High-Protein Chicken Meal Prep for the Week

Chicken is the classic meal prep protein for good reason: it is lean, affordable, and works with almost any flavor. The challenge is keeping it juicy, interesting and safe all week. This guide covers which cuts to use, three recipes with calories and protein per serving, a sample weekly plan and USDA food safety timelines. If this is your first prep week, read the full beginner meal prep guide first.

What is the best chicken to use for meal prep?

Both breasts and thighs work. Skinless breast is the leanest and most protein-dense. Skinless thighs have a little more fat, which keeps them juicier after reheating. Here’s how they compare.

Chicken cuts compared, 4 oz (113 g) cooked meat (USDA FoodData Central values)

Chicken cut (cooked)	Calories per 4 oz	Protein per 4 oz (g)	Protein per 100 calories (g)
Breast, skinless, roasted	186	35	18.8
Breast with skin, roasted	223	34	15.1
Thigh, skinless, roasted	236	29	12.4

If weight loss is your main goal, skinless breast gives you the most protein per calorie. If you find breast dry by Thursday, thighs are a perfectly good trade: about 29 g protein per 4 ounces cooked. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Nutrition Source lists poultry among its healthy protein choices, and its research summary associates skinless chicken (unlike chicken with skin) with less weight gain over time.

How do I meal prep chicken for the whole week?

• Pick one or two recipes. Two different flavors are usually enough to avoid boredom.
• Batch-cook on one day. Use the oven to cook chicken and vegetables at the same time.
• Use a thermometer. Chicken is done at 165°F; there’s no need to overcook it.
• Cool quickly and portion. Shallow containers cool faster in the fridge.
• Refrigerate four days, freeze the rest. Prep five or more meals, freeze a few portions and move them to the fridge to thaw the night before.

What are the best high-protein chicken meal prep recipes?

Each recipe below is portioned for meal prep. Nutrition is per container.

Sheet-Pan Chicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli

A one-pan dinner that becomes five ready-to-go lunches.

Serves: 5  |  Prep: 15 min  |  Cook: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 lb (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (about 600 g)
• 1 1/2 lb broccoli florets (about 600 g)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line two large sheet pans with parchment.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil and half the spices. Roast on one pan for 10 minutes.
3. Toss the chicken and broccoli with the remaining oil and spices and spread on the second pan.
4. Roast both pans for 18 to 20 minutes more, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
5. Cool for 10 minutes, then divide evenly into 5 containers.

Approximate nutrition per serving: about 410 calories and 46 g protein.

Tip: cut the chicken and sweet potato into similar-sized pieces so everything finishes at the same time.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Juicy chicken thighs, rice, beans and salsa for an easy Tex-Mex lunch.

Serves: 4  |  Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 25 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cups (390 g) cooked brown rice
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (about 258 g)
• 1 cup (260 g) salsa
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, salt, lime and cilantro

Steps

1. Rub the chicken thighs with oil, chili powder, cumin and salt.
2. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until they reach 165°F. Rest 5 minutes, then slice.
3. Divide the rice, beans and chicken among 4 containers.
4. Add salsa to each container (or pack it separately), with lime and cilantro.

Approximate nutrition per serving: about 455 calories and 42 g protein.

Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Bright, fresh bowls with a creamy Greek yogurt sauce.

Serves: 4  |  Prep: 15 min  |  Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups (555 g) cooked quinoa
• 1 large cucumber, diced (300 g)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (300 g)
• 1 cup (227 g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt, for tzatziki-style sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon (30 g), garlic, dried oregano, dill, salt and pepper

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken in half the lemon juice, the oil, garlic, oregano and salt for 15 minutes (or overnight).
2. Grill, pan-sear or bake at 425°F until it reaches 165°F, about 18 to 20 minutes in the oven. Rest and slice.
3. Stir the yogurt with the remaining lemon juice, dill, garlic and salt to make the sauce.
4. Divide quinoa, chicken, cucumber and tomatoes into 4 containers. Pack the sauce in small separate cups.

Approximate nutrition per serving: about 460 calories and 51 g protein.

Here’s how the three recipes compare:

The three meal prep recipes compared

Recipe	Servings	Calories per serving	Protein per serving (g)	Best for
Sheet-Pan Chicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli	5	410	46	Highest protein, simplest prep
Chicken Burrito Bowls	4	455	42	Budget-friendly, reheats well
Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowls	4	460	51	Fresh flavor, cold or warm

What does a week of chicken meal prep look like?

A simple plan is to cook the sheet-pan recipe (5 portions) and the Greek bowls (4 portions) on Sunday. That covers lunch and dinner for most of the work week: To turn one session into different meals all week, try the cook once, eat all week method.

• Monday to Wednesday: eat from the fridge, alternating flavors.
• Thursday: freeze 3 to 4 portions on Sunday and move them to the fridge to thaw on Wednesday night.
• Friday: finish the thawed portions, or cook a quick batch of burrito bowls midweek.

How long does meal prep chicken last in the fridge?

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, cooked leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. FSIS also says to refrigerate food within 2 hours of cooking and to reheat leftovers to 165°F. For lunches you will microwave at work, see our lunches that reheat well.

Chicken meal prep food safety basics

Step	Guideline (USDA FSIS)
Cook chicken to	165°F internal temperature
Refrigerate cooked food within	2 hours (1 hour above 90°F)
Keep cooked leftovers in the fridge	3 to 4 days
Keep cooked leftovers in the freezer	3 to 4 months for best quality
Reheat leftovers to	165°F

How do I keep meal prep chicken from drying out?

• Don’t overcook: pull chicken as soon as it reaches 165°F.
• Let it rest 5 minutes before slicing so juices stay in the meat.
• Use thighs, or marinate breasts in yogurt or lemon and oil.
• Store sauces separately and add them after reheating.
• Reheat covered with a splash of water or broth.

Frequently asked questions

How much chicken should I meal prep per week?

For one person eating chicken at lunch on weekdays, about 2 pounds of raw boneless chicken makes five portions of roughly 5 ounces raw each. Our sheet-pan recipe uses 2 pounds for five meals with about 46 grams of protein per container.

Can I freeze meal prep chicken?

Yes. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says cooked leftovers can be frozen for 3 to 4 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.

How many grams of protein are in 4 ounces of cooked chicken breast?

About 35 grams. Skinless roasted chicken breast has about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams cooked, based on USDA FoodData Central values.

Is chicken breast or thigh better for weight loss?

Skinless breast has slightly more protein and fewer calories per ounce. Skinless thighs are juicier and still high in protein. Either works within a balanced calorie budget.

Key takeaways

• Batch-cook 2 to 3 pounds of chicken with a starch and vegetables on one day, then portion it.
• The sheet-pan recipe makes five meals with about 46 g protein and 410 calories each.
• Skinless chicken breast provides about 35 g protein per 4 ounces cooked.
• USDA FSIS: keep cooked leftovers 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer, and reheat to 165°F.
• Freeze later-in-the-week portions and thaw them in the fridge the night before.

How we calculated nutrition: calories and protein are estimates computed from standard USDA FoodData Central values for each raw ingredient (SR Legacy entries), rounded to the nearest 5 calories and 1 gram. Brands vary, so check your labels.

Not medical advice. This article is general information for healthy adults. Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you have kidney disease, diabetes or another health condition.