Succulent roasted chicken breasts, lightly seasoned and the perfect protein base for on the go meals and make ahead dinners.
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In my humble opinion, there is no better meat recipe starter than chicken. Use it as your protein base in salads, on the go meals, casseroles or a filler for tacos and quesadillas. It’s the stuff easy meal dreams are made of!
After years of making recipes that call for diced chicken, I finally got wise. Make the chicken in advance! Sure, it’s easy to grab a rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off, but that can get really expensive. Not to mention the waste of skin and bones. It’s especially true these days with the price of food going thru the roof!
The options you’ll have when planning dinner (or not planning) are only limited by what you have in the pantry and your imagination. Having cooked chicken diced and ready to go for taco filling, building quesadillas or as a pizza topping for quick weeknight dinners is a huge time saver! I’m in!
Saving money
You might think that buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts are too expensive and opt for buying other cuts or a ready-made rotisserie. Both are okay, but after figuring in the waste of skin, bones and paying a premium price for a cooked chicken, I’ve found that roasting them myself is more cost-effective.
I’ll wait until I find boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale, then “process” as many pounds as possible all at once. I like to fill up quart-size freezer bags leaving some of the breasts whole, and dice or slice up the rest. That day I’ll serve chicken breasts for dinner, with a tasty side like Easy Corn Pudding or Creamy Broccoli Slaw.
Nothing could be easier than seasoning chicken breasts, placing them in on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan, then baking for less than an hour. Make several batches of these roasted chicken breasts then pop them in the freezer so you’ll always have some on hand.
Be sure to line your pan with parchment paper or foil to make clean up less of a chore. Who wants to stand at the sink scrubbing sheet pans?
How do I know the meat is cooked?
The breasts are done when they reach 165 degrees F. Avoid over cooking so the meat doesn’t dry out. The easiest way to check the temperature is to use a digital meat thermometer. Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to accurately check for done.
Is it hard to cut up chicken breasts?
When cutting up the cooked breasts it’s best to use a long, very sharp knife. Warm chicken breasts have a tendency to tear while cutting which normally I don’t care about if I’m using the chicken in recipes. If you want to make precise cuts or a more uniform dice, chill the cooked breasts in the fridge and cut them up while they’re cold.
Why use skinless chicken breasts?
If you’re looking for a budget friendly way to feed your family lean protein, then roasted chicken breasts without the skin is a super option. A 4-ounce (1/4 pound) serving of plain boneless, skinless chicken breast has only 128 calories but packs in 24 grams of protein. Talk about healthy:)
Roast chicken breasts for meal prep is best made without the skin attached. The skin comes apart from the chicken when it’s being diced, leaving pieces of chicken skin with fat attached mixed with the lean protein.
Chicken breasts served with the skin attached can add 100 or more calories to each serving. There is quite a bit of chicken fat attached right under the skin and isn’t a very healthy option.
Is cooked chicken okay to freeze?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to freeze cooked chicken, as long as it was initially cooked by the use-by date on the store package. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once thawed, use the chicken within 24 hours.
How do I freeze cooked chicken?
I use quart size freezer bags for pre-cooked chicken and like to put 2 cups of chicken plus 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into each bag. (Many recipes calls for 2 cups of cooked chicken…so you’re ready!) Before filling your bags, grab a permanent marker and label your freezer bags or containers with the cooking date, what the bag contains and the amount.
Tasty Related Recipes:
Chipotle Sauce Chicken Enchiladas – substitute meal prep diced roast chicken breasts for the shredded chicken.
Easy Broccoli Chicken Pasta Salad – increase chicken breasts to 2 pounds.
Easy Oven Chicken Chimichangas
Chicken Tater Tot Casserole – it’s a freezer meal recipe but you can make and eat tonight!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
Roast Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 9 x 13 baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper or foil.
- In a small bowl, mix paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper until blended. Set aside.
- Place chicken breasts in single layer in pan, with space between each. Sprinkle spice mix evenly over both sides of chicken breasts.
- Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan until cool enough to handle. Dice or slice for meal prep as desired.
- Refrigerate cooked chicken for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions:
- Allow chicken to cool slightly. Process by dicing or slicing with a sharp knife, or leave chicken breast whole. Place chicken in plastic freezer bags in desired portion size and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Label and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw chicken in refrigerator before using.
Equipment Used
Nutrition Facts
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