Stir Fry Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe

Easy Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl with Broccoli & Chickpeas

How to Make a Stir Fry Chicken Rice Bowl with Brown Rice & Frozen Veggies

This flavorful, savory garlic chicken rice bowl is an awesomely easy meal prep dinner to try! Comforting chicken and rice, nourishing broccoli and spinach, and hearty chickpeas—all simmered together with coconut aminos and plenty of garlicky goodness. Learn how to make a stir fry chicken rice bowl with frozen veggies and brown rice, all in under 45 minutes.

Whether you’re hungry for easy weeknight dinners or simple meal prep ideas, this garlic chicken rice bowl is a deliciously doable option! Quick enough to prep as a freshly cooked meal in the evening, or cook it in advance for the entire week. Made with ground chicken (or turkey), brown rice, frozen veggies, and canned chickpeas, it’s also super affordable and budget-friendly.

Personally, I want a meal prep dinner that’s equally tasty and easy. Plus, I prefer freshly cooked meals rather than reheating leftovers. Over the years, I’ve refined my meal prep approach to suit my needs, by experimenting with customizable meals like this stir fry chicken rice bowl. Consider how you can adjust this dinner to suit your needs, preferences, and schedule!

Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl Components

• Ground Chicken: I enjoy the flavor and lean protein of ground chicken in this garlic chicken rice bowl recipe, but you can substitute with any ground meat you like. Ground turkey, beef, pork, or even crumbled tofu would all work in this recipe.
• Onion & Garlic: For me, onion and garlic are both must-have components in any savory dish! That being said, this stir fry bowl is loaded with both onion and garlic. If you don’t enjoy their flavor as much as I do, feel free to cut the listed amounts in half.  
• Brown Rice: I like the flavor and texture of brown rice in this bowl, but you could also substitute with a long grain white rice if desired.
• Frozen Veggies: This garlic chicken rice bowl is a great way to make use of frozen vegetables! Not only are they convenient and easy to store, but they’re also a great budget-friendly meal prep item. I like frozen broccoli and spinach in this recipe, but feel free to substitute with different frozen vegetables if preferred.
• Chickpeas: You can use any variety of beans in this recipe—black beans, white beans, pinto beans, whatever you like! Personally, I like the convenience of canned beans, and I’ll use 1-2 cans depending on how large of a meal I want to prep. Or, you can also cook your own dry beans at home if desired.
• Coconut Aminos: This is my favorite stir fry seasoning, but you can substitute with soy sauce instead. If you do use soy sauce, I recommend omitting any additional salt.

How to Meal Prep Chicken Rice Bowls

You can prepare these meal prep bowls in 2 ways: (1) maximum prep, cooking the whole meal on prep day, or (2) minimal prep, cooking just the meat on prep day. Ultimately, this depends on your taste preferences and schedule. Option 1 is the simplest, but it involves reheating leftovers. Or, option 2 involves cooking on a weeknight, but you end up with a freshly cooked meal.

Option 1: Maximum Prep

Cook the whole garlic chicken rice bowl recipe on prep day, then store it in the fridge for the week. This is a great option for simplicity because you get all of the cooking done at once. And, it’s an ideal option for a one-person prep or two-person prep. But, just keep in mind that this option involves reheating leftovers to eat throughout the week.

Option 2: Minimal Prep

Cook the ground chicken on prep day, then cook the rest of the meal fresh during the week. If you prefer freshly cooked meals rather than reheated leftovers (like me), this is the ideal option. You have less work on prep day and minimal work during the week—a great option for a family dinner or group meal.

Mind Over Meal Prep

If you enjoy this garlic chicken rice bowl recipe and you want to learn how to meal prep easily and efficiently—for your needs—check out my Mind Over Meal Prep course! Whether you are a beginner at meal prep or you’re looking to make meal prep simpler and sustainable, this course will guide you in designing your perfect meal prep.

See how to make this stir fry chicken rice bowl in my Stress-Free Meal Prep video!