32 + Chicken Breast Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many chicken breasts for meal prep? ›

First, decide how much chicken you'll need for the week. If you're cooking for you and maybe one other person, about 3-4 pounds of chicken breast fillets should do the trick. If you have a larger family or want more leftovers, aim for 6-8 pounds.

Anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts is enough for one adult and half that amount for kids. Most people are used to being served a single chicken breast on a plate; and while some pieces are cut into a 6-ounce portion, others can be up to 10 ounces in weight!

Chicken is one of the best meats for meal prep because it's inexpensive and lasts for up to four days in the fridge after you've cooked it, so we're here to make sure that when it comes to chicken, your prep is perfect.

How much chicken should be in a meal prep? As a rule of thumb, a typical serving is 4oz of raw chicken. Once cooked, the meat loses some water and fat—meaning 4oz raw chicken will become ~3oz cooked chicken. For me, generally 1 pound (16oz) of boneless skinless meat yields 4 servings.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern recommends the average person eat 26 ounces of poultry (including chicken) per week. Per day, this would be roughly the same as eating 3.5 ounces of chicken breast.

I go for um, about 4 ounces of cooked chicken breast per. Per. Per person, per adult serving. And to get that, about one and a/2 pounds of raw chicken. will give you about four pounds of cooked chicken, which would be the family four, if you're trying to be a family four.

"Getting enough protein can also aid in satiety." Eating chicken every day is an easy way to reach those protein goals; Burgess points out that a simple 4-ounce serving of chicken provides 35 grams of lean protein. "Chicken in your meals can be a great way to meet your protein goals," she says.

The basic recommendation is to allow about a half a pound of chicken per person, and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cooked rice. So, 15 pounds of chicken, and 8–10 cups uncooked rice (to make 16–20 cups cooked), should be enough.

How To Tell If Cooked Chicken Has Gone Bad. If your chicken starts to look off-color (dark or faded), appears slimy, sticky, or tacky, or smells bad, it's time to throw it out. 2 Of course, chicken that's been marinated or drenched in sauce may not give you telltale clues that it's spoiling.

What happens if you leave raw chicken in the fridge for 5 days? ›

Raw chicken lasts in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cooked chicken lasts 3–4 days. To detect if chicken has gone bad, check the “best if used by” date and look for signs of spoilage like changes in smell, texture, and color. Avoid eating spoiled chicken, as it can cause food poisoning — even if you cook it thoroughly.

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

For meat, account for about 25% cooking loss. For example, 4 oz. of cooked chicken x 3 servings = 12 oz. cooked chicken, so plan to purchase about 16 oz.

This will depend on the number of meals you're prepping for. A cup of uncooked white rice will produce 3 cups of rice when cooked, while a cup of uncooked brown rice will give you 2 cups cooked. So if you are cooking rice for 10 meals, we suggest that you cook 2½ cups of brown rice, which should give you 5 cups.

The basic portion sizes that we want to aim for are this: 4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of grains and 2 cups of veggies per meal. I use containers that hold 3 cups of food. My containers always contain around 2 cups of veggies, 1/2 cup of protein and 1/2 cup of grains — and that's enough for ME, a 5'3” woman.

Eating two chicken breasts can be a part of a healthy diet, but whether it's healthy for you depends on various factors, including your overall dietary choices, portion sizes, and individual nutritional needs.

Typically I'd use 4 oz of boneless breast meat per person. 5 to 6 if using boneless thighs. Or you can stretch it out by doing something like chicken pinakbet. There you can use a lot of vegetables to bulk it up, then you can use 2 to 3 oz per person.

To build muscle, you need at least 80 grams of protein each day if you are a woman and 100 if you are a man. That means you need to have about 500 grams of chicken breast or 500 to 600 grams of fish if those are your only protein sources.

First, take a look at your week and see how many meals you want to prepare ahead of time. For example, if you want to pack lunch to take to work Monday through Friday then you'll need 5 servings of chicken. Next, decide how much chicken you are going to take per day. A typical serving is 4oz raw.