Look forward to lunch when you pack this Chipotle Lime Chicken Meal Prep with mango salsa! With incredible juicy marinated chicken, lime rice, and a tangy lime dressing, you’ll love this bold, sweet and fresh make-ahead meal!
Units:
Scale:
Ingredients
For the chipotle chicken:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half (~1.5 pounds, or chicken thighs – see note)
1 tablespoonolive oil
2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoonmaple syrup
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoonkosher salt
juice of 1/2lime
2 large garlic cloves, minced
For the lime rice:ย
1cup dry white rice
1 1/2cups low sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 teaspoonkosher salt
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
For the mango salsa:
8ounces diced mango (from 2 mangos)
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lime
large handful of cilantro, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
For the chipotle lime dressing:
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 1/2 tablespoonsolive oil
1 1/2 tablespoonsmaple syrup
1/2 tablespoonadobo sauce from a can of chipotles
kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
Marinate the chicken:ย Prepare your chicken (~1.5 pounds) by slicing breasts in half and briefly pounding to ensure an even thickness. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil (1 tablespoon), chipotles in adobo sauce (2 tablespoons, chopped), maple syrup (1 tablespoon), paprika (1/2 teaspoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon), lime juice (from 1/2 lime), and garlic (2 large cloves, minced). Use tongs to toss the chicken until it’s well coated, then set aside to marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Cook the rice:ย In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the rice (1 cup) under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan with a well fitting lid. Stir in the chicken brothย (1 1/2 cups) or water and salt (1/4 teaspoon), and set over a high heat. Once the water is boiling, allow it to cook until the level reaches the level of the rice. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Cook for a further 8 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat without removing the lid. After 5 minutes, stir in the lime juice and zestย (from 1/2 lime)ย as you fluff it up with a fork.
Make the salsa:ย Make the mango salsa by tossing the mango (~8 ounces), red onion (1/2 small, finely diced), lime juice (from 1/2 lime), and cilantroย (large handful, chopped) together in a small bowl. Season to taste with a sprinkle of salt to balance the flavors and then set aside.ย
Make the dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients including the lime juice (from 1 1/2 limes), olive oil (1 1/2 tablespoons), maple syrup (1 1/2 tablespoons), adobo sauce (1/2 tablespoon), and salt (~1/4 teaspoon). Itโs quite tangy: if youโd like it to be a little sweeter, add a little more maple syrup. If youโd like it richer, add a little but more oil. Spicier? Add a little more of the adobo sauce! Season with kosher salt to make it taste a little more savory. Set aside for now.
Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Prepare with cooking spray or a splash of olive oil. Shake as much marinade off as possible, then cook the chicken for a few minutes on each side until caramelized and completely cooked through. Be careful not to burn the sugar in the marinade – if this is happening, turn down the heat a bit. Remove from the heat, rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice.
Meal prep it: Divide the rice and cooked chicken between 4 meal prep containers. If you plan to eat these cold, spoon the mango salsa over the rice, and divide the dressing into 4 separate sauce containers. If reheating, keep the mango salsa seperate or easily removable. To reheat, remove your mango salsa and dressing if stored together, then loosely cover with the lid and heat on High in the microwave for 90 seconds, followed by 30 second blasts until the meal is heated through and steaming. Add the mango salsa back on top of the rice and add dressing as needed.ย
Limes: You will need 3 limes total for this recipe!ย
Chicken: Be sure to use thin sliced chicken breast (slice two large chicken breasts in half horizontally), or chicken thighs. If the chicken is too thick, it will take too long to cook and the marinade may burn while you wait for the chicken to cook through.
Rice swap: My Cilantro Lime Quinoa can be substituted for the rice if youโd prefer, and might even be the better option if youโre planning on eating these cold. You can also use brown rice instead, just follow the packet instructions for altered cooking times.
Salsa swap: If you don’t like mango, this can easily be substituted with the same amount of diced pineapple. Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal and will vary depending on your chosen brands and amount of chicken.