Chipotle Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls are prepared 4 ways so that you have a delicious and a different lunch every day! This copycat chipotle chicken marinade has only 6 ingredients and gives you juicy chicken thighs!
Guys we are making life even better than it was with these mighty awesome chipotle chicken meal prep lunch bowls. And I'm sharing these on a Monday in the hope that you will get inspired and spend an hour tonight prepping these for the week. But maybe thats asking for too much, and I'm sorry if expecting a little extra work on Monday is wrong. I know you just want to come back home tonight and do some Netflix and chill. But trust me, you'll be thanking me if you get your husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/partner involved and prep these tonight.
How to make Chipotle Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls (Video)
Also you don't want to be missing on that crazy chipotle chicken which I have been eating all of last week. Chipotle chicken is really really the best ever. I've never tasted the real deal chipotle chicken but I can bet my version is just as good. Because it is exactly how I would imagine chipotle flavors to taste - smoky, spicy, juicy.
The thing with meal prep lunch bowls is that sometimes they can get boring. If you are just one person going through four meal prep bowls in a week, you may not want to eat the same thing every day. Which is why, I went ahead and created four different ways to prep these chipotle chicken meal prep lunch bowls for the week. That way you are still eating chipotle chicken, but they all taste a little different every day.
Day wise chipotle chicken meal prep lunch box plan:
- Our main elements are: Chipotle Chicken Thighs and Grilled Vegetables
- Extra Elements: Black Beans (Canned), Rice, Quinoa, Lettuce
- Day 1: Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables
- Day 2: Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + Black Beans + Lettuce
- Day 3: Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + Black Beans + Cooked Rice
- Day 4: Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + Quinoa + Lettuce
These are really ideas, and you don't have to follow them to the T because you are the queen of your meal prep lunches. I really loved the combinations and the variety, but you can easily skip the rice and just stick with quinoa or vice versa. Or if you don't like black beans, go ahead and use corn instead or add some salsa.
You are essentially making an extra half cup of rice and quinoa, which I usually have lying around in the fridge anyway. Because the black beans are out of the can, and lettuce is out of a bag unless you are the awesome kinds who grows their own.
Also don't forget the toppings. I love a scoop of sour cream and a squirt of lime juice to round everything off. But make sure to pack the toppings separately, so that it's easier to heat this.
Some product suggestions to make these meal prep lunches easier:
- These glass containers are great for packing your lunch
- These are my favorite chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- These mini containers are perfect for storing sour cream and lime wedges separately
Chipotle Chicken Meal Prep Lunch Bowls 4 Ways
Ingredients
Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- ½ Onion roughly cut
- 8 Garlic Cloves
- ½ Jalapeno sliced
- 4 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- ¾ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Oregano Powder
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Chipotle Chicken
- 4-6 Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Grilled Vegetables
- 6 cups Roughly cut Vegetables Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots etc.
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup Black Beans drained if using canned
- ½ cup White Rice cooked
- ½ cup Quinoa cooked
- 2 cups Lettuce
- Sour cream and lime wedges for topping
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients mentioned under marinade with 2-3 tablespoons water till smooth. Marinate the chicken thighs in the mixture and set aside for half an hour or up to 2 hours. Heat oil in a pan and cook the thighs for 25-30 minutes till tender.
- Toss the vegetables with oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper and grill them in the oven at 225C/430F for 20 minutes till tender, but still crunchy.
Assembly: Start by dividing the grilled vegetables between four lunch boxes. Place 1-2 chicken thighs in each box (I am happy with one chicken thigh, but my husband, Denver, needs two to feel full). For variety, here's the day wise plan:
- Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables
- Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + ½ cup Black Beans + 1 cup Lettuce
- Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + ½ cup Black Beans + ½ cup Cooked Rice
- Chipotle Chicken Thighs + Grilled Vegetables + ½ cup Quinoa + 1 cup Lettuce
- Store the sour cream and lime wedges in separate mini container so that its easy to heat these up
Notes
- Refrigerate these lunch boxes for up to 5 days
- These can just be pulled out of the fridge and reheated in the microwave for a minute or two
- I wouldn't heat the boxes with lettuce or it'll wilt. The ones with lettuce are meant to be salad boxes
- 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
- Nutritional information below is for one chicken thigh and grilled vegetables only
Nutrition
More Meal Prep Recipes
Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Lunch Bowls
Chicken Burrito Meal Prep Bowls
Teriyaki Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Leave a Comment