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It’s the start of a new year and the start of a new week! If you’re trying to plan ahead for the week and maybe freeze some meals for busy days, you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to show you my three favorite easy chicken meal prep ideas.
Why meal prep?
Meal prepping is a smart solution for eating healthier well-balanced meals by planning your meals in advance so you don’t have to wonder what to eat when you’re in a pinch and it can help you to eat healthier. I love meal prepping on Sundays and having ready-to-eat meals when it’s lunch time or dinner time.
Here are my favorite chicken meal prep ideas
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to find the full recipes for each of these chicken recipes!
Lemon Garlic Chicken with zucchini noodles and cherry tomatoes. I serve this with a side of berries that I remove before reheating the chicken meal prep.
Teriyaki Chicken served with Asian rice noodles and blanched broccoli. I also added some diced apples to eat after the meal, which I remove before eating.
Chicken Fajitas with sweet potato noodles and peppers/onions stir fry. For the fruit here, I added clementines.
How to meal prep chicken
1. Decide which three chicken recipes you’d like to make. I usually use 1 pound of lean chicken breast for each recipe. There are so many easy chicken recipes that work well for meal prep. You can start with your favorites or try the three I shared here.
2. Marinade the chicken. Once you’ve decided which recipes you’ll make, start marinating each of them separately. This helps to make sure the chicken is tender, juicy and very flavorful. I recommend marinating for about 30 minutes, and preparing the starches, vegetables and any fruits while waiting.
3. Cook the chicken breasts whole. By doing so, the chicken remains more juicy without over-drying. To make sure the chicken is not overcooked, always check that the internal temperature is 165 degrees. After cooking the chicken, let it rest for a couple minutes and then cut it up into smaller bite sized pieces. This makes it easier to reheat, and easier to eat when you’re on-the-go and don’t have a knife to cut the chicken.
Meal Prep Tips
1. Pick one day for meal prepping. Most people find it easiest to shop for groceries on Sundays and prepare their meals for the week that day. This way you’re cooking everything while it’s still fresh and while you have the most time. Picking one day to meal prep saves so much time because you can chop all the vegetables at once, use the same pan for cooking the meals (after quick wipe-downs), and save time in the long run from cooking each meal individually.
2. Keep components like sauces, dressings or juicy tomatoes separate so that the ingredients don’t get soggy. It’s helpful when the containers have compartments to help keep certain things separate, or you can keep them in a different small container.
3. Use airtight containers with lids that work well for you. I’m a huge fan of glass containers because I work at home and it’s easy for me to stack them in my fridge and reheat when I’m ready to eat. For my husband or when I’m on-the-go. I like using the Bentgo Fresh Pack System, which is portable, leak-proof, BPA-free and also super easy to reheat. Find containers that work well for you and that you enjoy eating from. Pictured here is the Bentgo system.
Frequently Asked Meal Prep Questions
Can you freeze chicken meal prep recipes?
The great thing about chicken is that it freezes really well and when reheated, it can retain that moisture and juiciness it originally had.
As for the vegetables and sides, I would recommend using vegetables and starches that don’t have high water content. For vegetables, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots and peppers freeze pretty well. For starches, I would recommend rice, rice noodles, and white or sweet potatoes. I haven’t had much success freezing pastas because they lose their shape and texture when frozen, unless they’re in a casserole.
How long can you keep chicken meal prep in the fridge?
You can store these in the fridge for up to 3-4 days for the best freshness and taste. If you’re freezing them, they will last 3 months. Just make sure you’re using freezer safe containers that will maintain the food’s freshness.
How do you reheat chicken meal prep?
When stored in the fridge, you can reheat these as you normally reheat food. When stored in the freezer, I would recommend thawing them overnight in the fridge and then reheating as normal. Or you can also reheat them while frozen for about 4-5 minutes. It also helps to add a drop/spray of water or lemon/lime juice before heating the chicken so that it gets more juicy again.
I hope you try out meal prepping in 2019. It’s a great way to eat healthier since you’ll plan your meals when you’re not hungry. It can also save you money since cooking in bulk helps use up ingredients fully. And most importantly it helps you maintain balance and save time during your busy week, so it’s one less thing you have to worry about!
For more meal prep recipe ideas, check out:
- Easy Overnight Oats
- Taco Salad Meal Prep
- Healthy Egg Salad
- Vegetarian Lemon Rice Soup
- Baked Pasta with Ground Turkey
If you’ve tried any of these healthy-ish feel good Chicken Meal Prep recipes or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Chicken Meal Prep – 4 Ways
Video
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Chicken Meal Prep
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast
For the sides
- 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 small zucchinis sliced in 1-inch pieces
Teriyaki Chicken Meal Prep
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 thumb ginger minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks
For the sides
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets 2 cups broccoli florets
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups + 3 tablespoons water divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chicken Fajitas Meal Prep
For the rice
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 small jalapeño seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups water
For the chicken & veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Fajita seasoning divided
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch strips
- 3 medium bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
Honey Mustard Chicken Meal Prep
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
For the sides
- 1 ½ pounds red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound green beans
Instructions
Lemon Garlic Chicken Meal Prep
- In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, paprika salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once halfway through.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and place in the preheated pan (keep the marinade). Cook the chicken for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 165ºF. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Add the zucchini to the bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the zucchini and cook on high heat, tossing occasionally until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble 4 meal prep containers with the sliced chicken breast, zucchini and potatoes.
Teriyaki Chicken Meal Prep
- In a large bowl, whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, cornstarch, oil, ginger, garlic, ginger and sesame seed oil. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours
- When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and place in the preheated pan (keep the marinade). Cook the chicken for 10 minutes until almost cooked through and golden brown. Add the remaining marinade to the pan and continue to cook until the marinade has thickened and the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and divide between 4 meal prep containers.
- In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the broccoli florets and 3 tablespoons water, cover and cook on medium heat until tender and bright green, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- To cook the rice, rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve thoroughly in cold water until the water is clear. Pour the rice into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt, then add the water and bring the mixture to a boil uncovered. Stir the rice to evenly distribute it. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes without opening the lid. Then turn the heat off. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the rice to rest covered for 5 minutes in order to absorb all the liquid and steam. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.
- Assemble the 4 meal prep containers by adding the broccoli and rice next to the chicken teriyaki.
Chicken Fajitas Meal Prep
For the rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve thoroughly in cold water until the water is clear.
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice into a saucepan along with the tomato paste, jalapeno peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and stir until the rice is coated with the tomato paste and spices.
- Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil uncovered. Stir the rice to evenly distribute it. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes without opening the lid.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the rice to rest covered for 5 minutes in order to absorb all the liquid and steam. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains. Transfer the rice to the 4 meal prep containers.
For the chicken & veggies
- Whisk the olive oil, fajita seasoning and lime juice together in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the marinade and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and place in the preheated pan (keep the marinade). Cook the chicken for 10 minutes until almost cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and divide between 4 meal prep containers.
- Add the onions and remaining marinade to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sliced bell peppers and cook with the onions until they slightly soften, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the meal prep containers.
Honey Mustard Chicken Meal Prep
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once halfway through.
- Season the chicken on both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through, just golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. Then add the honey, whole grain mustard and Dijon mustard and stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a low boil, then add the chicken to the sauce and continue cooking, uncovered. Stir the sauce occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender or a thermometer reads 165ºF, about 8 minutes.Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Add the green beans to the same skillet used to cook the chicken. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium heat until tender and bright green, 4-5 minutes.
- Assemble 4 meal prep containers with the sliced chicken breast, green beans and potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This dinner checks all the boxes! Economical, healthy, quick to prep, quick to cook and oh-so-delicious! It was a huge hit in our home and it will be in regular rotation here.
So glad you liked it, Pamela!
These are such great ideas!
Thanks so much!