Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Dinner
Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Dinners with Cilantro Lime Rice
10 Minute Meal Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls – Sheet Pan Dinner
Skip the Chipotle and whip up your own chicken burrito bowl meal prep dinners at home! Simple, flavorful meal prep chicken burrito bowls that you can cook sheet pan dinner style, with just 10 minutes of prep work.
For me, burrito bowl meal prep meals are a regular part of my rotation because they’re so versatile and convenient to prep. I can switch up the components and flavors to make tons of new combinations, but the basics stay the same: protein, veggie, and carb!
For these meal prep chicken burrito bowls, I’m using chicken thighs as my protein, broccoli and red onion as my veggies, and rice as my carb. But, keeping that basic trio in mind, you can adjust this recipe to make your own burrito bowl meal prep combinations!
Instead of chicken thighs, use chicken breast, steak, your favorite ground meat, pulled pork, canned tuna, beans, or even tofu. Use cauliflower, sliced bell peppers, carrots, roasted corn—whichever veggies you like eating. And for carbs, swap out rice for quinoa, or even sweet potato or butternut squash! Make the burrito bowl meal prep dinner that you want to eat.
Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Components
When it comes to meal prep, we all have our own style and way that we like doing things. For some, that’s prepping and cooking everything for the week, so the leftovers are just ready to reheat and eat during the week. For others, it’s prepping the bare bones basic components, and using them to make freshly cooked meals each day.
Generally, most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. And knowing your preferred meal prep style can help you make your prep work as efficient as possible. Personally, I’m more of a minimal meal prepper: I prep some basic components on prep day, but I prefer to have freshly-cooked meals throughout the week.
So, for these chicken burrito bowl meal prep dinners, that’s exactly what I’ve done! Here’s what I do on prep day:
Chop Veggies, If Desired
Depending on which veggies you’d like to use in your meal prep chicken burrito bowls, you may or may not want to chop your veggies on prep day. Some veggies don’t last as well as others once they’re chopped!
For me, I’m making my burrito bowl meal prep dinners with broccoli and red onion, which last pretty well even when chopped. Generally, I buy pre-cut broccoli florets, but if they’re large in size I’ll chop them a bit more on prep day. Then, I’ll slice my red onion wedges and store them so they’re ready to throw onto the sheet pan when I want them.
Trim Chicken Cuts
Since I’m making my meal prep chicken burrito bowls with chicken thighs, I like to take time on prep day to trim some of the fat from the meat. You don’t want to trim all of the fat because you’ll lose some flavor, but I just prefer to remove any large gristly or bloody sections.
It’s a good idea to trim chicken breast as well, or steak. If you plan to use tofu, consider pressing it and chopping it into your desired pieces on prep day.
Or, if you plan to use pulled meat like pulled pork or chicken, you can slow-cook that on prep day so it’s ready to go throughout the week! Then, simply roast your veggies on the day you want to eat, reheat the pulled meat, and combine with the rice.
Cook Rice & Store
Whether you’re a minimal or maximum meal prepper, grains are one thing that it’s really convenient to prep in advance because they take some time to cook. Of course, you also have the option to use frozen rice or quinoa that you can cook in the microwave as needed. But, if you’re cooking dry grains over the stove, consider prepping them on meal prep day and reheating throughout the week.
So, when I make my burrito bowl meal prep dinners, I prefer to cook a large batch of rice over the stove on meal prep day. Then, I store it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it during the week. On the day I want to eat, I simply reheat the rice over the stove and add in some additional flavorings for some fun flare!
How to Prepare Meal Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls
Again, you’ve got 2 options for these chicken burrito bowl meal prep dinners: minimal prep, or maximum prep. Max preppers, go ahead and cook everything on prep day, then portion into meal prep containers and store.
Minimal preppers, get your rice cooked, veggies chopped, and protein trimmed on prep day. On the day you want to eat, here’s how to bring your meal prep chicken burrito bowls together:
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
To start, prepare your protein and veggies sheet pan dinner style. For my burrito bowl meal prep dinners, that means getting my sheet pan chicken and veggies seasoned and into the oven! First, on one side of the pan, I drizzle my broccoli florets and red onion wedges with oil and season with a chili seasoning blend—any seasonings you like will do.
Then, for my boneless chicken thighs, I start by patting them dry with paper towels. This is a good idea with chicken breast, too, because it will help the meat to crisp up in the oven. I add the chicken to the other side of the pan, sprinkle on taco seasoning as a dry rub, and rub it into the meat.
It can all fit on one tray, just pop it into the preheated oven and let it roast for 30-40 minutes! And, while that cooks, you can reheat your cooked rice and add some flavorful flare.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Of course, you’re welcome to reheat the rice in the microwave and just layer your other components on top of it. But, to give your meal some extra zhuzh, try transforming that plain rice into a festive cilantro lime rice!
Simply add your cooked rice into a pot over medium heat. Add a squeeze of lime juice, along with some chopped cilantro and canned corn kernels. Give it all a stir, allow it to warm through, and voila—flavor, color, and variety added in no time! A simple way to kick your chicken meal prep burrito bowls up a notch.
Serve as Desired
Finally, when your sheet pan chicken and veggies are done cooking, your burrito bowl meal prep dinners are ready to serve. Distribute the cilantro lime rice into bowls, layer roasted veggies on top, followed by your sliced chicken.
And, as with any meal prep dinner, one of the best ways to add variety is with toppings! Just like you would with a burrito, get creative with your meal prep chicken burrito bowls and layer on your favorite goodies. Salsa, cotija cheese, sliced avocado—whatever you like! With just 10 minutes of prep or less, dinner is served.
To see how these homemde burrito bowls are made, watch my 10 Minute Meal Prep Meals video!
Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Dinners with Chicken & Veggies
Ingredients
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- ½ red onion, cut into wedges
- drizzle of oil
- seasonings of choice, to taste (I used a chili seasoning blend)
- 2 boneless chicken thighs, or breasts
- taco seasoning, to taste
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 3 cups cooked rice
- ½ lime, juiced
- 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup canned corn
Topping Ideas
- salsa
- cotija cheese
- sliced avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. On one side of prepared baking sheet, add chopped broccoli florets and red onion wedges. Drizzle with oil, season as desired (I used chili seasoning), and toss to coat.
- On the other side of the same pan, add boneless chicken thighs (or breasts). Pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- In a pot over medium heat, combine cooked rice with lime juice, chopped cilantro, and corn kernels. Mix well to combine.
- Serve cooked chicken and veggies over warmed rice with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
