If you’d rather spend one afternoon prepping than think about dinner every single night, crockpot freezer meals are worth building into your routine.
You put raw ingredients into freezer bags now, and on a busy day you just dump the whole bag into the slow cooker. No extra chopping, no last-minute grocery run, no decision fatigue.
Below are three dump-bag recipes to get you started: a chicken-and-vegetable version, a beef-and-bean chili, and a lighter chicken-and-rice bowl.
Prep all three in one sitting, and you’ve got three hands-off dinners waiting in the freezer for whenever you need them.
Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Dump Bag
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours (low)
Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1 cup diced potatoes
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic to a large freezer bag.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and lay it flat in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to cook, thaw the bag in the fridge overnight, then dump the contents into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Crockpot Beef and Bean Chili Dump Bag
Serving Size: 6 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours (low)
Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes (plus freezing time)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet until browned, then drain the excess fat and let it cool slightly.
- Add the cooked beef, beans, diced tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and salt to a large freezer bag.
- Seal the bag, pressing out excess air, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight, then dump into the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours, stirring once if you’re home to do it.
Crockpot Chicken and Rice Dump Bag
Serving Size: 4 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours (low)
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes (plus freezing time)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup frozen broccoli florets
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken, broccoli, and carrots to a large freezer bag. Keep the rice in a separate small bag or container, since it cooks better added fresh.
- Season the chicken and vegetables with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, seal the bag, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- When ready to cook, thaw the chicken and vegetable bag in the fridge overnight. Dump it into the slow cooker along with the chicken broth.
- Cook on low for 3 hours, then stir in the rice and cook for 1 more hour, until the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Freezer Bag Prep Tips
Lay each bag flat on a baking sheet before freezing so it stacks easily once solid, which saves a lot of freezer space. Label every bag with the recipe name and the date, since it’s easy to lose track of what’s what once everything is frozen flat. Always thaw bags in the fridge overnight rather than on the counter, so the ingredients stay at a safe temperature until they hit the slow cooker.
High Protein Swap
For a bigger protein boost, add an extra 1/2 pound of chicken or beef to any of these bags, or stir in a can of drained white beans to the chicken-and-vegetable version. It bulks up the protein without changing the cooking method.
Meals for Two
If you’re cooking for two, split each recipe’s ingredients into two smaller freezer bags before freezing, and reduce the liquid slightly since a smaller batch needs less broth to cook evenly.
FAQ
How long do crockpot freezer meals last in the freezer?
Most of these dump bags keep well for up to 3 months. After that, they’re still safe, but the texture and flavor start to decline.
Do I need to thaw the bag before cooking?
Yes, thawing in the fridge overnight is the safest option and helps everything cook evenly. Cooking straight from frozen can leave some parts undercooked while others overcook.
Can I make these meals healthy?
Yes, these recipes already lean healthy with lean proteins and vegetables. See the High Protein Swap above if you want to bump up the protein even further.
Can I prep these for just one or two people?
Yes, see the Meals for Two section above for instructions on splitting the recipes into smaller portions.
What if I don’t have freezer bags?
Freezer-safe containers work too, though bags save more freezer space since they lay flat and stack easily.
Can I add rice or pasta directly to the freezer bag?
It’s better to add rice or pasta fresh when you cook, since they don’t freeze well and reheat poorly when mixed with raw meat and vegetables. The chicken and rice recipe above shows how to keep the rice separate.
How many dump bags should I prep at once?
That depends on your freezer space and how many nights you want covered. Prepping three to five bags in a single session is manageable for most families and covers nearly a week’s worth of dinners.
Conclusion
Prepping once and cooking hands-off all week is exactly what these crockpot freezer meals are built for.
Set aside one afternoon to fill a few bags, and you’ve got dinners ready to dump into the slow cooker on the nights you need it most.
Start with one of these three recipes, then build out your own freezer stash from there.
