25+ Chicken Meal Prep Ideas That Are Anything But Boring

Say goodbye to boring meal prep, and say hello to these flavor-packed chicken meal prep recipes! I hate when my weekly lunches are just the same old chicken and rice day after day–I crave variety and flavor. So I’ve rounded up these easy meal prep chicken ideas to inspire you (and myself) to make something that’s healthy, delicious, vibrant, and exciting.

Meal Prep Recipes with Chicken

There are two different ways I approach chicken meal prep. One way is to make easy, all-in-one meals (like sheet pan meals, one pan meals, etc.) and then portion it out into containers for each day of the week. The other way is to prep chicken breast or chicken thighs with one of my favorite methods, then make some simple veggies, rice, or grains to go with it.

The first way is great when I want some really exciting meal prep recipes to spice things up during the week, especially if I’m planning family dinners. The second way of meal prepping chicken recipes is great when I’m trying to be extra healthy and consistent with my weekly lunches.

Either way, these chicken meal prep ideas are all easy, delicious, and sure to make meal time a breeze!

honey garlic chicken breast served with white rice and broccoli — *Honey Garlic Chicken Breast*

Chicken Breast Meal Prep Ideas

Spice up your usual chicken, rice, and veggie meal prep formula with these flavor-packed chicken breast recipes!

Honey Garlic Chicken Breast: This simple chicken breast recipe has a sweet and savory flavor that I love to pair with white rice and steamed veggies for easy meal prep.
Maple Bourbon Chicken Breasts: Marinated in a lip-smacking maple, brown sugar, and bourbon mixture, this chicken adds tons of flavor to any meal.
Marinated Lemon Pepper Chicken: A marinade gives this chicken breast a bright and peppery taste, and it cooks in about 15 minutes–easy!
Balsamic Grilled Chicken: Chicken breasts are marinated in a sweet and savory balsamic glaze, then grilled in minutes! It’s the perfect dish for weekly lunches.
Marinated Chipotle Lime Chicken: This chicken is smoky, spicy, and zesty, thanks to a marinade made with lime, adobo sauce, honey, and chipotle peppers.

sheet pan chicken, veggies, and potatoes dinner — *Herb Chicken and Spring Veggies*

Sheet Pan Chicken Meal Prep Recipes

Sheet pan meals make the perfect meal prep recipes, because I can cook chicken and vegetables all in one pan. Throw these tasty meals in the oven, and you’ll have dinners ready for days!

Herb Chicken and Spring Veggies: A simple mix of chicken breast, asparagus, grape tomatoes, and potatoes is covered in a garlic-herb marinade, then roasted to perfection.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Broccoli: Chicken and broccoli is a healthy meal prep combo, but this recipe makes it even better by adding a delicious marinade.
Pesto Chicken and Green Beans: Vibrant pesto and gooey mozzarella make the most delicious chicken, paired with crispy garlic-y green beans.
Maple Dijon Chicken Sheet Pan Recipe: Maple Dijon chicken breast, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes make a hearty yet healthy meal prep recipe. I serve with wild rice when I want to add some whole grains.
Apple Chicken Sheet Pan Meal: Baked chicken breast, fresh apples, savory onions, and lip-smacking brown sugar butter make up this amazing one pan meal!

copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls — Chicken Burrito Bowl

Healthy Chicken Meal Prep

These chicken meal prep ideas check all of my boxes: they’re all healthy, delicious, and easy to pack up for weekday lunches!

Chicken Burrito Bowl: This is one of the best meal prep chicken recipes for work lunches, because it tastes like Chipotle, but it’s much fresher and more affordable to make at home.
Napa Almond Chicken Salad: Here’s another copycat recipe that helps me skip the delivery or drive-thru. This creamy chicken salad is great for sandwiches, wraps, or dipping with rice crackers.
Vietnamese Chicken and Rice: Savory lemongrass chicken thighs are paired with coconut rice, herbs, and cucumber slices for a fresh and healthy meal prep idea.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Make a delicious ground chicken mix with the flavor of sesame, ginger, and garlic sauce, combine it with rice, pack it up for lunch, then serve in fresh lettuce leaves to eat.
Chicken Tzatziki Bowl: This fresh and flavorful mix of chicken, steamed rice, veggies, feta, and Tzatziki sauce makes a beautiful mediterranean-inspired lunch!

crockpot shredded chicken in bowl — *Crockpot Shredded Chicken*

Simple Meal Prep Chicken Ideas

These are my favorite easy chicken recipes to use as a base for weekly meal prep recipes. Simply cook some chicken breast, chicken thighs, or shredded chicken, then add it to containers with your favorite rice and veggies!

Crockpot Shredded Chicken: Shredded chicken is an easy and healthy option, and I prefer using my slow cooker to make the process hands-off while I work on other meal prep recipes.
Grilled Chicken Breast: Meal prep chicken breast with a flavor-packed mix of spices, then grill it up for a healthy cooking option.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs: Boldly-seasoned thighs cook in just 15 minutes, so you can have a week’s worth of chicken ready fast!
Grilled Chicken Thighs: If you prefer thighs, these marinated chicken thighs are incredibly juicy and flavorful.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken: This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to meal prep chicken breast for a variety of meal ideas.

overhead view of sliced italian chicken breast on a white plate. — *Italian Chicken Skillet*

Make Ahead Chicken Dinner Recipes

Meal prep isn’t just for lunch! I like to make some easy chicken dinner recipes ahead of time too, so I always have weeknight meals ready in a flash after a busy day.

Italian Chicken Skillet: Chicken breast, tomatoes, spinach, white beans, and capers cook up in one pan in 35 minutes. Prep it and portion it out for a few days worth of quick dinners!
BBQ Chicken Foil Packets: Cooking delicious BBQ chicken with veggies (sweet potato, peppers, and zucchini) all in one packet makes dinner meal prep so easy.
Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos: Make the tastiest burrito filling (chicken, beans, rice, and seasonings) in a Crockpot so it’s ready to dole out in tortillas at dinnertime. This is always a hit with the fam!
Pesto Chicken Skillet: This super creamy dish is made in one pan in just 30 minutes! It’s a quick chicken meal prep idea that’s easy to store and reheat later.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice: A cheesy one pan meal filled with chicken breast, broccoli, and rice is the perfect dinner recipe to make ahead of time.
Baked Lemon Chicken Foil Packets: This easy chicken meal prep idea combines chicken breast, potatoes, and onions with savory seasonings and a hint of lemon.

What I especially love about the foil packet recipes, is that each packet is a full meal, so they’re already portioned out, and easy to store in the fridge until ready to reheat and eat!

greek chicken thighs and greek salad on a plate — *Greek Chicken Skillet*

Notes on Meal Prepping Chicken:

These chicken meal prep recipes can all be reheated in the microwave for convenience. Be sure the chicken is fully heated through (check the internal temperature) before eating. Check here for more tips on reheating chicken.
Cooked chicken can safely be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Check each recipe for specific storage information and storage time, or check this chicken storage guide.
I recommend meal prepping chicken recipes for 3-4 days at most, unless you plan to freeze it.
Portion out recipes into glass meal prep containers before storing, so you can quickly grab, reheat, and eat.

Meal time will be a breeze with these recipes on the menu. Bookmark or pin these easy chicken meal prep ideas so you always have a tasty recipe ready to cook!