There are a lot of benefits to prepping chicken meals for the week on Sunday. For one thing, you’re not dealing with raw meat more than once. Plus, who wants to think about what to pack for lunch or what to make for dinner once Monday rolls around and that to-do list explodes? Stay ahead of the game (at least where eats are concerned) by cooking chicken into pre-portioned, healthy dinners—or lunches—to enjoy throughout the week. And we’re not talking about unseasoned, blah-tasting stuff either. These 21 chicken breast recipes are simple, but they’re anything but boring.
1. Healthy Roasted Chicken and Veggies
Taste the rainbow—the healthier, non-Skittles way—with this super-straightforward recipe. The veggies and chicken are roasted at the same time in the same pan, so there’s minimal prep necessary. Add a cooked grain to round out the meal.
2. Chicken Shawarma and Sweet Potato Fry Bowls
Skip the Middle Eastern __food truck and create your own version of shawarma at home, using spices such as paprika and cumin to coat your chicken. With couscous, olives, and a tahini yogurt sauce making this portable dish taste even more authentic, you’ll be the envy of your coworkers.
3. Healthy Greek Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
Sectioned plastic containers are a must for meal-prep purposes, and this recipe is a perfect example of how useful they are. The yogurt sauce, chicken and veggies, and farro are best kept divided until it’s time to eat.
4. Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Chicken Meal-Prep Magic
It’s easy, it’s got fewer than five main ingredients, it makes eight servings, it’s well-balanced, and it’s delicious. Magic is a pretty perfect word for this meal-prep recipe.
5. Pesto Chicken Pita Pockets
You can always make your own pesto, but, like most meal-preppers, if time is a limited resource for you, a store-bought version works just fine. Stir it into a pile of roasted chicken and veggies, and pack the mixture into pita pockets.
6. Cilantro Lime Chicken With Cauliflower Rice
Lime juice and cilantro keep the chicken tasting light and fresh, while the spicier cauliflower rice and black bean combo gives it a kick of flavor. And since it’s equally tasty eaten hot or cold, it’s an ideal option for an on-the-go meal.
7. Jerk Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
Recipes like this prove that meal prepping is totally worth it. With spicy chicken, sweet pineapple relish, and fragrant Spanish rice, it might be hard to believe, but this flavor-packed combo really can come together in just 30 minutes... and last you through four lunches or dinners.
8. Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowls
Fiesta is right—brimming with spiced corn, brown rice, salsa, and peppers, these colorful chicken and rice bowls make every meal feel festive. They’re also prepped and ready to go in just 20 minutes. If only all parties were this easy to put together!
9. Meal-Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls
Skip the lines at Chipotle, but not your Mexican fix. From the chicken and the corn to the rice and the beans, these quick and easy combos give you everything you want in a burrito bowl, while kale and cherry tomatoes add even more nutrition.
10. One-Pan Healthy Chicken and Veggies
These vibrant meals are as tasty as they are good-looking, thanks to seasonings like chili powder, onion powder, and paprika coating the colorful veg. There’s the option to add cheese, but with so much other fun stuff going on, we doubt you’ll miss it if you leave it out.
11. Tex-Mex Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
The Tex-Mex flavor in these hearty chicken, rice, black bean, and veggie bowls comes from the easy addition of taco seasoning. They keep well for four days, so you’re set from Monday to Thursday, with the night off on Friday to celebrate your (not so) hard work.
12. Asian-Style Chicken, Veggies, and Rice Meal Prep
Sweet, sesame-coated chicken is a great complement to the simpler steamed veggies here, while brown rice (instead of the usual white) adds some extra fiber. Pack into separate containers, and it’ll look just like something out of your local Chinese take-out place.
13. Chicken Butternut Squash Pasta
Pasta salad is a pretty popular make-in-advance dish, but you can make it even easier by pre-portioning it for your weekday meals. This one is a satisfying mix of goat cheese, butternut squash, and walnuts; nutmeg and basil add some unique flavor.
14. Chicken, Apple, and Pecan Salads in a Jar
Pack your meals in mason jars and you’ll look forward to digging into them every day. This layered salad doesn’t just look pretty, but with dried cranberries and apples alongside the chicken in a creamy Greek yogurt dressing, it gives you tons of flavor in every bite.
15. Italian Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
This recipe uses quick-cooking, microwave-friendly rice for when you're short on time (isn't that always?). Better yet, you can be completely flexible on the types of veggies and seasonings you choose to add to the dish. So open the fridge and use whatever you have in there. Just treat this recipe as an easy guide to making simple Italian-style dinners that’ll last you all week.
16. Harvest Chicken Salad
Buying a salad can be a smart, nutritious option, but it can also get expensive and not so healthy (can you please add goat cheese, avocado, and bacon? Oh, and eggs, and wow, that fried chicken looks good. I'll have ranch dressing, please.). This one keeps things wholesome, but with apples, sweet potatoes, blue cheese, and almonds, it’s nowhere near boring.
17. Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls
A creamy peanut butter sauce jazzes up chicken, rice, and veggies with some sweet and tangy Thai-inspired taste. Drizzle it on top right when you’re packing the portions into their individual containers so that there’s plenty of time for the flavors to soak up.
18. Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry Meal-Prep Lunch Boxes
This recipe calls for chicken thighs, but you can easily use breasts and get away with it. Whatever you use, it’ll easily soak up the homemade teriyaki sauce, which keeps the sugar count much lower than if you were to use a bottled variety.
19. Meal-Prep Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
If you have no time to meal-prep, let your kitchen appliances do the work for you. A slow cooker lets the chicken, pineapple, and peppers simmer for three hours in a sweet and tangy sauce, while a rice cooker takes care of the quinoa. All you have to do is scoop everything into containers.
20. Baked Chicken, Broccoli, and Sweet Potatoes
It’s back to basics with this three-ingredient meal. The combo is the quintessential healthy dinner—and for good reason: It’s easy to prep, affordable, and doesn’t require a lot of seasoning to be delicious.
21. Pizza Chicken Meal Prep
Hold off on grabbing a greasy midday slice for lunch. This recipe, designed to make four individual meals, has the seasonings and sauce of a classic pizza, but pairs them with chicken and spaghetti squash instead of bread for a higher-protein, fiber-packed meal that’ll keep you full longer.
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