Chicken Meal Prep Recipes & Ideas

Looking for some healthy and great-tasting meals you can make ahead? These chicken meal prep recipes are everything you’re looking for in a healthy meal that you can prep ahead.

They’re high in protein, packed with flavor, and can be fully or partially prepped ahead for a fresh meal you can cook entirely start-to-finish or prep to quickly assemble later in the week.

If there’s one ingredient we can depend on, it’s chicken! It’s versatile, it’s family-friendly, and you can turn it into so many delicious meals including soup, a slow cooker recipe, pasta dishes, or grilled chicken tossed in a salad with your favorite dressing.

Below are some of my most popular chicken recipes, along with a brief description of how to prep it ahead. I’m confident you’ll find some new favorites to add to your weekly meal routine.  

How to Meal Prep Chicken

Chicken is one of the best protein options for healthy meal prep, not only because it’s versatile to cook with but it’s often something everyone in the family enjoys eating. 

Before we dive into the recipes, let’s touch on some chicken basics: 

How long does chicken last in the fridge?
Once cooked, chicken by itself and most fully cooked recipes will last 4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container or meal prep containers.  

How to reheat chicken without it drying out
Go for the stove-top or oven if you are reheating plain cooked chicken, such as pan-seared, baked, or grilled. This post goes into further detail on how to reheat chicken to retain its flavor and stay juicy. 

How to freeze chicken
Having a stash of pre-cooked, frozen chicken on hand is a game-changer when you need a quick mealtime solution. I recommend doing this with cooked and pre-cut chicken so you can add it directly to a recipe. Place the cooked and cooled chicken into a freezer-safe zip bag, labeled with the date, and freeze for up to 2 months. 

Best container for meal prep
Good meal prep containers should be able to fit enough food to satisfy adults and smaller appetites. You also want sturdy options that can be packed in a lunch bag and hold up in the microwave and dishwasher. 

You’ll find a full list of my favorite meal prep containers here, but out of those, I’ve found myself going back to the Easy Lunchboxes and simple glass containers time and time again. 

Chicken Meal Prep Recipes

The chicken meal prep recipes below are lightened-up versions of classic recipes and take-out foods that lack nothing in flavor and offer more nutritional balance. You’ll also find that they’re made with ingredients easily found in your pantry or the local grocery store.

1. Thai Chicken Bowls

Juicy marinated chicken, fresh veggies, and cooked rice with a delicious, golden drizzle of homemade peanut sauce. You’re going to need to make extra- it’s that good!

how to prep ahead: 
Place the chicken and marinade in an airtight container and marinate overnight. Prepare the rice and chop the veggies. 

2. Korean Chicken Bowls

This healthy bowl makes a beautiful and delicious meal with sweet and tangy marinated Korean chicken, fresh slaw, and rice.

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chicken and marinade ingredients in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Cook the rice and chop the veggies. Refrigerate both in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. 

3. Mediterranean Farro Bowls

Kids and adults are going to want to grab one of these bowls. Cooked farro loaded down with marinated chicken, tangy feta, Kalamata olives, and a hearty dose of Tzatziki sauce- it’s pure goodness.

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chicken and marinade ingredients in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Cook the farro or your choice of grain, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If making your own, prepare the Tzatziki sauce and refrigerate for up 1 week.

4. Thai Chicken Pasta Salad

Crispy, fresh veggies, chicken, and pasta tossed in more of that homemade Peanut sauce. This one is a winner with the kids and tastes even better the next day packed for lunch.

More meal prep pasta recipes here

how to prep ahead: 
Prepare the pasta salad as directed. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

5. Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

A low-carb version of the classic jambalaya recipe made with chicken, smoked sausage, peppers, cauliflower rice, and Creole seasoning. It’s no less delicious and takes less than 20 minutes to assemble.

how to prep ahead: 
Pre-cut the chicken and sausage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Slice the bell peppers and onions, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

6. Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry

This teriyaki chicken version has all of the sweet and tangy flavors of the classic recipe, without the sugar and sodium that leaves us feeling “bleh.”
Pair it with steamed broccoli and rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.

how to prep ahead: 
Prepare the teriyaki marinade and add it to an airtight container with the chicken. Refrigerate overnight. Prepare the rice to serve with the chicken and refrigerate for up to 4 days. 

7. Chicken Flatbreads

These chicken flatbreads make a fun and delicious self-serve-style meal. I like to use a rotisserie chicken to get the job done. The meat is super moist, flavorful, and all you have to do is remove it from the bone and shred it.

how to prep ahead: 
If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the meat from the bone and shred, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Prepare the tomato-cucumber salsa and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Prepare the creamy hummus dressing and refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

8. Deconstructed Egg Roll

All the flavors and fillings of an eggroll but served in a bowl without the fried shell. Use a pound of ground chicken, fresh veggies, and the sauce to make one downright flavorful meal you can serve by itself or over rice!

how to prep ahead: 
Chop the veggies and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Prepare the rice and refrigerate for up to 5 days. 

As you can see, there’s no shortage of mouthwatering recipes you can get started on for a healthy meal later in the week. 

You’ll find more recipes like these in the Meal Prep’d eBook. Each one also includes a description on how to prep it ahead so the food stays fresh and you can bring a little more variety to your family’s meals, whether it’s at the dinner table or in the lunchbox. 

Chicken Salad Meal Prep Recipes

When you’re craving a good chicken salad, these are the recipes to come to! These salads offer more than just lettuce and cucumbers- they are loaded down with delicious toppings, homemade dressings, and vinaigrettes- which can all be prepped ahead and stowed away until you’re ready to eat.

9. Asian Chicken Salad

The tangy vinaigrette and mandarin slices give each crunchy bite a sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth flavor you’ll love.

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chopped chicken and veggies in a large bowl or airtight container, add the almonds, mandarin oranges, and seasonings. Prepare the Sesame Ginger Dressing. Prior to serving, drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss to combine. Serve in lettuce cups or tortilla wraps. 

10. Caprese Chicken Salad

This salad has all of the classic Caprese ingredients with chicken for extra protein, black olives, and a Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette.

how to prep ahead: 
Cook the chicken and allow it to cool down before refrigerating for up to 4 days. Prepare the salad base, minus the avocado, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before serving, add the chicken and avocado to the salads, drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. 

11. Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Salad

If you love topping salads with cooked veggies, this recipe is for you!
The roasted vegetables add a delicious, caramelized flavor and variety of texture that regular tomatoes and cucumbers can’t do. This is definitely one you’ll want to plan on for dinner and lunches the next day.

how to prep ahead: 
Roast the vegetables and chicken according to recipe instructions and allow them to cool down before refrigerating in airtight containers. Prepare the homemade vinaigrette and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat the chicken and veggies before serving over a bed of greens with a drizzle of dressing. 

12. Southern Chicken Salad

A delicious combination of chicken, celery, and seasonings with a touch of mayo, this is the one and the only chicken salad recipe you need for serving with crackers, over lettuce, or in sandwiches. More chicken salad serving ideas here.

how to prep ahead: 
Prepare the chicken salad according to recipe directions. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

13. Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Delicious Southwest flavors of black beans, corn, and Jalapeño Ranch of crisp lettuce and juicy cooked chicken- it’s YUM!

how to prep ahead: 
Cook the chicken and cool down to room temperature, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Prepare the Jalapeño Ranch, refrigerate for up to 1 week. Before serving, reheat the chicken and assemble the salads. Drizzle with ranch and toss to combine. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Meal Prep

If the meal prep part didn’t catch your eye, maybe the slow cooker did! Not only does this let you step out of the kitchen while dinner (or lunch) cooks itself, cooking chicken in the slow cooker is a great way to make a base for all sorts of incredible meals.

Choose your cut of chicken and sauce, cook to perfection, then build a meal with rice, veggies, tortillas- you’ll see what I mean below:

14. Salsa Chicken Bowls 

This slow cooker salsa chicken is a cinch to make and load up onto a burrito bowl, a good thing the guac is not extra. You can also use the chicken to make an epic taco night. 

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chicken and salsa in a slow cooker dish. Cover with the lid and refrigerate overnight. Set to cook in the morning. To serve, steam the cauliflower rice and top with chicken, cheese, guacamole, olives, and sour cream. 

15. Buffalo Chicken Power Bowls

Smoky Buffalo chicken over rice or cauliflower rice with avocado, onion, tangy blue cheese, and ranch- this will make your tastebuds sing!

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chicken and Buffalo sauce in the dish of a slow cooker. Cover with the lid and refrigerate overnight. Set to cook in the morning. To serve, steam the cauliflower rice and top with your choice of toppings. 

16. Buffalo Chicken Salad

Not your typical slow cooker recipe or salad! This one comes with serious flavor and texture from the crisp lettuce, smoky chicken, hard-boiled egg, and blue cheese. Don’t forget that drizzle of ranch.

how to prep ahead: 
Combine the chicken and Buffalo sauce in the dish of a slow cooker. Cover with the lid and refrigerate overnight. Set to cook in the morning. To serve, create a bed of lettuce and top with chicken and your choice of toppings. 

Shredded Chicken Meal Prep

You can add shredded chicken to just about anything, pasta, stir-fry, salad, a power bowl, soup- what can’t you make with it? The best part, all you need to prep shredded chicken is cooked chicken thighs, breasts, or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (one of my favorite short-cuts). 

This is one of the reasons I find it helpful to make extra when I bake or grill chicken. What’s not eaten gets shredded and used later in the week in another recipe. 

In this post, I share how to properly shred chicken by hand, between 2 forks, or with a hand mixer- I’m not kidding! 

Once you’ve got it shredded, you can store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. This way you have a fully cooked protein on hand that’s ready to be added to any recipe. 

Chicken Soup Meal Prep

Aside from a cozy, comfort meal, soup is also a mom’s best friend because they can all be prepped ahead, and most of them taste even better 1-2 days after. Everyone should have a couple of delicious soup recipes for an easy make-ahead meal. 

To prep chicken soup ahead, prepare the recipe as directed and allow the soup to cool down to room temperature. It’s best to try and cook it earlier in the day or afternoon, so the soup has plenty of time to cool off. 

You can transfer it into a large airtight container or just refrigerate the entire pot. To reheat for dinner, place the pot over medium-high and bring to a simmer. If packing for lunch, microwave the soup until piping hot, then transfer it into a thermos container. 

As far as freezing soup goes, in most cases, you can, but the texture and flavor of defrosted soup highly depend on what ingredients are included. Check out this post on how to properly freeze and reheat soup.