted? I don’t see it now) to the USDA article about slow cookers. Here it is again: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Slow_Cookers_and_Food_Safety.pdf
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It definitely says “Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it
into a slow cooker”
The crock pot heats slowly and thaws the meat as it does. Most crock pots, even on low eventually reach a boiling point at which bacteria will be killed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s not like not like putting something glass into and icy cold into boiling water which would likely make the glass break. So, yes, it’s safe to put frozen food into a crock pot. I’ve done it and I’ve seen many recipes that call for doing that.
How many calories and what is the serving size for this recipe?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think I might put together some of these, today! Thank you.
I was also curious if it was shredded, and over rice in the photo.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, it is!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I can’t wait to make this recipe. I am very limited in my diet and so your recipes are a blessing in my life. I don’t know if you know that many people that are gluten intolerant are also very sensitive to anything mammal. I have been sensitive to beef, pork, lamb, deer, elk and many other meats and all mammal milk for years and half wondered if I was losing my mind. So now that I know that this is a real problem for some people my diet is now basically the ” Fish and Fowl” diet. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi there!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was wondering if I might need to add some liquid such as chicken broth or water?
Thanks!
Nope! There’s plenty of liquid from the lemon juice :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How long would you marinate if you didn’t freeze the chicken and just cooked it in the crockpot?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.At least an hour :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.USDA says it’s okay. The lengthy heat will kill the baddies. But if it makes anyone worry you can set the pot on High for the first hour and then cook on Low for the remaining time. :https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Slow_Cookers_and_Food_Safety.pdf.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t see where that site says cooking frozen meat in the slow cooker is ok? This is what I am reading “Always thaw meat or poultry
before putting it into a slow
cooker”
and
Thaw Ingredients
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it
into a slow cooker
Heating on high for the first hour to defrost is a great suggestion – thanks Sarah!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the recipe. :) I plan to make some of these freezer meals this week.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually combine chicken, lemon and honey, it’s very tasty. Thanks for sharing
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The picture of the chicken looks like you served it shredded over rice??? It looks wonderful. Am I right about ingredients?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When cooking in the slow cooker, do you include the marinade? Thanks for a great sounding, quick meal idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hiya,
You dont add salt?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t, but you definitely can!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been wanting a new chicken breast recipe so, thank you. Your timing was perfect! I love lemon and I love garlic but, I’ve never put them together. This will be fun.
As always, thank you, Jillee!
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