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Indian Inspired Spiced Chicken Meal Prep in a glass meal prep bowl.

Indian-Inspired Spiced Chicken Meal Prep

Yield: 4 servings 1x
Prep: 25 minutesCook: 45 minutesTotal: 1 hour 5 minutes

Enjoy homemade lunches again with this Indian-Inspired Spiced Chicken Meal Prep! This make-ahead meal is packed with the most flavorful spiced chicken, a cool cucumber raita, and simple roasted vegetables; delicious hot or cold!

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Ingredients

For the spiced chicken:

  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • juice of 1 medium lemon
  • 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs or 2 large boneless chicken breasts

For the grain bowls:

  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa + cooking liquid
  • 3 large red, yellow and orange bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, approx. 1 heaping cup chopped
  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • lemon wedges, for serving

For the cucumber raita:

  • 1/2 English cucumber
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, ground spices and salt. If you are using chicken breasts, butterfly them down the middle into two thinner filets before adding the chicken to the marinade and stirring until they’re well coated. Set aside, or cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. Cook the quinoa: Cook the quinoa as per box directions in either water or low sodium chicken broth.
  3. Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 390F and toss the chopped peppers, zucchini and the red onion together with the oil, cumin seeds, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing with a spatula halfway to make sure the vegetables cook evenly. 
  4. Make the cucumber raita: On the largest hole of a box grater, grate the cucumber – don’t worry about peeling it. Combine with a generous pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, chopped mint leaves, sugar, and ground cumin. Over the sink, squeeze any excess water out of the cucumber and stir it into the yogurt mixture. Season to taste with lemon juice, and more salt and sugar if needed.
  5. Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over a medium high heat. Prepare with cooking spray or a splash of olive oil. Shake as much of the yogurt marinade as possible off of the chicken pieces before cooking for a few minutes on each side until golden, slightly charred, and cooked through. Roughly slice the pieces into strips for serving.
  6. Meal prep it: Divide the cooked quinoa, roasted veggies, yogurt sauce and the chicken between 4 meal prep containers. Add a lemon wedge to each. If you plan on microwaving these to serve warm, store the yogurt sauce and lemon wedges separately. Put the lids on and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, loosely cover the meal with the lid and microwave on High in 1 minute blasts until heated through. 

Notes

  1. Quinoa: The quinoa to liquid ratio for stovetop cooking is 1 part dry quinoa to 2 parts liquid. If you don’t have your package, follow these instructions for perfect stovetop quinoa. Brown rice can be substituted for the quinoa, if preferred.
  2. Veggies: 1 medium eggplant would be delicious in place of the zucchini, or just added onto the pan of veggies to pack in an extra portion. 
  3. Yogurt: If you have plain yogurt at home instead of Greek, that can be easily substituted. 
  4. Dairy-free: For a dairy-free version, stir olive oil into the spice mixture for the chicken marinade until you have a thick paste with which to coat the chicken.
  5. Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 392
  • Fat: 10g
  • Carbohydrates: 34g
  • Protein: 43g
© Author: Danielle
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired Method: Stovetop & Baked