These Korean Inspired Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a healthy make ahead lunch idea made up of chicken thighs, sesame coleslaw and jasmine rice!
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken marinade
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can make this recipe with any kind of chicken of your choice, but the cooking times will vary.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Honey – you could also use maple syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar to sweeten the marinade.
- Sesame oil – a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil will work, but it has a milder flavour.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Fresh ginger – if you can’t find any fresh ginger, use 1 tsp. ground ginger powder.
- Sesame seeds – black or white sesame seeds would both work here.
Sesame slaw
- Coleslaw mix – use a bagged coleslaw mix to cut down on prep time or chop up some red or green cabbage.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar will provide a similar flavour.
- Honey – maple syrup or agave would also work.
- Sesame oil – a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil will work, but it has a milder flavour.
- Powdered ginger – you can try using ginger paste instead or leave this out altogether.
Rice
- Jasmine rice – serve with any kind of rice of your choice like brown rice or even cauliflower rice.
- Butter – or a butter substitute like margarine.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make meal prep chicken thighs
Step 1: Cook the rice and prep marinade and dressing.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pot on the stovetop, make the chicken marinade, and mix together the sesame slaw dressing.
Step 2: Marinate and cook the chicken.
Marinate the chicken then cook them on the grill, in a skillet or in the oven.
Step 3: Make the sesame slaw.
Toss the coleslaw with the dressing.
Step 4: Assemble and serve!
Serve the cooked chicken with the slaw and rice. Eat immediately or store for later.
What to serve with meal prep chicken
Wondering what to serve on the side? You can’t go wrong with sesame slaw and rice! Here are some more side dish ideas:
- Rice and grains: Brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, rice noodles, soba noodles or quinoa
- Vegetables: Steamed broccoli, brussels sprouts, baby potatoes, corn on the cob or cabbage
- Salads: Shaved brussels sprouts salad, cucumber salad or quinoa salad
I typically like to serve my chicken with a rice or grain, and a veggie or salad. That way you're getting a well-rounded, healthy and delicious meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can cook the chicken up to 5 days in advance and enjoy it as your work lunches or a quick dinner option. Just pull it out of the fridge, reheat and enjoy. You can also ingredient prep this recipe by making the rice, slaw and marinade ahead of time. That way, you're still enjoying a freshly cooked meal, but with less prep time.
Chicken thighs are typically a juicier and more tender cut of meat, but feel free to use any cut of chicken of your choice like chicken breasts or drumsticks. Just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on what cut you use, and what cooking method you choose.
You can eat your meal either hot or cold; it's all a matter of preference. Eat them right out of the fridge or follow the reheating instructions at the bottom of this post if you prefer the chicken and rice to be hot. Keep in mind that the coleslaw will need to be kept separate if you plan on reheating the chicken and rice.
This meal prep recipe is super versatile, because you can switch up the ingredients until you find something you love. Instead of the Korean-inspired marinade, try out different spices on your chicken or even different marinades. The options are pretty much endless!
My top tip for avoiding that gross leftover chicken flavor is to sprinkle a bit of water over top of the chicken before reheating it in the microwave. Trust me, it's a game changer!
Storing and reheating
Store any leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days. I typically eat this dish cold, but you can always pack the coleslaw separately so you can microwave the chicken and rice. If reheating, sprinkle some water or soy sauce over the chicken and rice to keep it from drying out, then microwave for 2 minutes.
Freezing this recipe
While you can't freeze this recipe with the coleslaw and rice, you can freeze the chicken! Freeze the chicken raw in the marinade or fully cooked for up to 3 months in Ziploc bags. Let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight then cook or reheat as normal.
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Korean Inspired Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Sesame slaw
- 1 bag coleslaw mix
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat grill to high heat, or preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, mix chicken marinade ingredients together. Add chicken thighs and marinate 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook jasmine rice according to package directions. Mix together ingredients for sesame slaw dressing, then set aside.
- Add chicken to grill or frying pan. Cook on grill for 7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes depending on how large the thighs are. If using the oven method, bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 F in thickest part of thigh.
- Add two chicken thighs to each meal prep bowl. Toss coleslaw with dressing then add slaw and rice to each bowl. Serve and enjoy – leftovers stay good in the fridge up to 4-5 days.
Comments & Reviews
Candy says
Just made the slaw and it seems like there isn’t enough of the dressing to go over it. Any chance you can clarify how big “one bag of cole slaw mix” is? I grabbed a 16 oz bag but the store also had 8 oz bags and 12 oz bags. Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Candy – a 16oz bag is a standard size and the one you need for this recipe. I know the dressing may not seem like enough at first but you’ll see that the longer the cabbage sits in the dressing, the more it will shrink.
Grwy says
I have 3 beautiful Salmon Fillets, can i substitute the chicken? For how long the salmon needs to marinate?
Taylor Stinson says
I have never tried this but I imagine they would do well with this marinade. Unfortunately because I’ve never tried it I can’t provide specific instructions.
Isabelle says
This was good! I think next time I would marinate the chicken longer. I added some cilantro and green onion on top, which was yummy.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Christine says
This looks really good! I’m interesting in making it, but can’t grill as I’m in an apartment. Any suggestions?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Christine! You can definitely bake the thighs in the oven. I have a post on baked chicken thighs here for cook time reference: http://girlonbloor.com/perfect-baked-chicken-thighs/
Jenn says
Delicious and Easy!!! Thanks for this recipe. It will be a repeat for sure.
Susy says
Is the calorie count per serving? or for all 4 servings total . I am assuming one but i just want to be sure lol
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Susy – it is per serving.
Megan says
This is in my regular meal rotation and I luv it. It also keeps me really full and satisfied which is always a bonus when eating a yummy recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you love it!!! 🙂
Sean Reeber says
Hi! This looks pretty solid; love me some Korean food. That said, when preparing the leftovers, how does the slaw hold up in the microwave? I’m concerned that it would wilt too much.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Sean – I usually remove the coleslaw before microwaving.
Fiaaaa says
Omg thank you this was soo good and three delicious lunches made for the week ! Woohoo!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Jennifer says
This is such a good recipie, I honestly use this Asian coleslaw dressing ALL THE TIME , I don’t even want normal coleslaw anymore, hah! The marinade is amazing too, 🙂 great stuff
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you loved it Jennifer!! That makes me so happy to hear about the dressing 🙂