High Protein Chicken Meal Prep Bowls for the Week

Cooking every day is the reason most meal plans fail. This recipe fixes that with one cook session on Sunday and four lunches ready for the week. Grilled chicken breast, jasmine rice, roasted broccoli, black beans and a spoonful of Greek yogurt instead of sour cream — 48g of protein and 520 calories per bowl, and it reheats well without going soggy.

The trick is keeping the wet and dry parts apart until you eat. The salsa and yogurt go in a small container on the side, and the rice goes under the chicken so it soaks up the juices instead of the broccoli going soft. Four identical bowls, four days, no decisions at lunchtime.

Why you’ll love it

• 48g protein per serving, 520 calories
• One cook session, 4 servings for the week
• Reheats well — stays good for 4 days in the fridge
• Flexible: swap the beans or the vegetables and it still works

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (about 700g)
• 1 cup jasmine rice, dry (about 185g)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 can (400g) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper
• Juice of 1 lime

Equipment used

• A grill pan or cast iron skillet, for the chicken
• Glass meal prep containers, so the bowls reheat evenly and do not stain
• A rice cooker or a saucepan with a lid, for the jasmine rice

Instructions

1. Cook the jasmine rice according to the packet. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. Season the chicken with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Grill the chicken 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through (74°C / 165°F inside). Rest 5 minutes, then slice.
4. Toss the broccoli with a little oil and salt. Roast at 200°C / 400°F for 12–15 minutes until the edges crisp.
5. Warm the black beans in a small pan with a pinch of cumin and the lime juice.
6. Build the bowls: rice on the bottom, then sliced chicken, broccoli and black beans. Pack the salsa and Greek yogurt in a small separate container for each bowl.

Tips

• Slice the chicken only after it rests. Cutting it straight off the grill lets the juices run out and the chicken dries out by Wednesday.
• Keep the salsa and yogurt separate until eating — that is what keeps the rice from going soggy.
• The bowls keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat the rice, chicken, broccoli and beans for 2 minutes, then add the cold salsa and yogurt on top.
• Short on time? Use a rotisserie chicken and microwave rice — the bowls come together in 10 minutes and the protein stays about the same.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated nutrition per serving

These are estimated macros based on standard ingredient values, not lab-measured results.

FAQ

Do these bowls really last 4 days?

Yes, if they are refrigerated in airtight containers within two hours of cooking. Day 4 is the last safe day — if you need a fifth day, freeze one bowl and thaw it overnight.

Can I freeze the bowls?

Freeze the rice, chicken, broccoli and beans, but not the salsa or yogurt — they go watery when thawed. Add those fresh.

What can I swap the black beans for?

Chickpeas work well, or corn if you want something sweeter. Both keep the protein roughly the same, and the fibre stays high either way.

High Protein Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

Sophia Martinez

Grilled chicken, jasmine rice, roasted broccoli, black beans, salsa and Greek yogurt. 48g protein per bowl — 4 servings for the week.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 520 kcal

Equipment

• Grill pan or cast iron skillet for the chicken
• Glass meal prep containers so the bowls reheat evenly and do not stain
• Rice cooker or saucepan with a lid for the jasmine rice

Ingredients

  

• 4 chicken breasts about 700g
• 1 cup jasmine rice dry (about 185g)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 can 400g black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

 

• Cook the jasmine rice according to the packet. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• Season the chicken with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Grill the chicken 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through (74°C / 165°F inside). Rest 5 minutes, then slice.
• Toss the broccoli with a little oil and salt. Roast at 200°C / 400°F for 12–15 minutes until the edges crisp.
• Warm the black beans in a small pan with a pinch of cumin and the lime juice.
• Build the bowls: rice on the bottom, then sliced chicken, broccoli and black beans. Pack the salsa and Greek yogurt in a small separate container for each bowl.

Notes

Keep salsa and yogurt in a separate small container until serving. Store up to 4 days refrigerated; freeze the dry components up to 1 month.

Keyword bowls, chicken, high protein, lunch, meal prep, weekly

Kitchen essentials for this recipe

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