If you’re looking for a no-stress dinner that’s comforting, flavorful, and ready in minutes, you’ll love these Freezer-Marinated Chicken Legs. They’re perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekends when you want a homemade meal without the fuss.
Simply prep and freeze ahead of time, then pop them under the broiler for a juicy, crispy dinner in no time. It’s one of many recipes all about how to preserve food for your Four Corners Pantry in my new cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Pantry!
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Table of Contents
- A Quick Glance: How to Make Freezer Marinated Chicken Legs
- Why Make-Ahead Chicken Legs Are a Lifesaver
- Freezer Tips & Flavor Variations
- How to Make Freezer-Marinated Chicken Legs
- Serving Suggestions
- More Poultry Recipes
- Check Out The Modern Pioneer Pantry for More Great Recipes!
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- In Case You Missed My First Book…
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- Get Bone In Meats from Shirttail Creek Farm
- Looking for Grass-Fed Meats and More?
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Shop for My Favorite Items
A Quick Glance: How to Make Freezer Marinated Chicken Legs
🥄 Marinate chicken legs in a savory blend of olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a touch of red pepper flakes.
❄️ Freeze them flat in a bag, then thaw overnight when ready to cook.
🔥 Broil for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and caramelized with a crispy skin and juicy inside.
🍽️ Dinner is done — no extra mess!
Why Make-Ahead Chicken Legs Are a Lifesaver
I started making these when our son Ben was little. On Saturday nights, we’d turn the living room into a cozy movie theater, complete with buttery popcorn and homemade steak fries.
I’d pull a bag of marinated chicken legs from the freezer, transfer them to the fridge either the night before or on Saturday morning to defrost, then pop them under the broiler while the previews rolled. By the time the movie started, dinner was ready. It became one of our favorite easy, comforting meals—and it still is!
Freezer Tips & Flavor Variations
🛍️ Batch and Freeze: Make a few bags at once, and you’ll always have a quick dinner on hand.
🌿 Switch Up the Flavors: Skip the smoked paprika and try a variety of dried herbs, or go for a barbecue twist with a tangy homemade sauce. You can even make an Italian-inspired version with tomato sauce and oregano.
🧊 Maximize Storage Time: Use freezer-proof bags for best results, remove as much air as possible, and store for up to 3 months.
How to Make Freezer-Marinated Chicken Legs
Making freezer-marinated chicken legs is as easy as mixing up a flavorful marinade, adding your chicken, and letting the freezer do the work. With just a little prep now, you’ll have a delicious, ready-to-cook dinner waiting for you on even the busiest nights.
Freezer-Marinated Chicken Legs Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 marinated chicken legs
Equipment
- Gallon-size freezer-proof bag
- Aluminum foil
- Baking sheet (for broiling)
Ingredients
- 8 skin-on chicken legs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp fine-ground sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Marinating and Freezing
1. Label and date a gallon-size freezer-proof bag, then add all marinade ingredients to the bag.
2. Add chicken legs, seal tightly (removing as much air as possible), and massage to coat in marinade.
3. Flatten the bag as much as possible and lay it flat in the freezer.
4. Freeze up to 3 months.
Broiling the Chicken Legs
1. When ready to cook, thaw chicken legs overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Arrange chicken legs on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.
3. Broil on the middle rack for 10–12 minutes on one side. Carefully flip, then broil another 10–12 minutes until skin is golden brown and juices run clear, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (74°C).
4. Serve hot and enjoy!
This is one of the easiest ways to keep your freezer stocked for busy nights. Mix and match marinades for variety — your future self will thank you!
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a crisp green salad.
- Or our favorite way is to serve these tasty chicken legs with steak fries and buttered peas.
More Poultry Recipes
How to Make Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs with Crispy Skin!
Make crispy, golden skillet chicken thighs in just 25 minutes with simple seasoning and old-world charm.
Are We Paying Too Much for Chicken? Explaining Labels and Prices
Learn how to choose the best roast chicken, decode packaging labels, and make the most of every bite in your traditional kitchen.
How to Make Praised Chicken
Discover this easy-to-make poached and braised chicken that’s adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe.
Check Out The Modern Pioneer Pantry for More Great Recipes!
You’ll find more freezer meals and meals to stock your Four Corners Pantry in my second cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Pantry.
preOrder YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Pantry
Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
In Case You Missed My First Book…
My first bestselling book will help you learn how to create a traditional foods kitchen. It’s the perfect manual to have on your kitchen bookshelf.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Get Bone In Meats from Shirttail Creek Farm
I’d like to introduce you to Shirttail Creek Farm that’s located in Brenham, Texas. They offer a wide range of grass-fed and finished beef, pastured pork, chicken, and eggs, and lots more through their online store.
You can find lots of nutritious meats and ingredients to help you make a healthy and gelatinous beef bone broth, such as with:
Looking for Grass-Fed Meats and More?
If you can’t find grass-fed meats in your neighborhood supermarket or farmer’s market, check out US Wellness Meats.
- Use discount code MARYNEST and my link for a one-time 15% savings off regular-priced items on your US Wellness Meats order. You can shop for a variety of products, including:
This post is not sponsored. I’m a long-time customer of US Wellness Meats because I have always been impressed by the quality of their products. Check out my US Wellness Meats unboxing
Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
Sharing my passion for traditional cooking goes beyond my YouTube cooking school—it also comes to life in the pages of my cookbooks. Both of my books, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook and The Modern Pioneer Pantry, are proudly published by Penguin Random House.
The first is filled with time-honored recipes to help you create a traditional foods kitchen, while the second is your complete guide to home food preservation. Order both books today to start or continue your traditional foods journey.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
The Only Traditional Recipes You’ll Ever Need!
Focus on traditional recipes with real food. Don’t chase trends.
Let’s Talk Akkermansia: A Tiny Helper for Big Gut Health
Discover how Akkermansia muciniphila supports gut and immune health—and how traditional foods help this mighty microbe thrive.
How to Eat a Mediterranean Diet with a Keto Twist
Explore a Mediterranean-Keto twist with a full sample menu focused on healthy fats, quality proteins, and low-carb veggies.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
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