Meal Prep | 5 Easy Low Carb Marinade Recipes (2024)

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I get a lot of emails from y'all asking about how to make sticking to your keto or low carb lifestyle easier.

I know, especially when you are first starting out, going low carb can seem a bit daunting.

Stopping at the drive-thru, or ordering pizza goes out the window and a crazy hectic evening can really throw a monkey wrench in the whole deal if you don't have something planned ahead of time.

Over the summer it is pretty easy for me because I have a man that loves to grill.

So, as long as I have some salads, or sides planned ahead, dinner is BING BANG BOOM easy.

Steak, Caesar salad, and some Garlic and Herb Cauliflower rice,Herbed Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Parmesan, orItalian Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes, and we are in business.

But once fall hits, and the temps drop, he likes to be inside where it is warm and cozy.

That is when making menus and meal prep becomes my best friend.

I shop on the weekend, prep everything up on Sunday, and we have meals for the whole week without even having to think about it.

The great thing about these marinades is that they can be used with pretty much any meat, or even veggie, you want.

I love pork with all of them, and beef is really great with the chimichurri and Mexican! You can even use fish and shrimp, but I am a sucker for chicken.

I honestly usually use chicken thighs for this most of the time.

They are higher in fat (good for my macros) and cheaper.

But chicken breasts were on sale, and I know some people just prefer them, so that was the way I went today.

For the 2 of us, I use 1 pound of meat per bag.

In this case that equaled 2 chicken breasts.

You, of course, can do more or less. Depending on your family size, or appetite.

Most of the marinade recipes are for 1 cup (except the pesto which is 2) of the marinade, and I use 1 cup of marinade per pound.

So it would be super easy to double the recipes for a family of 4 or triple for 6, etc.

Once you have your marinades made, place the chicken in a ziptop freezer bag and add the marinade. Squeeze out any air and squish the bag around a bit to make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated.

Now you have a choice.

To freeze? Or not to freeze?

These marinades can be used the night before, or even the afternoon before a meal.

If that is the case, just pop that bag into the fridge for 1 to 24 hours before you are planning to cook.

When I made these I cooked the pesto chicken the next night, so that bag went into the fridge.

The rest went into the freezer.

You can safely freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months, so make sure to mark the bag with the date.

When it comes to cooking, these marinades are uber versatile because they work for grilling, baking, sauteing, slow cooking, and even for the Instant Pot.

Pick your fave cooking method and go to town!

Here are some general guidelines for cooking your chicken.

Make sure your chicken is completely thawed. Cooking partially frozen chicken will result uneven cook temps, and be a general pain in the rear.

Allow the chicken to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. This allows the chicken to cook quicker which will keep it from drying out.