High Protein Chicken & Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls (4 Lunches Done in 45 Minutes)

Ingredients

• 600g boneless chicken breast (about 150g per serving)
• 1 cup dry quinoa (yields roughly 3 cups cooked)
• 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon water (to thin the tahini drizzle)
• Fresh parsley, roughly chopped, for topping

Instructions

1. 1

   Get your quinoa going first

   Rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa under cold water for about 30 seconds—this removes the bitter coating (called saponin) that a lot of people skip and then wonder why their quinoa tastes off. Add it to a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then drop to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it sit covered for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Done.

2. 2

   Season and cook the chicken

   While the quinoa cooks, pat your chicken breasts dry with paper towel—this helps them get a proper sear instead of just steaming. Mix garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and rub it all over the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6-7 minutes per side until the internal temperature hits 74°C (165°F). Set aside on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Resting matters—it keeps the juices in.

3. 3

   Roast the vegetables

   Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and drained chickpeas on a large baking sheet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer—crowding the pan leads to steaming, not roasting, and nobody wants soggy broccoli. Roast for 20-22 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges start to crisp and the chickpeas get a little golden.

   

4. 4

   Make the tahini drizzle

   This is what ties the whole bowl together. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth and pourable. If it seizes up and gets thick (tahini does this), just add a tiny bit more water and keep whisking. Season with a pinch of salt. That's genuinely it—two minutes, no blender needed.

5. 5

   Build your four prep bowls

   Divide the cooked quinoa evenly between four airtight containers (roughly 3/4 cup per bowl). Add a portion of the roasted vegetables and chickpeas alongside it. Slice the rested chicken and lay it over the top—about 3-4 slices per bowl. Scatter fresh parsley over everything. Store the tahini drizzle separately in a small jar or divided into four small containers; add it right before you eat so nothing gets soggy by Wednesday.

Substitution Ideas

Storage Tips

These bowls keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight containers—Sunday prep gets you through Thursday with no effort. Keep the tahini drizzle in a separate small jar and add it fresh each day. I don't recommend freezing the assembled bowls because the vegetables go watery and the quinoa gets a strange texture after thawing. That said, you can absolutely batch-cook and freeze the plain chicken and quinoa separately, then add fresh-roasted vegetables when you're ready to eat. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, give it a stir at the halfway point, and add your drizzle cold straight from the fridge.