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chipotle lime chicken meal prep in a glass rectangle container with mango salsa and dressing.

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Chipotle Lime Chicken Meal Prep

Recipe by Danielle

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!

  • Total Time45 minutes + 1 hour marinating
  • Yield4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the chipotle chicken:

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half (~1.5 pounds, or chicken thighs – see note)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced

For the lime rice: 

  • 1 cup dry white rice
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • juice and zest of 1/2 lime

For the mango salsa:

  • 8 ounces 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 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles
  • kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken: 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.
  2. Cook the rice: 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 broth (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 zest (from 1/2 lime) as you fluff it up with a fork.
  3. Make the salsa: Make the mango salsa by tossing the mango (~8 ounces), red onion (1/2 small, finely diced), lime juice (from 1/2 lime), and cilantro (large handful, chopped) together in a small bowl. Season to taste with a sprinkle of salt to balance the flavors and then set aside. 
  4. 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). It’s quite tangy: if you’d like it to be a little sweeter, add a little more maple syrup. If you’d 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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. 

Equipment

(affiliate link!)

Notes

Limes: You will need 3 limes total for this recipe! 

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 you’d prefer, and might even be the better option if you’re 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.

  • Prep Time: 20 mintues
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Lunches
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 meal prep bowl
  • Calories: 631
  • Fat: 16g
  • Carbohydrates: 60g
  • Protein: 59g

Find it online: https://staging.projectmealplan.com/chipotle-lime-chicken-meal-prep/