Freezer-Friendly Mediterranean Braised Chicken

Why this freezes well:
Tomato-based sauces, olive oil, herbs, and braised meats hold their texture and flavor after freezing and reheating. There’s no cream to separate, and the vegetables stay tender without becoming mushy.

Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

• 2½–3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or boneless thighs)

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

• ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

• 2 tbsp capers (optional but excellent)

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (add after reheating)

Instructions

1️⃣ Season & Brown

Pat chicken dry. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and smoked paprika.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until golden. Flip and brown 3 minutes more. Remove and set aside.

2️⃣ Build the Sauce

Lower heat to medium. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with wine (or broth), scraping up browned bits.

Add crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Stir well.

3️⃣ Braise

Return chicken to pot, nestling into sauce.
Cover and simmer gently 30–35 minutes (internal temp 165°F).

Stir in olives and capers during the last 5 minutes.

Let cool completely.

🧊 Freezing Instructions

• Cool to room temperature.

• Portion into airtight freezer containers or freezer bags.

• Remove excess air.

• Label and freeze up to 3 months.

Tip: Freeze flat in bags for easy stacking.

🔥 Reheating

• Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

• Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot.

• Add a splash of broth if needed.

• Finish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

🍽 Serving Ideas

• Over rice or orzo

• With roasted potatoes

• Over polenta

• With crusty bread

Bonus Freezer Tip

If serving over pasta or rice, freeze the chicken and sauce separately from the starch. Cook fresh starch on serving day for best texture.

I understand your situation, I prepare all my moms food for her, an extremely limited selection.

No longer likes meat, cannot cook anymore, not even with a microwave, and is constantly grazing.

The few things that she always likes are ensure, coleslaw, yogurt, and cheese balls.

Since she is constantly snacking I keep a variety of healthy, and non healthy snacks in zip lock bags on the counter for her to snack on, including her cheese balls, crackers, bite size cereal like frosted mini wheats, cookies, etc.

I do mix some other veggies and protein powder into the coleslaw, and make her protein shakes often.

I try to sneak a few other things into her menu, and sometimes she likes it, though she generally only eats a bite and tells me to finish it, or tries to feed it to my dog.

Tammy, I posted not too long ago, a recipe for Chicken Marsala, which doesn't have any cream of in the recipe.  It is really good too.

Turkey chili lives on

Hmm, I am a picky eater, but not much of a cook at all, so I have nothing for you, haha.

Soups freeze well.  I do not eat meat of any kind, yet chicken would work well with chicken vegetable soup with beans. 

When I make soups and chili, I do not use a recipe. I know what I like, so I just throw it all in the pot. 

I will make a huge pot of Spaghetti Sauce and divide it into four batches.  I use on now and freeze three.  This gives you three home cooked meals in minutes.

I get a ton of great recipes from Instagram. Try chicken meatballs. We grill chicken a lot and I make chicken soup often. Chicken & rice can be good as well as chicken chili. I don't freeze meals personally. I do cook chicken in my oven skillet. I either marinade it first or make a light bread crumb coating. I heat my skillet first with just a little olive or avocado oil then add the chicken. We usually have a fresh veggie and some time of potato (sweet or regular or a rice/grain. You can make a good chicken parm this way. We also do stir fry with chicken but there's prep time involved unless you buy the precut veggies.You can also make some flavorful shredded chicken or grilled chicken to put on a fresh salad or grain bowl. Hope that helps.