21 Ways to Use Chicken Thighs for Meal Prep Recipes

Chicken thighs are one of the most affordable ways to enjoy protein. So what is the best way to enjoy them? Pick up some boneless chicken thighs and discover easy recipes for meal prep chicken thighs.

Thanks to dark meat, any meal prep using boneless skinless chicken thighs stay moist for longer than breast meat.

Chicken thighs are the golden egg in the hunt for tasty meal prep quick meals.

To bolster your meal prep repertoire, here are twenty-one delicious meal prep recipes with juicy chicken thighs!

1. Lemon Chicken Thighs

Source: allnutritious.com

First, we have a sheet pan recipe that takes the ‘prep’ out of meal prep. This sheet pan recipe comes together in no time at all.

They’re fragrant and full of flavor. All you need is olive oil, raw chicken, lemon, and sweet potatoes for this easy meal prep!

Chicken thighs prepared this way are ultra-moist and delicious. Pair that with the cubed sweet potato and enjoy the earthy flavor that sings with chicken fragrance.

This is absolutely one of the best meal prep recipes for any time of the day.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 505

• Fats: 29g

• Protein: 25g

• Carbs: 39g

• Fiber: 6g

• Sugar: 7.7g

2. Meal Prep Chicken and Rice

Source: budgetdelicious.com

Chicken and rice is a classic meal prep recipe. This one has a delightful twist!

The jerk seasoning on these boneless skinless thighs is to die for, bringing oodles of flavor into every single mouthful of cooked chicken.

The key to good chicken and rice is flavoring the rice as well. These chicken meal prep bowls uses fragrant cilantro to do the trick!

Make sure to have some good glass meal prep containers on hand if you are meal prepping this for the entire week!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 454

• Fats: 19g

• Protein: 27g

• Carbs: 44g

• Fiber: 5g

• Sugar: 2g

3. Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Honey

Source: allnutritious.com

This recipe is another one of mine and a great option for dinner tonight!

A personal favorite, singing with garlic and honey flavor, this recipe is so simple but tastes like you spent hours on it. Best of all it uses many easy pantry staples.

This is a great recipe for low-carb lovers. With barely any carbs to speak of, this is a high-protein dish packed with fresh vegetable flavor and nutritious foods.

You will also love this easy greek sheet pan chicken dinner!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 478

• Fats: 33g

• Protein: 18g

• Carbs: 31g

• Fiber: 6.3g

• Sugar: 17g

4. Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

Source: mikhaeats.com

I love stir fry because of how easy it is to prepare. It’s an excellent weeknight meal the whole family can enjoy together. Have it as-is, or enjoy it with rice, noodles, or even vegetable noodles.

Another reason this recipe is great is that you can prepare the sauce in advance. Keep it ready in the fridge and dump it in the pan when ready to fry!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 209

• Fats: 6g

• Protein: 26g

• Carbs: 12g

• Fiber: 3g

• Sugar: 2g

5. Peanut Sauce Baked Chicken

Source: sabrinacurrie.com

Next up, we have a super simple peanut sauce-baked chicken recipe. This chicken can be used in so many different ways. Enjoy it in a wrap, a sandwich, or even on top of a salad.

Once you have this recipe in your back pocket, you’ll never look back! You can have it ready in just thirty minutes.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 451

• Fats: 5g

• Protein: 37g

• Carbs: 17g

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 13g

6. Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowl

Source: mikhaeats.com

If you’re searching for a crowd-pleasing recipe, you’ve found it! This Vietnamese vermicelli bowl is a build-it-yourself dream with an insanely good marinade.

What’s so great about this recipe is that you can cook the chicken any way you like. From air frying to oven baking, there are many ways to enjoy the marinade on this tender thigh meat.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 636

• Fats: 13g

• Protein: 32g

• Carbs: 98g

• Fiber: 6g

• Sugar: 9g

7. Buffalo Chicken Thighs

Source: maplewoodroad.com

On game day, there’s nothing better than the flavor of buffalo chicken. This tasty buffalo chicken thigh recipe is tender, crispy, and punchy. The flavors are out of this world!

Best of all, it’s easy to make a lot of it quickly. Feed your friends and family the best the next time you bring them around to watch the game.

Love the affordability of chicken thighs? Check out these cheap meal prep recipes that are tasty!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 656

• Fats: 49g

• Protein: 48g

• Carbs: 4g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 1g

8. Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken

Source: urbanblisslife.com

Enjoy intense Moroccan flavors in just thirty minutes! This Instant Pot meal ensures you don’t have to deal with a bunch of dishes once you’re done enjoying your dinner.

This one-pot wonder doesn’t just have chicken as the protein, either. Chickpeas and lentils add protein to the mix to satisfy everyone.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 425

• Fats: 25g

• Protein: 21g

• Carbs: 29g

• Fiber: 3g

• Sugar: 6g

9. Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Source: ifoodreal.com

Craving a classic roast dinner but don’t want to spend hours cooking? This sheet pan recipe offers an easy way to enjoy all those flavors without stretching yourself too thin.

This recipe will serve you well, whether it’s a weekday night or a Sunday roast. You can bring this to life with a simple array of spices in just under an hour.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 424

• Fats: 23g

• Protein: 22g

• Carbs: 33g

• Fiber: 5g

• Sugar: 3g

10. Coconut Lime Grilled Chicken Thighs

Source: ifoodreal.com

When it comes to fragrant recipes, there’s nothing better than the coconut and lime combination. These super simple chicken thighs sing with lemongrass and jalapeno.

The key to nailing these chicken thighs is to grill them to a perfect char. The smoky char helps balance the light marinade, creating a fantastic flavor with simple techniques.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 361

• Fats: 28g

• Protein: 25g

• Carbs: 2g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 1g

11. Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Sweet Potato Dinner

Source: recipesfromapantry.com

Name a better combination than roast chicken and sweet potato! With this recipe, you can enjoy that combination with barely any effort and no dishes.

That’s the power of a sheet pan recipe. Roasting these bone-in chicken thighs guarantees they’ll be moist and flavorful without chaining you to the stove for hours.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 467

• Fats: 29g

• Protein: 24g

• Carbs: 26g

• Fiber: 4g

• Sugar: 8g

12. Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken Thighs

Source: servedfromscratch.com

There’s nothing better than some sweet and spicy chicken! This recipe yields a sticky marinade with plenty of flavors in every bite. Chilli, garlic, honey, and soy sauce create heaven in a bottle.

I love this recipe because it’s so easy to make. The sauce comes together in mere minutes. You can marinate the chicken for as long as you want, then gently pan fry until the sauce thickens.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 360

• Fats: 12g

• Protein: 45g

• Carbs: 17g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 13g

13. Instant Pot Jerk Chicken

Source: whollytasteful.com

In the fight to save time and still enjoy delicious meals, the Instant Pot is your best friend! This jerk chicken Instant Pot recipe delivers oodles of flavor without taking up your time.

You can use this jerk chicken in many ways. You can prepare it in advance and use it as part of your meal-prepped lunches!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 157

• Fats: 9.8g

• Protein: 12.6g

• Carbs: 6.7g

• Fiber:

• Sugar: 1.2g

14. Creamy Green Chicken Chili

Source: whollytasteful.com

Speaking of Instant Pots, here’s another recipe to knock your socks off. This green chili chicken hits the spot on a cold winter night. It’s creamy, flavorful, and spicy enough to keep you warm.

You only need ten minutes to prepare this meal! That makes it the ideal weeknight meal to keep your family fed and happy.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 266

• Fats: 6.8g

• Protein: 20.1g

• Carbs: 32.6g

• Fiber: 7g

• Sugar: 8.9g

15. Crispy Stovetop Chicken Thighs

Source: itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com

Next on our list is a simple dish full of fantastic citrus flavor. The ingredients list on this one is nice and short, so it’s a super affordable recipe too!

Even better than the flavor is the crispy skin. Nothing beats the crunch of crispy chicken skin, am I right?

Per Serving:

• Calories: 281

• Fats: 22g

• Protein: 18g

• Carbs: 1g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 1g

16. Butter Chicken

Source: easyindiancookbook.com

Enjoy an authentic take on butter chicken thanks to this delicious recipe. While a full-on curry might sound like a big undertaking, this recipe relies mainly on spices and patience.

This recipe will be ready in just thirty minutes and waiting for you on the kitchen counter. What could be better than the smell of this wafting through your home?

Per Serving:

• Calories: 454

• Fats: 38g

• Protein: 22g

• Carbs: 7g

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 4g

17. Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Source: fantabulosity.com

Lemon and herb chicken is the perfect summertime meal. Reach for this recipe when the week is starting to feel hectic, and you need something tasty to eat.

Butter-roasted potatoes will go beautifully with this light and fragrant chicken. An Italian chopped salad wouldn’t go amiss either!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 81

• Fats: 6g

• Protein: 1g

• Carbs: 7g

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar:

18. Thai Green Chicken Thigh Curry

Source: wholenewmom.com

Enjoy all the flavors you love from Thai Green Curry on delicious grilled chicken instead. This delightful summertime meal allows you to enjoy Thai flavors without the hours of work a curry takes.

This is a beautiful meal prep recipe you can serve however you like. This chicken suits noodles, a salad, or a generous portion of coconut rice.

Per Serving:

• Calories: 570

• Fats: 45g

• Protein: 37g

• Carbs: 3g

• Fiber: 0g

• Sugar: 1g

19. Chicken Bulgur Pilaf

Source: thesaltandsweet.com

Sidestep a classic rice pilaf and use hardy bulgur wheat instead. This will add a ton of good fiber to your daily diet while tasting just as good as a classic rice pilaf.

This puts a healthier, tastier spin on the traditional chicken and rice meal prep combination. I call that a win!

Get more meal prep ideas with these other delicious chicken and rice meal prep recipes!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 310

• Fats: 16g

• Protein: 31g

• Carbs: 13g

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 1g

20. Honey Herb Baked Chicken Thighs

Source: amagicalmess.com

Baked chicken thighs are a fantastic way to meal prep. It’s super easy but guarantees tender chicken that’s packed with flavor. Adding your favorite vegetables to the tray only makes it better!

This baked chicken thigh recipe uses basic mixed herbs to add a ton of flavor without much effort!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 599

• Fats: 32g

• Protein: 36g

• Carbs: 44g

• Fiber: 5g

• Sugar: 7g

21. Greek Gyro Pita

Source: scrummylane.com

Finally, what’s better for a quick meal prep lunch than a pita? This Greek-style gyro is packed with flavor!

You only need thirty minutes to whip up a batch. Assemble your lunch on the day, or have the gyros ready for a quick and easy getaway in the morning.

Ready for more delicious meal prep inspiration? Check out these easy meal prep bowls!

Per Serving:

• Calories: 851

• Fats: 43g

• Protein: 32g

• Carbs: 87g

• Fiber: 9g

• Sugar: 6g