This Meal Prep Chicken and Rice dish is bursting with flavor! Made with zesty Jerk seasoning, this 20-minute recipe makes it easy to spice up your weekly chicken and rice meal prep routine. Meal prep helps you save time and money while still enjoying what you eat.
Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
When the calendar is loaded and everyone in my family is running different directions, meal prep is so important to keep us well-fed, healthy, and on budget. And one of my secret weapons is making sure I have a good variety of easy to make chicken and rice meal prep recipes at the ready.
Like my Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls, this particular meal prep chicken and rice is a true family favorite because it’s inexpensive, ready in just 20 minutes, and bursting with amazing flavor.
Yep, chicken and rice is always an affordable choice, and I’ve added tons of flavor to this one in the form of delicious jerk seasoning. But what’s so great about this versatile recipe is that it can be easily customized with your favorite seasonings and flavors.
Why Make This Recipe
- Quick – Make the rice, cook the chicken and prep these for the week in about 30 minutes.
- Affordable – Budget-friendly rice makes up the bulk of these meal prep bowls while chicken and fresh veggies make it flavorful and healthy.
- Enjoy Hot or Cold – Meal prep chicken and rice is scrumptious even when eaten cold so they are perfect for lunch or grab-and-go dinners later in the week.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – I use chicken thighs because I find them more flavorful. You can substitute breasts, but I recommend that you pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly.
- Rice – Any long grain rice will work. Rinse the rice well and drain it before proceeding with the recipe.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil is a good choice here, and it will enhance the flavor of this dish.
- Salt – Use coarse kosher salt for best results.
- Lime Juice – Use freshly squeezed lime juice whenever possible.
- Cilantro – Finely chop before adding to the rice.
- Jerk Seasoning Rub – This flavorful and spicy seasoning usually contains allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and salt.
- Grape Tomatoes – Halved grape tomatoes are added just before serving.
- Guacamole – Prepare your own guacamole or purchase your favorite store brand.
How To Make Meal Prep Chicken and Rice
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Use a fine colander or sieve to rinse the rice well. Then combine the drained rice, water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Switch off the heat, remove the lid, fluff and let cool for about 5 minutes before stirring in lime juice and cilantro.
- While the rice is cooking, pat chicken thighs dry, then sprinkle on the jerk seasoning rub and mix until the chicken thighs are well coated.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet and cook chicken for 5–7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Assemble rice, chicken, tomatoes and guacamole in individual meal prep containers, then serve.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165F / 74C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Tips For Success
- Always rinse rice using a fine colander or mesh sieve. This helps to remove the starches, which can make rice gummy. Rinse until the water runs clear and drain before cooking.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs have great flavor and are easy to cook.
- For bone-in thighs, you may need to adjust cook time.
- If using chicken breast, pound to an even thickness. This will prevent overcooking, which can lead to tough chicken.
- Jerk seasoning blends can vary in spiciness. Experiment with different blends to find one that’s to your liking.
- Allow the cooked chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute so you can enjoy tender, juicy bites of chicken.
- For meal prep, do not add the cilantro until ready to serve.
- Sprinkle guacamole with lime juice to prevent it from oxidizing.
- To bulk out this dish, double the amount of rice, guacamole and tomatoes.
- It’s important to always check chicken for doneness using a meat thermometer. Chicken is considered safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C.
Variations
- Swap The Seasoning – It’s so easy to change up this recipe just by swapping the seasoning. Some of my favorite alternatives are chili lime, fajita and taco seasoning.
- Add More Veggies – Sliced red bell peppers, red onions cooked whole kernel corn or black beans all add flavor and bulk to this recipe.
- Add Dressing or Salsa – Spice up these meal prep bowls even more by topping them with salsa, cilantro lime dressing or your favorite salad dressing.
- No Guacamole? – Use sliced or cubed avocado instead.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Buy Chicken In Bulk – You can save quite a bit when you purchase chicken in bulk or when it is on sale. Freeze it for later use.
- Make Extra – This easy chicken and rice meal prep recipe is perfect for doubling and packing for lunches all week long.
- Bulk It Up – For hungry eaters, add additional rice to bulk up the meal at a fraction of the cost.
Prep Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Make these meal prep bowls at the beginning of the week for easy lunch all week long.
- Store – Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – You can freeze both the cooked rice and the cooked chicken in freezer safe bags for easy meal prep later on. Place in the fridge to defrost overnight, then reheat. The fresh veggies should be added just before serving.
Meal Prep
- Enjoy this recipe for dinner and then for 4 additional days.
- Make extra and place into meal prep containers for easy lunches.
- Store guacamole and tomatoes separately, then add to chicken and rice before serving.
- You can freeze both the cooked rice and the cooked chicken in freezer safe bags for easy meal prep later on.
- For even easier prep, use leftover cooked chicken from other meals.
- This Chicken and Rice dish can be served hot or cold.
FAQs
Why Is The Guacamole Brown?
Avocado and guacamole will begin to turn brown due to oxidation once they are exposed to air. Although it’s not very pretty, it is still perfectly safe to eat. You can slow the process by covering avocado and guacamole with a piece of plastic wrap or sprinkling it with a bit of fresh lime juice.
How Do I Reheat Chicken and Rice Meal Prep Bowls?
The best part of meal prep chicken and rice is that these bowls taste incredible when cold. That’s what makes them perfect for easy lunches all week long.
If you wish to reheat these, you should store the guacamole separately or remove it before reheating. Place your microwave-safe container in the microwave and reheat for 1-2 minutes or until everything is heated through.
More Recipes You May Like
- Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls. A family favorite.
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken. Can use this to make you meal prep bowls
- Chicken Fajita Casserole. Easy dump and start recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Weight Watchers Points
There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Get The Meal Prep Chicken and Rice Recipe:
Meal Prep Chicken and Rice (20 Minutes)
Flavorful chicken with rice that's perfect for weekly meal prep.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 454kcal
Ingredients
To Serve:
- 1 cup (149g) grape tomatoes halved
- ¾ cup (112g) Guacamole
Instructions
- Use a fine colander or sieve to rinse the rice well.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the drained rice, water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt.
- Bring the rice to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Switch off the heat.
- Uncover, fluff the rice, let cool for about 5 minutes before stirring in the lime juice and cilantro.
- While the rice is cooking, pat chicken thighs dry, then sprinkle on the jerk seasoning rub and mix until the chicken thighs are well coated.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet and cook chicken for 5–7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cover with foil. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Top rice with sliced chicken, tomatoes and guacamole and serve straight away.
- For meal prep, divide the cooled rice, sliced chicken, tomatoes and guacamole between meal prep containers and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Always rinse rice using a fine colander or mesh sieve. This helps to remove the starches, which can make rice gummy. Rinse until the water runs clear and drain before cooking.
- I prefer boneless, skinless thighs for flavor and ease of cooking.
- If you use bone-in thighs, you may need to adjust the cooking times.
- If using chicken breast, pound the breasts to an even thickness. This will prevent overcooking, which can lead to tough chicken.
- Jerk seasoning blends can vary in spiciness. Experiment with different blends to find one that’s to your liking.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute so you can enjoy tender, juicy bites of chicken.
- If meal prepping, wait to add the cilantro just before serving.
- To bulk it out, you can double the amount of rice, guacamole, and tomatoes.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165F / 74C when inserted into the thickest part of chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle guacamole with lime juice to prevent it from oxidizing.
- There are 9 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1092IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
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