Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Lunch Bowls with cilantro lime quinoa is a healthy, tasty, fast recipe to make lunch prep for weekdays super easy!
I'm clearly a meal prep fan now because this is the third meal prep recipe on the blog after Chicken Burrito bowls and Chicken Teriyaki bowls. But guys this one is a sure shot favorite!
We prepped these chicken fajita meal prep lunch bowls last weekend and since then lunches have become deliciously easy. The moment we dug into these, all of us had this saaaaay whaaaat look on our faces that just can't be explained in words. You just have to taste it to believe it!
But really why am I doing so much meal prep these days?
Because my days are busy busy busy now. I know I end up cooking every day for the blog because there are so many new recipes I want to bring to you. But my cooking times are random and I suck at planning and organizing my life. So when I know I have these ready in the fridge and the microwave is going to do the remaining work, I can just sit back and work.
I've made some changes from the way I cooked and prepped all my other meal prep recipes because we had some amazing inputs from all of you for our chicken burrito meal prep boxes. I love it when you guys share your ideas and suggestions. It just makes me feel like you are talking to me too and its not just a one way street.
Some of you complained about the use of plastic ziplocks to marinate the chicken and others suggested using glass containers instead of plastic to prep these meals. Makes so much sense! So I searched around and found these amazing glass meal prep containers that are sturdy, durable, microwaveable, fridge friendly and definitely the way to go.
Lets just go over the details for a sec.
Can you grill chicken fajitas?
Absolutely! I cooked these chicken fajitas and peppers on a skillet but you can just as easily use whole chicken breasts or thighs, season them and grill them. Once they are grilled, you can slice them for these meal prep bowls. Same with the veggies!
What spices go into the seasoning for these chicken fajita meal prep lunch bowls?
For seasoning these chicken fajitas and peppers, I like to use a combination of chilli powder, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, cumin and salt. You can easily swap this with store bought taco seasoning but I actually love using homemade seasoning so that I can control the spices.
Can fajitas be cooked in a skillet on the stove?
Absolutely! And I have directions to do that in the recipe section below. Cooking them on the stove takes anywhere between 10-15 minutes as the chicken is already cut into strips and cooks really fast.
How do you cook Quinoa?
Quinoa is actually super easy to cook and doesn't take too long. You can cook it on the stove while you are cooking your chicken and peppers. Here's the process to cook quinoa and some things to keep in mind:
- Make sure to wash the quinoa thoroughly with water to get rid of the bitter taste. This step must not be skipped!
- The ratio of quinoa to liquid is 1:2. Add washed quinoa and liquid to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes till the quinoa has fluffed up and cooked through and the liquid is absorbed.
- To make cilantro lime quinoa, we added lime juice and chopped cilantro (coriander) to it and mixed it together. This gives the quinoa a really nice, refreshing flavor and works really well with these chicken fajita meal prep lunch bowls.
Does that answer all our questions? I think we are ready to go! If you have any others tell me tell me tell me, and we'll add your ideas to the list.
Watch Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Lunch Bowls Recipe Video
Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Lunch Bowls
Ingredients
For the Fajita Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Chilli Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For the Quinoa
- 1 cup Quinoa
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Cilantro
- 2 teaspoons Lime Juice
For the Chicken and Peppers
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 6 Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless (cut into thin strips)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Red Bell Peppers deseeded and sliced
- 2 Yellow Bell Peppers deseeded and sliced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper deseeded and sliced
- 1 Onion sliced (large)
Other Toppings
- Diced Avocados
- Lime Wedges
- Guacamole
Instructions
Chicken Fajita
- To make the fajita seasoning, mix together chilli powder, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, ground pepper and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Start by adding half the fajita seasoning, minced garlic, lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt to the chicken. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes till the chicken is cooked through and slightly crispy.
- Remove the chicken on a plate, and add onions and bell peppers to the pan. Add the remaining fajita seasoning and stir fry for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
Cilantro Lime Quinoa
- Meanwhile start cooking the quinoa. Start by washing it a few times in cold water. Add quinoa, two cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes till the quinoa is cooked through and soft and fluffy. Once the quinoa is cooked through, add lime juice and cilantro and mix.
Assembling the Meal Prep Bowls
- To assemble the chicken fajita meal prep lunch bowls, divide quinoa evenly into the bowls. Divide the chicken and peppers on top. Let them cool slightly before placing the lids on top and refrigerating.
- To serve, remove the lid on the containers and heat them in the microwave. Top with your favourite topping and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I used boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. They work best as they remain tender and juicy. If you want to use chicken breasts, I recommend slicing them in half lengthwise, marinating them and then cooking them whole so that they retain their juices. Cook them for 4 minutes on each side (this can vary based on the size) and then chop them up.
- Please remove the lid of the boxes before microwaving
- Avocados and Guacamole work great with this recipe but I recommend buying them separately and using them fresh. Do not prep them in advance and keep for later. Â
Nutrition
Other Meal Prep Recipes
Chicken Burrito Meal Prep Lunch Bowls
Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry Meal Prep
Parth says
Thumbs up
Vanity Hernandez says
Sounds amazing! How long would this last in the fridge?
Richa says
About 4-5 days
Brandyss Roberts says
Delicious and great warmed up!
Richa says
Thank you so much Brandyss! So glad you liked it
Dana says
I made this for my lunches this week. It's such a treat. Full of favour and goodness. Love the extra spice with the guacamole I made.
Richa says
Thank you so so much Dana! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Justine says
Heeey I love you! I love your blog! Thank you sooo much!
Richa says
Hahaha thaaanks Justine! Lots of love back to you 🙂
Ericka Sanchez says
I made this and it was delicious! I would definitely make again I loved it. But it’s very spicy. Which spice should I take out in order to make this again without being hot?
Richa says
Hey Ericka, so glad you liked it! You can reduce the amount of cayenne pepper or chilli powder to suit your taste.
Nathan says
Loved it. Will also try to burrito bowl recipe next.
Mindy says
When you prep ahead and it’s just for 1 person, what do you do so you’re not eating the same thing everyday?
Richa says
Hey Mindy, some ways to switch it up is to change the sides. So instead of rice, I'd make quinoa or cauliflower rice or bulgur.
Leeron says
Would this work using chicken breast instead of thighs? Will that change cool times at all?
Richa says
This will definitely work with breasts. You'll need to adjust the cooking time because chicken breasts cook faster than thighs.
Mahjabeen Hassan says
Can we freeze this?
Richa says
Yes you can. The peppers may not freeze as well and will become watery but the chicken can be frozen.
Kristina Ball says
What would the nutritional facts be without the quinoa?
Ruth says
In your video, the recipe calls for lime juice to marinate the chicken but your blog post doesn't say to. Am I supposed to use lime juice in the chicken seasoning?
Richa says
I'm sorry about that Ruth. I've updated the recipe. Lime juice is a great addition to the chicken marinade.
Ilyssa says
Hi Richa!! By any chance do you know the nutritional facts for this meal?
Richa says
Hey Ilyssa, I just updated the nutritional values for this meal
Bell says
I love this recipe. Super easy for me as someone just starting to meal prep. Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
Richa says
Thanks Bell! I just updated the nutritional info for this one
Mandy says
Any chance you could post the total calories for this?? Turned out great, though a little spicy. Since in calorie counting it'd be nice to have total calories so I can easily track. Thanks!
Richa says
I've updated the nutritional info for this recipe. Hope this helps!