Chicken Meal Prep Ideas

Cooked chicken can stay fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To avoid the risk of salmonella when meal prepping chicken, cook the chicken fully and refrigerate it within two hours. Store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil.

Cooked chicken that has been frozen properly is safe to eat for up to 6 months. To freeze cooked chicken, place it in an airtight freezer bag or container, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Storing the chicken with a glaze or sauce can help keep your meal-prepped chicken recipe moist and flavorful.

You can reheat meal-prepped chicken in the oven, a skillet or microwave. To reheat in the oven, cover the chicken with foil and heat for 15-20 minutes at 350°F. You can also reheat chicken in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave for 30-second intervals until the chicken is fully warmed. Make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before you eat it.

Avoid overcooking chicken, which can dry up the juices and turn the chicken rubbery. Marinating or brining the chicken helps add moisture and flavor. Storing it in a sauce also helps.

Marinating chicken before you cook it adds flavor and moisture but you don’t want to marinate it too long. If you are meal prepping ingredients but not cooking a meal until later, prepare the marinade in advance but don’t marinate the chicken until shortly before you’re ready to cook it. Uncooked chicken should not sit in a marinade for more than 24 hours.

Before storing meal-prepped chicken, make sure it’s fully cooked by cutting into the center to ensure it is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Chicken is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, which you can verify with a meat thermometer.

Absolutely! Because chicken is such a versatile meat, it blends well with a variety of flavors. You can cook your chicken with some basic spices and then add different flavors later on. Some ways to flavor chicken include using lemon, barbecue sauce, honey dijon, peanut sauce and balsamic vinegar.

You can meal prep chicken about 3 to 4 days in advance, as long as it’s properly stored in the refrigerator. Any chicken you plan to eat after 4 days should be frozen to ensure it’s safe to eat.

Cooking chicken in bulk is a convenient and efficient way to ensure you have protein-packed meals to enjoy throughout the week. Just make sure the chicken is stored in an airtight container in the fridge and is eaten within 3 to 4 days of cooking, or freeze it for longer storage.

The beauty of meal prepping with chicken is that there are so many ways to use this protein. Just raid the fridge and you’re sure to find something you can make with chicken, including salads, sandwiches, pastas and soups. You can even use it on pizza, like this Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

To prevent reheated chicken from becoming chewy or rubbery, warm the chicken on a low heat setting on the stove or use short time intervals in the microwave. Storing chicken in a broth or sauce also helps keep chicken moist and tender so it doesn’t dry out when reheating.

Always use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw chicken to prevent cross-contamination with other foods. Raw and cooked chicken should be wrapped tightly or kept in an airtight container in the fridge at a temperature below 40°F. After purchasing raw chicken, cook it or freeze it within 48 hours. Cooked chicken should be eaten within 3 to 4 days.

To ensure your meal prepped chicken stays juicy when reheated, microwave it covered with a damp paper towel or add some broth to your dish.