Healthy Home
Inside: This recipe for freezer-to-crockpot chicken fajitas is very healthy! The chicken, peppers, and onions are all fresh, and you create your own simple sauce.
Related: Want even more chicken freezer meals? Check out 10 Easy Freezer Meals.
By Kelly of New Leaf Wellness
I’m so excited to share my family’s favorite recipe for freezer-to-crockpot chicken fajitas with you. What I mean by “freezer-to-crockpot” is that you assemble the meal in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag, freeze it, and then cook it later in your crockpot.
My favorite thing about freezer-to-crockpot meals is that you can prepare them ahead of time and then make them on days when you don’t have time to cook. There’s literally nothing easier than grabbing a meal from your freezer and dumping it in your crockpot. It takes probably 30 seconds total.
Here are some other awesome things about freezer-to-crockpot meals:
- There’s no cooking ahead of time so the recipes are very easy to prep.
- The meals cook for the first time out of the freezer and don’t taste like leftovers at all.
- You can take advantage of sales and freeze a couple at a time. (Most freezer meals will last in a standard fridge-freezer combo for at least three months.)
What I love about this recipe for freezer-to-crockpot chicken fajitas in particular is that it’s very healthy. The chicken, peppers, and onions are all fresh and you create your own simple sauce by adding apple cider vinegar, honey, and seasonings.
I first came up with this chicken fajita recipe for my slow cooker cookbook and then adapted it as a freezer recipe for my No Cook Freezer Meals cookbook. My family LOVES this recipe. I have made it many, many times. It’s just an easy, healthy, delicious meal your whole family will like.
Besides cooking it in your crockpot, you can cook it on your stovetop in a pinch. There have been times when I didn’t plan for lunch or dinner and then quickly thawed the frozen fajitas to cook on my stovetop. It’s hard to justify ordering take-out when you can have a healthy, delicious, homemade meal in 15 minutes or less.
Freezer-to-Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
TO FREEZE:
- Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instructions, and "use-by" date. (I use these simple printable labels.)
- Add all ingredients.
- Remove as much air from the bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer for up to three months.
TO COOK:
- The night before cooking, move the frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.
- The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot and cook on “low” setting for 6 hours or until chicken is tender.
- Shred chicken and serve with cooked onions and peppers.
We like to eat our fajitas on tortillas with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese, and guacamole. For a gluten-free version, serve on corn tortillas or rice.
Want more delicious, healthy recipes? Check out the recipe index here on The Humbled Homemaker! You might also enjoy Erin’s recipe for Easy, Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken in the Crock Pot.
Have you ever frozen a meal for your crockpot before? Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
Dr. Kelly McNelis lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and three young daughters. Kelly shares her favorite crockpot recipes and freezer meal sessions on her blog, New Leaf Wellness. You can connect with Kelly on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Natalie
I had actually found this recipe on the original posting for healthy freezer crock pot meals in x amount of time… did the beef version 🙂 My hubby and I loved it with homemade tortillas. My 3.5yo son even seemed to enjoy some as leftovers when I gave him a super small amount to eat (he avoided it the night I actually made it lol). Was super easy to put together for the freezer… just will probably have to pull out of the freezer earlier (my roast was still super frozen and I couldn’t fit it into my crock at first lol)
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Awesome! So glad you liked it! I always think getting my kids to eat the food that I cook is big “win”. 🙂
Angela
We make froze crockpot meals all the time as we are a busy homeschooling family. Right now I have a roast with a dry rub and BBQ sauce in the crockpot. I have made the above recipe and just cooked it for 45 minutes in the oven and served it over rice. Delicious!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Yum! That sounds delicious, Angela!
Kim
So in the description it says you add frozen directly to crockpot but instructions say thaw in refrigerator overnight? Which is the preferred method?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Thanks so much for sharing, Erin!!
April
I have a quick question. 🙂 Do I have to use apple cider vinegar or can I use white vinegar? Will it change the taste a lot? Thanks for the recipe and your answer!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I’m not sure. I think it will have a stronger taste, but it might work out. I’ve also used fresh squeezed lime juice in place of the vinegar, and that’s awesome. If you give it a try, please let us know how it turns out.
April
Thanks Kelly!
Heather Costa
Is the lime juice equal to apple cider vinegar?
Erin
I believe you should be able to sub out here but the lime probably adds more taste!
Jennifer H
Is there an easy way to save this recipe? nothing is working for me.
Penny massoud
Meats should be packaged separately from other items. Bacteria will from
It is not safe to package your way.
Tina
Bacteria will not form in the freezer. That’s the whole point of freezing it. And if you have it separate, you’ll put it in the crock-pot together.
Lee anne
How many servings does your recipes make. I tried looking for it but I’ve seem I can’t find it…
Thank you for taking the time to post these they are a break from every day hectic life…:)
Emily
Is there a way to cook rice along with it in the pot? When and how would I add that?
Emily
Specifically brown rice.
Ciara
I’m making this tonight. The smell of the crockpot cooking has filled the whole house. I can’t wait to try it!
Erin
I love that feeling…so much stress is released when you can smell the crockpot going! I hope you love it!
Caitlyn Gamache
Fantastic Idea!
Thank you for the freezer friendly food list and recipe!
Erin
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Deb
Question– I have made this before in the crockpot and we liked it, but I think I prefer my fajita meat to be more “grilled” than shredded. Do you think it would work to just thaw this as usual and sauté in a pan on the stove instead of crockpot? I know the ease of the crock pot is the main point of making this meal, but having it prepped and ready to go in the freezer still saves a lot of time.
Deb
Oops, never mind, I just read in your text that you have done that before! Good to know that recipe is stovetop or crockpot flexible.
Laurissa
Would it make much difference without the honey? I can’t feed my son honey before 1 and I really want to try this but he eats everything we do!
Erin
I don’t think it would make much of a difference at all to leave it out. I frequently leave out ingredients like this!
ROBERT C LIBBY
Do you add the vinegar to the freezer bag as well? Or just add that at time of cooking?
Kirsten
Let’s say you forget to take it out of the freezer the night before. (I’m pretty forgetful) Do you think you could use an electric pressure cooker instead, because those allow you to cook from frozen. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.
Jazzy
About to start the Crock Pot! Can’t wait til it’s done! What a fast and easy dish.
Savannah
Can u freeze the tortillas and put them separately in the bag so you have everything you need for this meal together? Then just put them in fridge while the meat is cooking.
Katie K
I’ve had good luck freezing tortillas in the store packaging inside a zip freezer bag. They thaw just fine! 🙂
Maria Bogan
How many servings is this recipe?
Mike
Why do I have to thaw first? Can I just put it in the crockpot frozen?
Erin
Actually, as long as they cook long enough, I think that is fine.
Carol
I used to do once a month cooking a lot when my kids were little but I have since stopped doing that. I would like to get back to doing that as when I get home I’m so tired I don’t feel like cooking and then we don’t eat well. One thing I found difficult is the labeling, so I wondered where you got those really nice labels. I like how you just fill in the blanks and it’s nice and neat and easy to read. Thanks!
Sheila
How many does this recipe serve?
Kelly
Hi there 🙂 my sauce was more of a paste – is this really enough liquid for the crockpot? Thanks!
Erin
Oh no–I’m not really sure if your sauce it like a paste.