Make ahead meals for the grill will simplify your summer evenings! Simple marinades allow for more time for family and fun.
Make ahead meals for the grill? For the freezer?!
I didn’t know you could grill a freezer meal.
I KNOW.
Turns out, you can. And it’s fantastic.
The best thing about make ahead meals for the grill is that your meat gets marinated as your freezer meals thaws. So then you have this perfectly marinated grill-ready bag of deliciousness! Or it might be a grill-ready foil pack. You’ll want to read the details about those below for sure!
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How to Cook Freezer to Grill Recipes
- Thaw meal completely.
- Preheat grill.
- Cook as directed.
Make Ahead Foil Pack Meals
Ah, foil packs. They are one of the best kept secrets of freezer meals, in my opinion. They open up a variety of possibilities for many common dinnertime struggles. Serving size is never an issue, because you can pull out as many servings as you need for each meal. Dietary preferences or allergies are easier, because you can put different ingredients in each pack.
How to Cook Foil Pack Meals in Oven
You cook them in the oven….ON A BAKING SHEET!
Just about every foil pack contains a delicious sauce, therefore you do not want that sauce dripping and burning onto the bottom of your oven. It doesn’t happen often, but on occasion you might find a small tear in your foil pack and the sauce will start to seep out. You can double wrap it with another piece of foil, if you catch it in time.
To be safe, place your packs onto a baking sheet.
I bake all my foil packs at 400 F, as that’s pretty close to what an average grill will heat to (when lid is closed). Here are some rough cooking times for different types of meat in the foil packs. Note that cooking times will vary depending on thickness of the meat and the other contents in the foil pack.
Foil Pack Oven Cook Times:
- Whole chicken breast – 40 to 45 minutes
- Chicken tenderloins – 25 to 30 minutes
- Stew beef (beef cubes) – 25 to 30 minutes
- Salmon Fillet – 20 to 25 minutes
- Cod Fillet – 15 to 20 minutes
- Tilapia Fillet – 10 to 15 minutes
Opening Your Foil Packs: Use Caution!
Whether you’ve cooked your foil packs out on the grill, or in the oven, you need to be careful when opening them as hot hot hot steam will release from the pack. You can slit the foil towards the top with a small knife, or you could carefully create an opening in the top of the foil. Let the steam escape before opening completely.
Check to see if the meat is done. If it is, get on with your meal. If it is not, quickly wrap it back up and return to the oven.
Now for the drool-worthy recipes you’ve been waiting for. Scroll through the different sections to find a few your family will love and get to work…
Make Ahead Meals for the Grill
These fajitas are fresh and flavorful! Yes, you read that correctly. Cheese on the inside! Ranch is just such a delicious flavoring on a grilled burger! Hope you enjoy these as much as we do! These burgers are bursting with flavor! Delicious grilled steak, made with homemade marinade. All the delicious flavors of a taco, burger style! This deliciously marinated steak on top of a bed of greens is simply wonderful! The tomatillo salsa is the perfect addition to this flank steak! Could also be good in a wrap, or on nachos! A tropical-teriyaki twist for your next burgers on the grill night! We're mixing in a mayo-teriyaki combo into the ground beef, which results in a delicious, moist and flavorful burger! Top with grilled pineapple slices, a dollop of teriyaki sauce, and other favorite burgers fixings. Enjoy!Make Ahead Meals for the Grill - Beef Recipes
Grilled Beef Fajitas with Veggies
Inside Out Grilled Cheeseburgers
Grilled Ranch Burgers
Grilled Bacon & Blue Cheeseburgers {Lettuce Wraps}
Grilled Southwestern Steaks
Grilled Taco Burgers
Grilled Flank Steak Salad
Grilled Flank Steak & Tomatillo Salsa
Grilled Teriyaki Burgers
The lemon juice does such an amazing job of tenderizing the chicken (the acidity actually breaks down the chicken to literally soften it), and infusing it’s citrus-y flavor goodness deep into the chicken. The result is perfectly grilled chicken! Chicken pieces soaked in a lemon-oregano vinaigrette. Then threaded with some green olives, red onion, bell peppers and zukes. If you haven't tried pineapple on the grill, I highly recommend you try it. Like, now. Go fire up that grill! Tangy, juicy BBQ chicken with melty cheese - all in a bun! These simple ingredients add so much flavor to this juicy chicken! Would be delicious on a salad too! A delicious chicken marinade wrapped perfectly in fresh lettuce leaves! Talk about flavorful. As the chicken cooks and steams within the foil packet, the juices and sage flavor percolate in the foil and give the chicken a delicious flavor and tender texture. Switch up your grill night with these flavorful turkey burgers! Simple & tasty…that’s my dinner-hour motto! This Asian Chicken & Veggie Grill Packs are just that…2 main ingredients plus a homemade Asian marinade…and done! This is a simple flavor combination that provides a powerful and tasty result! The mango sauce adds such a delicious flavor to this grilled chicken! There’s a silly amount of flavor in this amazing chicken! The marinade is out of this world…top it all off with a fresh chile-herb sauce and you’ll be in grilled chicken heaven. The honey sweetens up the rich, deep pomegranate flavors, the vinegar adds a nice tang and then there’s the addition of a slight smokey flavor from the cumin and just the right amount of zest from the garlic and ginger. This chicken is just bursting with flavor! Simple ingredients transform this dish into a flavorful meal! All the flavors of the Mediterranean, wrapped up in a foil pack and baked to perfection. I love how all the flavors are forced to mingle and hang out, as they all cooked together in a cozy foil pack. The end result is perfectly cooked chicken & other ingredients. Top with some crumbled feta to complete the Mediterranean flavor profile! A tropical-teriyaki twist for your next turkey burgers on the grill night! We are mixing in a mayo-teriyaki combo into the ground beef, which results in a delicious, moist and flavorful burger! Top with grilled pineapple slices, a dollop of teriyaki sauce, and other favorite burgers fixings. Enjoy!Make Ahead Meals for the Grill - Chicken Recipes
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken & Baby Red Potatoes
Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
Grilled BBQ Cheesy Chicken Sandwiches
Grilled Garlic Dijon Chicken
Grilled Mango Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Grilled Sage Chicken Packets
Grilled Turkey Burgers
Grilled Asian Chicken Foil Packs
Grilled Garlic Lime Chicken
Grilled Jerk Chicken with Mango Sauce
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Chile-Herb Sauce
Grilled Pomegranate Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Mango BBQ Sauce
Grilled Southwest Chicken
Grilled Mediterranean Chicken {Foil Packs}
Grilled Turkey Teriyaki Burgers
A perfect summer freezer friendly meal. Please note that we are packaging the veggies in a smaller baggie and nesting them with the pork chops in a larger bag. This way you can easily grill the pork chops and saute or grill the veggies in a grill basket. Enjoy! It might be a Texas thing, but there is just something so comforting about ribs fresh off the grill! Perfectly tender and smoky pork chops with melt in your mouth grilled peaches and a slightly crunchy bite from the red onions. The sweetness of the maple syrup is the perfect compliment to the Dijon mustard in these chops. We love this raspberry chipotle sauce! These sweet and tangy pork chops are delicious when hot off the grill! These pork chops are the perfect balance of sweet and tangy! Simple ingredients come together to make these truly the ultimate pork chops. So much flavor is packed into these juicy pork chops!Make Ahead Meals for the Grill - Pork Recipes
Grilled Pork Chops with Zucchini & Tomatoes
Grilled BBQ Ribs
Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches & Red Onions
Grilled Maple Dijon Pork Chops
Grilled Raspberry Chipotle Pork Chops
Grilled Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops
Ultimate Grilled Pork Chops
Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
Make Ahead Meals for the Grill - Seafood Recipes
Grilled Citrus Salmon Packs
The citrus pairs really well with salmon - and is perfectly cooked in the foil pack!
Grilled Honey Mustard Salmon
This simple marinade brings a delightful flavor to the salmon.
Grilled Teriyaki Salmon
Teriyaki and salmon is such a delicious combination! Great on the grill, or check out the baked version!
Grilled Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa
The spicy kick from the sweet salsa goes great with this flaky fish!
Grilled Sweet Chili Salmon & Veggies {Foil Packs}
The sweet Thai chili sauce really makes this salmon amazing! Family approved!
Grilled Tomato-Basil Tilapia {Foil Packs}
The fresh tomato and basil on this fish is simply the best!
Grilled Salmon & Asparagus Foil Packs
Delicious garlic-herb butter compound melts onto the salmon and asparagus, as they grill in the foil packs. These are quick to prepare for the freezer and you’ll have them on the table in less than 30 minutes for busy weeknights. The salmon and asparagus will melt in your mouth!
Grilled Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon
Fantastical combination of flavors that coat and steam-cook the salmon in the foil pack. This rich and delicious salmon will rock your next dinner!
Your Turn to Take Action and Get Your Freezer Loaded
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