This easy Thai Chicken Meal Prep is the perfect make-ahead lunch. But you can also make it for a crowd-pleasing dinner that everyone will love. Serve it as a low-carb option or add freshly steamed rice to make a fuller meal. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with protein and veggies.
This recipe started as a quick & easy dinner recipe. But we loved it so much that we made it 3x in the first week. From there it quickly evolved into a meal prep option for lunch. So today I’m going to share with you how to make this for dinner, and as a meal prep option too.
We also have a new variation we’ve started making since I first tested this recipe out. It’s not great for meal prepping, but I’ve included it as an add-on in the recipe below. So the secret to making this into a seriously tasty dinner is to add cubed fresh mango to the cucumber salad.
The combination of the sweetness added in with just a touch of spice is beyond delicious. But I don’t want to take away from how good this is if you don’t have mango on hand. I also don’t recommend using it if you’re meal-prepping this for lunch because mango cubes go brown quickly.
Ways to Serve this Thai Chicken Meal Prep
- Add some steamed rice to make this both filling and extra tasty.
- Cubed mango is pretty much everything as a variation to the cucumber salad.
- Finally… make this for dinner by just making each component of the recipe and serving it immediately instead of meal prepping .
- Add chopped roasted peanuts or drizzle them with my Peanut Sauce in my Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe . It’s made with creamy peanut butter, but cashew butter and sunflower butter work too.
- Add pickled ginger on the side if you serve this with rice, it’s like a sushi bowl!
Whichever way you choose to make this, I know you’re going to love it! It’s been such a hit for me as something I know will go over well every time I make it. I guess it has to be that sweet/spicy combination that makes it so popular.
Tips & Tricks
- Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders in place of the chicken thighs in this recipe.
- For juicy chicken cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer.
- Try this with long grain rice or brown rice instead of sushi rice.
More Meal Prep Inspiration
- Homemade Healthy Lunchables
- Greek Chicken Meal Prep
- Meal Prep Chia Pudding
- Healthy Meatloaf Meal Prep
- Easy Sriracha Tuna Salad
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. I always love a recipe with easy options, and this one is a 2-for-1 wonder! If you do make this, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here.
INGREDIENTS1x2x3x
Marinated Chicken:
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs - 4-5 thighs
1/4 cup coconut aminos - or gluten free soy sauce of choice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 small cucumbers - halved and thinly sliced, 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup red onion - finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice - or rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt - or to your taste
1 tbsp maple syrup - omit for Whole30
Optional Add-ons:
- 1 large mango - diced to add to the cucumber salad
- 1 1/2 cups sushi or jasmine rice - cooked, as a side dish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken thighs, stir to combine, and refrigerate overnight, or at least 1 hour.
- Prep all the ingredients for the Asian cucumber salad. Stir the salad together in a large bowl, and set it aside while you cook.
- Preheat the grill over high heat until you reach 450º-500ºF. Place the chicken thighs on the grill, immediately lower the heat to medium, and maintain a temperature of around 400ºF
- Grill for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken thighs are done. Remove them from the grill to cool before assembling your meal prep.
- If you’re making this as a dinner, serve the chicken straight off the grill with the cucumber salad and side dish of your choice.
- If you’re making this into meal prep, cool the chicken for 10-15 minutes. Then cut it into slices or bite-sized pieces. Portion it out into 4 meal prep containers of choice.
- Then portion out the cucumber salad. If you’re using the rice, I like to pile the cucumber salad over the cooked and cooled rice. The dressing from the salad moistens the rice and helps it stay fresh for days to come.
- After everything is portioned, seal the containers with the lids, and refrigerate to serve within 2-3 days.
NOTES
nutrition facts
Thai Chicken Meal Prep
Ingredients
Marinated Chicken:
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 4-5 thighs
1/4 cup coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce of choice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 small cucumbers halved and thinly sliced, 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup red onion finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice or rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt or to your taste
1 tbsp maple syrup omit for Whole30
Optional Add-ons:
- 1 large mango diced to add to the cucumber salad
- 1 1/2 cups sushi or jasmine rice cooked, as a side dish
Instructions
- Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken thighs, stir to combine, and refrigerate overnight, or at least 1 hour.
- Prep all the ingredients for the Asian cucumber salad. Stir the salad together in a large bowl, and set it aside while you cook.
- Preheat the grill over high heat until you reach 450º-500ºF. Place the chicken thighs on the grill, immediately lower the heat to medium, and maintain a temperature of around 400ºF
- Grill for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken thighs are done. Remove them from the grill to cool before assembling your meal prep.
- If you’re making this as a dinner, serve the chicken straight off the grill with the cucumber salad and side dish of your choice.
- If you’re making this into meal prep, cool the chicken for 10-15 minutes. Then cut it into slices or bite-sized pieces. Portion it out into 4 meal prep containers of choice.
- Then portion out the cucumber salad. If you’re using the rice, I like to pile the cucumber salad over the cooked and cooled rice. The dressing from the salad moistens the rice and helps it stay fresh for days to come.
- After everything is portioned, seal the containers with the lids, and refrigerate to serve within 2-3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe Thai Chicken Meal Prep appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on September 9, 2020
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/thai-chicken-meal-prep/
