Doing a big round of meal prep for Ramadan is like a gift to yourself every day of the month of fasting. In my mind, there are two main reasons to stock up your freezer before Ramadan. It makes life easier, of course, and it also keeps you from falling into bad habits when you are at your weakest.
The way I select my freezer recipes for Ramadan is two-fold. I stock up on our holiday favorites, and I also throw in a few exciting, unexpected things for those nights when we just can’t eat another briouat, samosa, whatever your favorite fried treat is. Here are some great Ramadan freezer recipes perfect to make ahead and keep the family happy all month long.
Ramadan Freezer Meal Suggestions
Some of the items in this list are Ramadan food prep ideas meaning they aren’t full meals but are shortcuts you can prepare now to make assembling meals during Ramadan much faster. While others are suggestions for easy Ramadan recipes you can store away.
The recipes here are a mixture of more traditional foods you might find in the Islamic world with other ideas that would not fit that description. I love variety and my family eats a wide range of food from all over the world so we don’t stick to a single type of food during Ramadan either.
Having frozen items for Ramadan means taking back some of your time, stress, and energy! You also can get your kids involved in getting food on the table. If you’re someone that will be working during this month, having Ramadan freezer meals on hand will greatly improve your life!
Storing Freezer Meals for Ramadan
If you’re planning to make these recipes (or any freezer recipes) I have a few tips that can help.
If you will have one big prep day for Ramadan freezer meals
Set aside a few days to make this happen. I recommend one day to really see what is in your freezer already and begin to make room for the food you want to add to the freezer. This means using up some of what’s in there!
Make a list of the recipes you want to have. Keep in mind the size of your freezer. You may need to do two batches of freezer prep at the beginning and middle of Ramadan if you plan ot use your freezer a lot. When you make your list keep a running grocery list too so that you know what you need to buy.
On your cooking day try to have food prepared for that day – so that you don’t have to worry about making that day’s meals in between cooking your freezer meals!
Get your containers in advance. I like to use freezer bags to seal flat anything that can be frozen flat because it takes up way less space. If you’re freezing individual portions for meals have those containers ready too.
Either on the bag itself or on a note that can be taped to the container list what the recipe is and any reheating instructions that are needed. Then you don’t have to even think when it’s time to heat it up.
When the food is ready transfer it to the container and allow it to cool completely before putting it in your freezer.
Tools I Suggest for Ramadan Meal Prep
If you will do your Ramadan meal prep as you go
The other option is to start planning in advance and fill your freezer as you go. What this means is if you’re making something for dinner tonight, double it. Then immediately transfer the second portion to your freezer containers.
This method also works really well if you need to have some single portions of food available during Ramadan. You can just cook a little more and transfer to your food storage containers and pop it into the freezer. I actually do this year-round for my kids’ lunches. Whatever I make during the week I have enough to add to one of the lunch containers that go in the freezer. Then they have that item for lunch the next week. I consistently have a week of meals being rotated in the freezer.
Ramadan Freezer Recipes
Let's get your freezer stocked for Ramadan meals!
The flavors of chicken shwarma without the need of a roasting spit. This is a family favorite at our house. You can either toss everything raw into a bag and cook it in your slow cooker when you're ready OR make it in advance and freeze it. Thaw when you want to eat.
Easy Dough Recipe (for Bread, Rolls, Pizza, & More!) • The Prairie Homestead
Fresh baked bread, dinner rolls, pizza, and the like are heavenly after a day of fasting. Too tired to run out for some, no problem. Knead up some versatile dough that you can use to make any of these things. You have your meat filling to sprinkle on top for pizza or roll up inside the dough and slice into pinwheels for impressive treats.
A simple and filling lentil soup from Lebanon. Perfect as a starter or iftar option. If you like your soup smoother it can be made in advance and frozen. Reheat when you're ready to eat.
Not just one, but maybe three or four roasted chickens will serve your family well this month. Let the chickens cool, then clean the meat off. shred, cubed or cut into strips to freeze and make fillings, salads, mini-sandwiches, pizza topping, quickie casseroles - you get the idea. And of course, you can make some great stock with the carcasses.
Sweets will be plentiful all month long. So again, keeping with the idea of a healthy gift to my future self, I like to get some whole-grain, protein-rich cookies or bars packed into the back of the freezer. These will be so appreciated towards the end of the month. Here are oatmeal based breakfast cookies made 6 ways. Perfect to breakfast with.
A very basic filling made with ground meat, onions, garlic, and celery can be used throughout the month. Season accordingly and use it in tacos, sandwiches, on top of pizza, in a quickie sauce, in savory pastries, omelets, Frito or Shepard's pie, and so on. You can even omit the cilantro from this recipe in case later on you want to season it in other ways.
Shredded beef is so flavorful, tasting like it took hours to cook because it does! Using a slow cooker makes this an easy dish to cook on the side while doing other recipes. Shredded beef can be used in tacos, sandwiches, on top of pizza or nachos, in rich pasta sauce and dozens of other ways.
Strips of chicken breast, chunks or cut up, whichever you use it’s going to be delicious having soaked up the marinade as it froze and then defrosted. Marinated chicken for baked/fried chicken nuggets is extra yum. Make an extra bit to freeze on it’s own and use for oven-roasted vegetables. Here are 16 different marinades to choose from.
Getting enough vegetables in during Ramadan can be a real challenge with everyone wanting rich, yummy foods at the end of the fasting day. Making a variety of vegetable-based shell fillings, stuffing and freezing them ahead is going to make you feel great when you put a dish that is both delicious and full of veggies on the table. This cremini and shard recipe is especially good, but this trick can work with a variety of veggie fillings, try swapping out the shard for broccoli or zucchini for variety.
These freezer burritos are great whether you're too lazy to cook, or just want a delicious meal. They are low in calories and high in taste.
This soup is vegetarian & based on a traditional Ashkenazic Jewish recipe. With bread & a salad or fruit, it’s a full meal.
Cheese Fatayer is a Lebanese cheese pie that is mixed with feta & mozzarella cheese and parsley. It is a popular breakfast or snack in Lebanon, Jordan, and other Middle Eastern countries.
This flavorful, one-pan Aloo Gobi recipe is the ultimate Indian home-style dish that you can quickly bring together using a few wholesome and inexpensive ingredients! It’s the perfect addition to your weeknight meal rotation or weekly meal prep!
This meatless sweet potato chili is chock-full of wholesome ingredients. It's just what’s needed to warm and fill you up.
Baked zucchini fritters, made with chickpea flour, make a delicious snack or part of a meal. They can be easily frozen and reheated in the oven.
These flourless peanut butter cookies use just five ingredients. They are a delicious snack and they freeze beautifully.
A super creamy and delicious instant pot broccoli and cheddar soup that is ready in 20 minutes!
Moussakas, is a Greek casserole of layered sautéed slices of potatoes and eggplants (in some places they also add zucchini and tomatoes), with the meat sauce (either pork or veal) in the middle layer and topped with a lush layer of béchamel sauce and myzithra or graviera cheese, baked in the oven.
This satisfying Red Lentil Soup Recipe is easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and has rich, deep flavor and creamy texture. It’s a delicious first course to a larger meal, or it makes a perfect lunch.
These quick and easy curried chickpeas and spinach make a flavour-packed and nutritious supper, with zingy lemon, Indian spices and a creamy coconut sauce.
This delicious Tuscan Bean Stew is such an easy one-pot dinner. Packed with flavours of Italy, it can be made on the hob or slow cooker.
This Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe is made with basic pantry essentials including canned black beans, onion, carrots, and celery. Filled with hearty plant-based protein and gut-loving fiber, enjoy this healthy and delicious vegan soup with all your favorite toppings including salsa, sour cream, avocado, and more!