This simple chicken marinade for meal prep will quickly become a favorite. Easy and flavorful, perfect for batch-cooking chicken to enjoy all week long.
Hi friends!
Today I’m sharing one of my go-to food prep items. This simple chicken marinade for meal prep is one that I use weekly because it’s a quick and easy way to prep a batch of chicken that I can then use all week long.
For me, having prepped components like this chicken on hand is the easiest way for me to quickly get meals on the table for lunch and dinner. I eat this chicken in tacos, on salads, over rice, in wraps, on sandwiches etc.
I’ve been working on perfecting this for a while and I’ve found that this combination of flavors really works.
Easy and Simple Chicken Marinade for Meal Prep
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Oil – Any mild-flavored oil will work. I use avocado oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed!
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Garlic powder – if you love garlic you could skip the powder and throw in a couple of cloves of freshly minced garlic instead.
- Salt
That’s it! Just throw everything in a bag with the chicken, mix it up and let it sit in the fridge. One of the things I love about this marinade is that it uses very little liquid. It’s more like a wet spice rub.
If you’re looking for more marinade ideas, try these:
- Easy Chicken Marinade – just 4 ingredients!
- Bourbon Chicken Marinade & Glaze
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade – with a kick!
What To Serve with Meal Prep Chicken
One of my favorite things to make along with this chicken is rice. If you’re tired of plain rice, here’s how I’ve been making mine lately:
Saute 1/2 cup red onion and 2 cloves garlic in a little oil in the instant pot. Add 1 cup brown rice and 1.25 cups water or broth. Cook 16 minutes. Quick-release. Stir in a squirt of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkle of salt.
I also often make the topping mixture you see on the salad above – just chop some tomatoes, onion, cucumbers and red peppers and mix with feta. It would also be great with this Cucumber Tomato Salad.
How to Cook Meal Prep Chicken
Once you’ve finished marinating your chicken, the way you cook it is really up to you! It can be sauteed, baked, grilled, cooked in the air fryer etc. I typically cook mine in the air fryer because it’s quick and easy – I just throw it in at 400 for 8 min or so, until it reaches 165 degrees. But do whatever works best for you!
Here’s the recipe for the marinade:
PrintSimple Chicken Marinade for Meal Prep
This simple chicken marinade for meal prep will quickly become a favorite. Easy and flavorful, perfect for batch-cooking chicken to enjoy all week long.
- Prep Time: 2 min
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
1 – 1.5 pounds chicken breasts (I buy thin-sliced or cut thicker breasts in half)
2 Tbsp avocado oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place chicken in a ziploc bag.
- Add oil and lemon juice.
- In a ramekin, add spices and stir to combine. Pour spice mixture into the bag.
- Toss and shake well, moving the chicken around with your hands to ensure the spices coat the chicken.
- Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Cook chicken as desired.
This simple chicken marinade for meal prep is sure to become your new favorite! Meal prep is one of the easiest ways to help prepare for a busy week. I share more tips, strategies and recipe ideas in my course Mastering Food Prep.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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