Portuguese chicken bake is filled with nutritious ingredients: chicken thighs, carrots, potatoes, onions and a delicious tomato sauce inspired by Portuguese flavors.
We are fresh off our Freezer Meal Prep Challenge, and everywhere I look these days, it's freezer meals galore!
I have posted several freezer crockpot meals on this blog, and even a few freezer Instant Pot meals, but I don't have many freezer oven recipes. So...this Portuguese Chicken Bake is ticking that box today!
Side note- I would certainly not go as far as to call this authentic Portuguese chicken, but I put together ingredients I saw in many peri peri chicken recipes and turned it into this delicious chicken bake.
Don't forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
We love this Portuguese chicken bake because
- you can assemble the ingredients ahead and freeze
- it serves at least 6, which in our house means we get leftovers for lunches the next day
- it's full of healthy, delicious flavors!
How to make this into a freezer meal
This Portuguese chicken bake is soooo delicious prepped fresh, but it is also great after freeze/thawing the ingredients!
Here's how I made this into a freezer casserole recipe:
- Assemble the fire roasted tomatoes plus all spices. Smush them around until they're mixed up.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, onions, chicken.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- Thaw for at least 24 hours (more would probably be better since this makes such a large batch!)
- Bake it up in a covered casserole dish for 1h 15m
- Serve with rice or crusty bread
Can I freeze this Portuguese chicken right in the casserole dish?
Sure you could do that! I don't have a lot of freezer space and find the freezer bags really maximize storage. I am currently looking for a non-plastic alternative for a big batch recipe like this.
Can I bake it from frozen?
I have not tested this, but it may work. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes! I have read that adding 45 minutes on to the cook time for frozen ingredients is a good guess. Make sure you don't put a glass casserole dish directly into the oven from the freezer, as this runs the risk of shattering.
How long does this it last for?
Pre-baking (freezer)- at least 3 months. Post-baking (fridge)- 4 days, (freezer)- 3 months (we portioned our leftovers out with some rice and it was great).
I have to share my new favorite kitchen gadget, the silicone lid
pictured above! This means you don’t need to use any wasteful aluminum foil when baking your Portuguese freezer chicken bake.
These silicone lids come in a variety of sizes and are easy to wash and re-use. I have a 9 x 9 inch one as well!
What to serve with it?
We served ours with rice or some baguette to soak up the delicious sauce.
Can I make this recipe in the Instant Pot or slow cooker?
I haven't tried but I bet you could! Instant Pot- I do worry the IP might be too full, remember to only fill max ⅔ full. I would try 10 minutes high pressure with a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Slow Cooker- I'd try 5 hours on low. This is my go-to time for boneless skinless chicken thighs!
Don't potatoes brown after freeze/thawing?
That's what I thought too, but I did not have this problem with this recipe. I suggest nestling the potatoes down in the tomato sauce, which may protect them from the air and oxidizing/browning. I used white potatoes for this recipe.
Recipe tips
- Find my silicone lid here
- Looking for more freezer to oven recipes? Try this Baked Ravioli with Butternut Squash, this Tuscan Pasta Bake, and this round-up with more than 38 Healthy Freezer Meals for Dinner!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Portuguese Freezer Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 28 oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons peri peri sauce (or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 3 cloves minced)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 white potatoes (cut in 1 inch pieces)
- 8 small carrots (cut in half lengthwise; cut in half vertically if they are too long)
- ½ red onion (cut into large wedges)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (roughly 10)
To serve
- fresh lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- In a large casserole dish (8 x 13 or larger), mix together the fire roasted tomatoes and all other seasonings together. Toss the potatoes, carrots, onion and chicken thighs in the sauce.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 1h15 minutes. Check on the veggies, and return to the oven uncovered for another 15 minutes if they are still not quite done.
- Serve with lemon wedges and fresh bread (or rice).
To assemble ahead and freeze
- Combine all ingredients in a good quality gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- To cook, thaw completely before following the directions above.
Nutrition Information
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Cathy says
Crap I only have chicken breasts with me! Maybe I'll put the veggies and sauce in first for 20 mins and then add the breasts? Hah! Just trying to make it work.
ANNA says
DO YOU THINIK I COULD USE CHICKENBREAST?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Anna! Not in this recipe, unfortunately, it would be dry and tough by the end of the cook time.
Anna says
Hi! I actually made it in the crockpot with chicken breast on low for 6 hours and came out delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!
Laura says
Do you think I could make this in a dutch oven?
Denise says
Hi Laura! I think that would work? I haven't tried myself. If you give it a try, would you let me know how it goes for you?
C. says
In my experience frozen potatoes (except for mashed..) have always become gritty/crumbly when thawed and reheated. Is this really not the case with this recipe? The potato chunks won't be gritty after being frozen - really truly honestly?
Denise says
Hi C! They are not gritty, but they do have a slight texture change. I would call it 'spongey' if anything. But since they cook in the sauce we still enjoyed them.
Jennifer McMorrow says
Oh my god! This dish is WOW on flavor! We will be adding this to the regular rotation for sure- and bonus points for how easy it is! Thank you thank you thank you!
Denise says
WOW! Thank you so much for your review, Jennifer! I am so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Andrea says
We made this for dinner tonight and it was easy and delicious! The one year old was a fan, too!
Denise says
I'm glad you guys enjoyed, Andrea! And to win over your one year old is the highest praise 😉
Cyndi says
Denise I made this for dinner tonight and WOW! It was amazing. I was kind of hoping that we would eat half and I would have leftovers for a few days, but between the four of us we ate it all. So delicious! Must make recipe!!
Denise says
I'm so happy you enjoyed Cyndi!! Yay that makes me happy 😉
Rachel says
Another great recipe! I used bone-in chicken thighs since they were on sale, but kept everything else the same. I did use a crockpot though and cooked them on high for about 4 hours. I used a disposable slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.
Denise says
Ooh now I'm dying to try this in my slow cooker! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Kimberly says
Hi Denise,
If I make this recipe for lunch for the week, how long do you think it will last in the fridge? Thank you!
Denise says
Hi Kimberly! I have a 4-day rule for the fridge...chicken is not food safe after that.
CM says
That's Denise - I've had cooked (fully cooked ..) chicken that was 2 weeks old or a bit more with no issues. My rule of thumb - if it smells funky toss it. If it smells OK, reheat THOROUGHLY and taste a bit to make sure it tastes OK. We throw 40 percent of the food produced in this country away. Four days - really?
Denise says
Hi CM. Maybe it's Monday and I haven't had enough coffee but your comment rubbed me the wrong way. It's not "Denise", these are food safety guidelines developed by experts. You should do what works for you, but I won't be advising my readers to do anything that might jeopardize their health. I do care very much about reducing our food waste and just wrote a post on it. My tip is to be smart in the planning stages, not to eat 2-week old chicken. https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/7-ways-to-reduce-food-waste/
LB says
Yikes! 2 week old chicken is not ok. I'm with you Denise and love your videos! A family of 4 can easily eat this whole thing in 1 dinner with maybe a portion left for lunch but if waste is a concern you are welcome to freeze.
Sheila says
Can I make this using chicken tenderloins?
My family won't eat chicken thighs!
Thank you!
Denise says
Hi Sheila! I bet it would work if you added them in at the very last 15-20 minutes of cook time!
t says
one and a half hours at 400 degrees seems to be a really long cook time. for fresh thighs..... is this a typo error?
Denise says
Hi! No, this is the cook time required to cook the carrots and potatoes through. The chicken is nestled down in the sauce, which helps keep them juicy 🙂