Are you tired of staring into the fridge at lunchtime wondering what on earth you’re going to eat? Me too! That’s why I live by a system of ridiculously easy, tasty meals that are ready when I am. These Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls are my absolute lifesaver when things get hectic. I first relied on these during a super busy testing week when I needed lunches I could truly count on. Having a whole fridge stocked with colorful, flavorful meals made the entire week smoother—it’s proof of how much meal prep can simplify everything! We all need simple solutions, and if you love planning ahead, you should definitely check out my ideas for healthy breakfast meal prep ideas for the morning, too!
This recipe keeps things balanced and delicious, so you never feel like you’re missing out on flavor just because you’re planning ahead. Trust me, having these ready to grab means you’re winning your weekdays!
Why This Recipe Makes the Best Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
When it comes to prepping for the week, it’s all about reliability, and these bowls deliver! You’re going to love them for a few reasons that make life so much easier:
- They taste just as amazing on day four as they did on day one. No sad, soggy lunches here!
- Assembly is so fast—seriously, you can tackle four lunches in under 10 minutes once you have everything cooked.
- It’s naturally balanced: lean protein, healthy greens, and satisfying carbs. It feels like a proper meal, not just filler.
If you’re looking for more grab-and-go fixes, my recipes for healthy energy bites are perfect for snacking between those bowl lunches!
Gathering Ingredients for Your Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Okay, so you know how some meal prep recipes demand a million things cooked separately? Not this one! We are keeping things super straightforward so you can get these done fast. The beauty here is that we’re focusing on simple components that hold up well together for days. When you’re shopping, make sure you grab good quality chicken breasts, and decide if you’re using a bottle of your favorite teriyaki sauce or making your own batch on another day.
As you gather your supplies, remember those little prep notes matter a lot for the final texture. Having your chicken cubed nicely and knowing your veggies are ready to steam makes the final assembly fly by. Speaking of quick fixes, if you need more snack ideas for those midday hunger pangs, check out my list of easy healthy snack ideas!
Components for the Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce (you can totally use store-bought or homemade!)
- 2 cups cooked rice (make this ahead of time, please!)
- 2 cups broccoli florets, ready for steaming
- 2 cups snap peas, also ready for steaming
Garnish Ingredients
- Sesame seeds, just a little sprinkle for looks and crunch
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
This is where we turn all those ingredients into your week’s worth of amazing lunches! Since we are making these bowls quickly, we need to efficiently cook the chicken while using pre-made rice and quick-steamed veggies. This whole process shouldn’t take you more than 25 minutes total, but remember, having that rice cooked beforehand is key to speed. If you are looking for other quick chicken dishes, I have a fantastic crockpot teriyaki chicken with rice recipe if you want to start it first thing in the morning!
Prepare Base Components
First things first, we need our foundation ready. You absolutely must cook the rice ahead of time, or just grab that pre-cooked rice if you’re aiming for maximum laziness! Next up, you’ll steam your broccoli florets and snap peas until they are tender but still have a little snap. We don’t want mushy veggies hanging around for four days, right? Just a quick steam until they turn bright green is perfect.
Cooking the Chicken for Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Get your skillet heated up over medium-high heat. Toss in your cubed chicken pieces. You need to cook these for a good 5 to 7 minutes, stirring them around until they are nicely browned and totally cooked through—make sure there’s no pink hiding anywhere! Once the chicken is perfectly done, pour in that cup of teriyaki sauce. Let it simmer for just a minute or so until the sauce thickens up slightly and clings beautifully to every piece. Turn off the heat!
Assembling and Portioning the Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Now for the fun part: portioning! Grab those four sealable containers you love. You are going to divide everything evenly so each bowl is identical. That means each container gets about 1/2 cup of your cooked rice, 1/2 cup of the saucy chicken, 1/2 cup broccoli, and 1/2 cup of those snap peas. Don’t forget to drizzle about 1/4 cup of that extra teriyaki sauce into each container before sealing it up tight. If you want the best homemade sauce recipe, check out this guide to simple teriyaki sauce!
Tips for Success with Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
These Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls are amazing because they truly hold up in the fridge for up to four days. That’s almost a whole work week covered! When reheating, I just pop mine in the microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds until it’s steaming hot all the way through. The chicken stays tender!
If you want to switch things up next week, remember those tasty veggies we talked about? If you’re tired of broccoli, go ahead and swap it out for sliced carrots or bell peppers—they hold up just as well. For more ideas on making other healthy meals last longer, you might enjoy my recipe for avocado chicken salad. And if you want to try a different technique for chicken flavor, see these teriyaki chicken thighs!
Ingredient Substitutions for Your Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Don’t sweat it if you’re missing something specific! This recipe is really flexible, which is why it works so well for busy people. If chicken isn’t your thing, feel free to swap in thin slices of pork tenderloin or even use firm tofu pressed and cubed for a vegetarian take on these bowls. Seriously, tofu soaks up that teriyaki sauce beautifully!
For the veggies, I already mentioned carrots and bell peppers are great swaps for the broccoli or peas. The most important thing is to use something that won’t get too watery overnight. If you’re curious about what else pairs well with rice in a meal prep setting, you should take a peek at my guide on what can I mix with rice for a meal! And if you want to see how someone else tackles teriyaki chicken in a stir-fry format, check out this recipe for teriyaki chicken stir-fry.
Making Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls in a Slow Cooker
Now, I know the recipe above is super fast because it uses the skillet method. But listen, if you’re aiming for true lazy dinners, you absolutely have to know how to adapt this! This recipe easily fits right into the world of Crockpot Recipes For Dinner. For a real Dump And Go Crockpot Dinners experience, it’s simple.
Just skip the cubing and searing part! Throw the raw chicken right into your slow cooker. Pour that whole cup of teriyaki sauce over the top, maybe add a splash of water if your sauce is really thick, and set it on low for about 4 to 5 hours, or until it shreds easily. Once it’s done, you can shred it right in the pot!
When you make it this way, you steam your veggies right before assembly, mix the shredded chicken with the sauce clinging to it, and then pack those bowls up. It makes for fantastic Slow Cook Recipes that feed you all week long. For more hands-off chicken meals, you have to bookmark my recipe for easy crockpot honey garlic chicken!
Serving Suggestions for Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
When you pull one of these bowls out of the fridge mid-week, it’s usually warm but needs a little *zing* to feel restaurant-fresh. My absolute favorite boost is stirring in a tiny bit of sriracha right before I eat it—just enough for some heat to cut through the sweetness of the teriyaki. Fresh toppings make a huge difference!
Try adding some thinly sliced green onions or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, which you already have! If you want a bit more crunch but don’t want to change the flavor profile too much, toss in some shredded carrots on top. For a bigger lunch, you can totally serve the mixture over some fresh greens if you’re skipping the rice one day. To see how I mix up flavor profiles in bowls, take a look at my flavor packed street corn chicken rice bowl recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions About Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Meal prepping is supposed to make life easier, but sometimes questions pop up after the containers are sealed! I totally get it. Here are a few things people often ask me about making these bowls work perfectly for their weekly meal plan, especially if they are looking for great Healthy Dinner Recipes.
How long do these Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls last in the fridge?
These bowls are fantastic because they keep really well! You can safely store them in the refrigerator for up to four days. Store them sealed tight, and they should be just as delicious when you microwave them on Thursday as they were when you packed them on Sunday. That’s the beauty of planning ahead!
Can I make this recipe vegetarian for ‘Healthy Crockpot Meals’?
Absolutely! If you want to adapt this for vegetarian or vegan needs, you can easily sub out the chicken. I suggest using a block of extra-firm tofu, pressed well and cubed just like the chicken, or even using shelled edamame for quick protein. Cook them in the skillet with the sauce until they absorb all that yummy flavor. It fits perfectly into the concept of Healthy Crockpot Meals if you decide to slow cook the tofu instead!
Is there a way to reduce the sodium in these bowls?
That’s a smart question, especially if you are watching your sodium intake. The primary source of salt here is going to be that teriyaki sauce. My best tip is to look specifically for a low-sodium teriyaki sauce at the store. If you make your own sauce, just cut back slightly on the soy sauce, and you’ll see a noticeable difference in the final sodium count for your Lazy Dinners!
If you want to browse even more simple, make-ahead ideas that fit into your busy schedule, take a look at the different lunch recipes I have available!
Estimated Nutritional Breakdown for Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
I always preach that meal prepping shouldn’t mean sacrificing your healthy targets, and these bowls keep us totally on track! Here is the estimated nutritional breakdown for one single serving, based on the amounts listed. Remember, these numbers are always just estimates, because how much sauce *you* drizzle on top totally changes things!
- Calories: 567
- Protein: 38g
- Total Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 92g
- Sugar: 13g
It’s a wonderfully balanced meal to keep your energy up all afternoon! If you’re curious about how other high-protein meals stack up, sometimes I compare things to my protein pancakes recipe just to see the difference.
Share Your Success with Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
I really hope these easy Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls help you conquer your week! Once you make your batch, let me know how they held up—did they last all five days? Drop a rating below or leave a comment telling me what veggies you used in your rotation. I love seeing your prep in action! You can always reach out through my contact page if you have other questions.
By Emily Mitchell, Efficiency & Testing Coordinator at Recipes by Betty
Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Equipment
- Skillet or large pan
- Steamer basket or pot
- Sealable food containers
Ingredients
For the Bowls
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups rice cooked
- 2 cups broccoli florets steamed
- 2 cups snap peas steamed
For Garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice ahead of time or use prepackaged cooked rice for convenience.
- Cut the chicken into bitesized pieces. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and no longer pink.
- Steam the vegetables until tender.
- To assemble the bowls, evenly divide all of the cooked ingredients into four sealable containers.
- Each container will contain 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup cooked chicken, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup snap peas, and 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce.
- Seal the containers and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. Warm in the microwave and drizzle the teriyaki over the chicken.