32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

By: Denise Bustard16 Comments
Posted: 6/17/17Updated: 8/13/20

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More than 32 delicious chicken breast meal prep recipes that will have you excited to eat your lunch! These recipes prove that boneless skinless chicken breasts are anything but boring.

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (1)

Chicken breasts are one of the most popular proteins for meal prep. Per pound, they contain fewer calories and grams of fat than chicken thighs, making them a smart choice for anyone who is trying to slim down.

Not only that, but chicken breastsare so versatile, they can go with just about anything...they really are a blank canvas!

I though it would be fun to round up some of my favorite chicken breast meal prep recipes from around the web, so you never have to get bored with your chicken breast routine!

But first, a few tips I've found to make sure that your meal prep chicken breasts stay moist and delicious:

  • Storethem in a sauce/vinaigrette- Storing and re-heating your chicken breast in a sauce helps lock in extra moisture, and same goes for chicken breast stored in a salad vinaigrette.
  • Bake them whole, then slice- Baking your chicken breast whole, rather than cubed or pre-sliced helps retain more moisture. Make sure you let them rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing up, as this prevents juices from running out.
  • Cut against the grain- cutting with the grain results in stringy, chewy chicken breast. This goes for slicing it raw (pre-baking) or slicing it after it cooks. See this article for a good visual guide of slicing against the grain.
  • Don't overcook!- chicken breasts can be tricky...a minute or two of extra time in the oven can mean dry dry dry. Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C). Once you get a system down for cooking your chicken breasts, you don't have to worry about this. To cook whole chicken breasts, I recommend 425°F for 18 min (smaller 5 oz chicken breasts) to 28 min (larger 12 oz chicken breasts).

Alright, enough tips. Let's check out these 32+ chicken breast meal prep recipes!

Updated April 17 with new recipes! Scroll to the bottom to see them.

NEW: 7 Freezer Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (2)

NEW: make these Instant Pot Chicken Breast Freezer Packs on meal prep Sunday!Check this post out!

1. 7 Chicken Marinade Recipes You Can Freeze from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 2. Asian Chicken Mason Jar Saladsfrom Joyful Healthy Eats

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (4)

3. Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 4. Honey BBQ Slow Cooker Taquitos from Kristine's Kitchen

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (5)

5. Make Ahead Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Gnocchi from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 6. How To Add Variety To Meal Prep Chicken from Yummy Healthy Easy

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (6)

7. Mexican Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Meal Prep Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 8. Thai Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from From Valerie's Kitchen

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (7)

9. Meal Prep Pesto Chicken Pita Pocketsfrom Sweet Peas & Saffron // 10. Greek Chicken Roasted Cauliflower Meal Prep Bowls from Food Faith Fitness

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (8)

11. Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken (3 Ways) from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 12. Meal Prep Cilantro Lime Chicken with Cauliflower Rice from Fit Foodie Finds

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (9)

13. Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 14. Meal Prep Roasted Chicken and Veggies from Gimme Delicious

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (10)

15. Maple Ginger Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 16. Honey Lime Chicken Sheet Pan from Life Made Sweeter

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (11)

17. Meal Prep Chicken Fajitas (Sheet Pan) from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 18. Italian Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Eazy Peazy Mealz

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (12)

19. Jerk Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 20. Healthy Chicken Recipes in a Pressure Cooker or Crock Pot from The Creative Bite

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (13)

21. Spicy Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Primavera Kitchen // 22.Slow Cooker Chipotle Honey Chicken Taco Salad Lunch Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (14)

23. Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad (Meal Prep) from Sweet Peas & Saffron // 24. Meal Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls from Gimme Delicious

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (15)

25. Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta Meal Prep from Budget Bytes // 26. Meal Prep Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry from Fit Foodie Finds

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (16)

27. 20-Minute Meal Prep Chicken, Broccoli and Rice from Gimme Delicious // 28. Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (17)

29. Hawaiian Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Life In the Lofthouse // 30. One Pan Healthy Chicken and Veggies from Chelsea's Messy Apron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (18)

31. Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Meal Prep Bowls from Gimme Some Oven // 32. Meal Prep Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (19)

33. Meal Prep Lunch Bowls with Spicy Chicken from Ally's Cooking// 34. Healthier Firecracker Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (20)

35. Buffalo Chicken Whole30 Meal Prep from 40 Aprons // 36. Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls from Sweet Peas & Saffron

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (21)

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

  1. Janell says

    Awesome. ..this is perfect for my body building nephew who is new to meal prepping and only knows one way to make chicken. Thank you

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Hope it will be helpful, Janell!

      Reply

  2. Aubrey says

    Can't wait to try these! New Year's resolution: get organized! I'm on my way!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      You can do it, Aubrey! Hope you enjoy some of the recipes 🙂

      Reply

  3. sara says

    Think you could make some of these and then freeze them and reheat in the microwave?
    I'm looking to fill my freezer with healthy lunches that I can just pull out and take to work.

    Reply

    • Denise says

      I'd refer to each recipe for whether they can be frozen or not. I do have a post with freezer-friendly lunches here: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/freezer-friendly-lunch-meal-prep-recipes/

      Reply

  4. Monica Johnson says

    thank you for this !!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      My pleasure!

      Reply

  5. skyone says

    Thank you so much for this post!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  6. Mickayla says

    Thank you! do you sell these 21 recipes in the card pack too?

    Reply

    • Denise says

      Hi Mickayla, these aren't all my own recipes, they belong to other bloggers 🙂 I don't currently have a meal prep ebook but I'm working on one!

      Reply

  7. Angie Hartline says

    Thank you for these recipes. I always struggle with what to make. I like the fact that these recipes contain most ingredients that are staples in my house. Very useful.

    Reply

    • Denise says

      So glad you found the post helpful, Angie!

      Reply

  8. Sheila says

    Thank you so much for this post! I make chicken all the time. Its nice to have some new ideas. I will be trying several of these!

    Reply

    • Denise says

      I'm so happy you found it useful, Sheila! Hope you enjoy the recipes 🙂

      Reply

32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many chicken breasts for meal prep? ›

How Much Chicken. First, decide how much chicken you'll need for the week. If you're cooking for you and maybe one other person, about 3-4 pounds of chicken breast fillets should do the trick. If you have a larger family or want more leftovers, aim for 6-8 pounds.

Can I meal prep chicken for 5 days? ›

Chicken is one of the best meats for meal prep because it's inexpensive and lasts for up to four days in the fridge after you've cooked it, so we're here to make sure that when it comes to chicken, your prep is perfect.

What are 3 keys to successful meal prepping? ›

Follow these three steps and you'll be planning and prepping nutritious and delicious meals that fit your preferences and lifestyle!
  • Step 1: Make a Menu. First, think about your approach to meal planning — do you: ...
  • Step 2: Stock Your Pantry and Freezer with the Five Food Groups. ...
  • Step 3: Keep a Running Grocery List.
Jul 18, 2019

How to cook a lot of chicken breasts at once? ›

You'll need two sheet trays to double it and to rotate the pans between racks for even cooking. Or just do as I prefer and bake them in two batches. You'll still be done in under an hour.

How many chicken breasts to feed 20 people? ›

A good rule of thumb is to plan on about 1/2 pound of meat per person. For chicken, you will want to plan on about 1 pound per person if it is the main dish, and 1/2 pound per person if it is just one part of a larger meal.

Is 4 chicken breasts a day too much? ›

The number of chicken breasts a person should eat in a day depends on their protein needs, body weight, and overall diet. Recommended Protein Intake: Aim for 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Chicken Breast Protein: One chicken breast typically provides around 25 to 30 grams of protein.

Is it OK to meal prep chicken for a week? ›

Once the chicken has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Label the container with the date of preparation so you know how long it has been stored in the fridge. Cooked chicken can be safely stored in the fridge for up to four days.

How long can you meal prep chicken and rice? ›

This depends on the type of meal prep food. Meal-prepped soups and stews can last up to four days in the fridge. Chicken and rice can last up to five days in the fridge. Meal prep salads can last up to three days in the fridge.

Can I just eat chicken all day? ›

Chicken is a healthy food (as long as it's poached, baked or grilled), but that doesn't mean you should eat it every single day. As both dietitians have explained, eating a wide variety of foods is the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs.

How many ounces of chicken should be in a meal prep? ›

For meat, account for about 25% cooking loss. For example, 4 oz. of cooked chicken x 3 servings = 12 oz. cooked chicken, so plan to purchase about 16 oz.

Can you lose weight meal prepping? ›

Meal prep can help you lose weight by setting you up for success. When you have a healthy plan in place, you're less likely to grab takeout and processed foods on the run.

How many chicken breasts feed one person? ›

Chicken breast: A serving size of chicken breast is typically 3-4 ounces (85-113 grams), which provides about 25-30 grams of protein. For a bulk, you may aim for 2-3 servings per meal, or about 6-12 ounces (170-340 grams) of chicken breast per meal.

Is 2 chicken breasts too much for one meal? ›

Eating two chicken breasts in a single meal can be healthy or not, depending on various factors: Portion Size: Chicken breasts are a lean source of protein, but portion control is essential. Two chicken breasts can be quite a substantial amount of food, and it's important not to overconsume calories.

How many chicken breasts make one pound? ›

As a rule of thumb, you'll get about 2 to 3 chicken breasts to the pound. But it really depends on how big they are. One pound roughly equals 454 g. So, if we divide 454 g by the average weight of a chicken breast — 174 g, for those at the back — that gives us around 2.6 chicken breasts in a pound.

How much chicken do you need for meal prep? ›

How much chicken should be in a meal prep? As a rule of thumb, a typical serving is 4oz of raw chicken. Once cooked, the meat loses some water and fat—meaning 4oz raw chicken will become ~3oz cooked chicken. For me, generally 1 pound (16oz) of boneless skinless meat yields 4 servings.

Is 2 chicken breasts a meal too much? ›

Most people in this country eat far more meat than is necessary to be healthy. 2 chicken breasts between 3 should be fine unless they are particularly small ones.

Is chicken breast good for meal prep? ›

Chicken breast is a meal prep staple in my household, right up there with a big batch of grains and a sheet tray of roasted vegetables. Although I develop recipes for work, when I cook for myself, I like to keep things pretty simple and pretty healthy.

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