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By Taylor Stinson | 79 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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These Korean Inspired Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a healthy make ahead lunch idea made up of chicken thighs, sesame coleslaw and jasmine rice!
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Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken marinade
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can make this recipe with any kind of chicken of your choice, but the cooking times will vary.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Honey – you could also use maple syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar to sweeten the marinade.
- Sesame oil – a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil will work, but it has a milder flavour.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Fresh ginger – if you can’t find any fresh ginger, use 1 tsp. ground ginger powder.
- Sesame seeds – black or white sesame seeds would both work here.
Sesame slaw
- Coleslaw mix – use a bagged coleslaw mix to cut down on prep time or chop up some red or green cabbage.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar will provide a similar flavour.
- Honey – maple syrup or agave would also work.
- Sesame oil – a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil will work, but it has a milder flavour.
- Powdered ginger – you can try using ginger paste instead or leave this out altogether.
Rice
- Jasmine rice – serve with any kind of rice of your choice like brown rice or even cauliflower rice.
- Butter – or a butter substitute like margarine.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make meal prep chicken thighs
Step 1: Cook the rice and prep marinade and dressing.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pot on the stovetop, make the chicken marinade, and mix together the sesame slaw dressing.
Step 2: Marinate and cook the chicken.
Marinate the chicken then cook them on the grill, in a skillet or in the oven.
Step 3: Make the sesame slaw.
Toss the coleslaw with the dressing.
Step 4: Assemble and serve!
Serve the cooked chicken with the slaw and rice. Eat immediately or store for later.
What to serve with meal prep chicken
Wondering what to serve on the side? You can’t go wrong with sesame slaw and rice! Here are some more side dish ideas:
- Rice and grains: Brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, rice noodles, soba noodles or quinoa
- Vegetables: Steamed broccoli, brussels sprouts, baby potatoes, corn on the cob or cabbage
- Salads: Shaved brussels sprouts salad, cucumber salad or quinoa salad
I typically like to serve my chicken with a rice or grain, and a veggie or salad. That way you're getting a well-rounded, healthy and delicious meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to meal prep chicken for the week?
Yes! You can cook the chicken up to 5 days in advance and enjoy it as your work lunches or a quick dinner option. Just pull it out of the fridge, reheat and enjoy. You can also ingredient prep this recipe by making the rice, slaw and marinade ahead of time. That way, you're still enjoying a freshly cooked meal, but with less prep time.
Can you use other cuts of chicken?
Chicken thighs are typically a juicier and more tender cut of meat, but feel free to use any cut of chicken of your choice like chicken breasts or drumsticks. Just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on what cut you use, and what cooking method you choose.
Do you eat them hot or cold?
You can eat your meal either hot or cold; it's all a matter of preference. Eat them right out of the fridge or follow the reheating instructions at the bottom of this post if you prefer the chicken and rice to be hot. Keep in mind that the coleslaw will need to be kept separate if you plan on reheating the chicken and rice.
Can you use different seasonings?
This meal prep recipe is super versatile, because you can switch up the ingredients until you find something you love. Instead of the Korean-inspired marinade, try out different spices on your chicken or even different marinades. The options are pretty much endless!
How do you avoid the leftover chicken taste?
My top tip for avoiding that gross leftover chicken flavor is to sprinkle a bit of water over top of the chicken before reheating it in the microwave. Trust me, it's a game changer!
Storing and reheating
Store any leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days. I typically eat this dish cold, but you can always pack the coleslaw separately so you can microwave the chicken and rice. If reheating, sprinkle some water or soy sauce over the chicken and rice to keep it from drying out, then microwave for 2 minutes.
Freezing this recipe
While you can't freeze this recipe with the coleslaw and rice, you can freeze the chicken! Freeze the chicken raw in the marinade or fully cooked for up to 3 months in Ziploc bags. Let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight then cook or reheat as normal.
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Korean Inspired Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
These Korean Inspired Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a healthy make ahead lunch idea made up of chicken thighs, sesame coleslaw and jasmine rice!
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Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 520kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Sesame slaw
- 1 bag coleslaw mix
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Preheat grill to high heat, or preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, mix chicken marinade ingredients together. Add chicken thighs and marinate 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook jasmine rice according to package directions. Mix together ingredients for sesame slaw dressing, then set aside.
Add chicken to grill or frying pan. Cook on grill for 7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes depending on how large the thighs are. If using the oven method, bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 F in thickest part of thigh.
Add two chicken thighs to each meal prep bowl. Toss coleslaw with dressing then add slaw and rice to each bowl. Serve and enjoy – leftovers stay good in the fridge up to 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
Use any cut of chicken of your choice, just keep in mind the cooking times will vary.
If it’s the summer, feel free to grill the chicken instead of baking it in the oven!
Store your meal prep bowls in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can serve them cold or reheat the chicken and rice separately in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Freeze the chicken raw in the marinade or fully cooked for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge then cook or reheat as normal.
Recipe adapted from Canadian Living.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal (26%)Carbohydrates: 49g (16%)Protein: 49g (98%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Cholesterol: 215mg (72%)Sodium: 491mg (21%)Potassium: 813mg (23%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 164IU (3%)Vitamin C: 41mg (50%)Calcium: 78mg (8%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
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shelley says
What size of bag of coleslaw did you use? Definitely makes a difference for the macro counts
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
A 397g bag
Reply
Amy says
The flavor of this marinated chicken is to die for! Will definitely be making this again as part of my healthy meal prep. Thanks for the delicious recipe!Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
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