10. Spicy Chicken Meal Prep with Rice and Beans
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Meal Prep:
- 1 cup long grain white rice (quinoa also works – see notes)
- 1 cup water
- 14 ounces of fresh salsa (undrained canned tomatoes also work)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- about 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 4-6 smallish pieces
- lots of spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, andcayenne (taco seasoning also works)
For Adding In Later:
- 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- a handful of chopped fresh cilantro
- sunshine sauce
For Sunshine Sauce:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 clove garlic
- black pepper to taste
- fresh herbs optional (see notes)
- fresh lemon (see notes)
Instructions:
- Make The Sunshine Sauce: Blitz everything up in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Cook: Place the rice, water, tomatoes, salt, and oil in the pot. Stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle generously with your favorite spices and some salt. Turn the instant pot on high pressure for 7-8 minutes. When done, use the quick release valve for the steam.
- Mix: Remove the chicken. Mix the black beans (and maybe a little sunshine sauce) in with the rice.
- Meal Prep Yourself: Divide the rice and beans amongst 4-6meal prep containers. Top each with a piece of chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with a spoonful of sauce.
Notes
For Sunshine Sauce:
- If you do have fresh lemon, add it! It’s delicious. And definitely add fresh herbs if you have them! I like to throw a handful of parsley or basil in for Italian recipes, and cilantro for Mexican recipes.
- Storing and Re-Using: This keeps in a jar in the fridge for about one week. If it separates, just shake it up again. If the oil turns solid in the fridge, just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes OR run the jar under warm water and shake again. If it’s too thick or gloppy, add a little more water.
For Spicy Chicken Meal Prep:
- What if I don’t have an Instant Pot? On a stovetop, just cook the rice according to package directions, then add the tomatoes and beans. Sprinkle the chicken with spices and sauté in a separate frying pan until cooked through. I tried this in a crockpot but it didn’t work super well. The rice got really mushy and about half of it was still uncooked. So I wouldn’t advise using the crockpot!
- Vegan version and other substitutions: Quinoa works! Tofu works! I did a quinoa-tofu version of this using 1 cup quinoa instead of rice, and 1 package tofu instead of chicken. Cooked in Instant Pot for 5 minutes – it was great! If you use quinoa and chicken together, I recommend cutting your chicken a little smaller so that it fully cooks in 5 minutes,.
- What to serve it with: My two sides were sliced bell pepper and a yummy dessert-like trail mix.
- How to reheat it: When we make these, we take out the peppers and the trail mix to munch on while it heats in the microwave.
- What about avocado? Yes. Very good idea to have an avocado handy for when you’re planning to eat this. I would’t prep it with avocado though – it will brown too quickly.
- How long does it last? This chicken, rice, and beans meal prep will last for about 4 days in the fridge. I have not tried freezing this.
Originally posted 2019-01-15 03:02:29.
