Chicken Meal Prep Trays

Name: Chicken Meal Prep Trays
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 lb Boneless chicken breasts; 3 lb Sweet potatoes, cubed; 2 lb Broccoli florets; 0.3 cup Olive oil; 2 tbsp Garlic powder; 1 tbsp Smoked paprika; 6 cups Long-grain rice, cooked

Portioned trays, reheat-ready

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 100 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Portioned trays, reheat-ready. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

Why crews like it: A hall pick for regular dinner nights — one line, real portions, no drama at the stove.

1138Cal

86gProtein

154gCarbs

18gFat

Ingredients

4 lb Boneless chicken breasts
3 lb Sweet potatoes, cubed
2 lb Broccoli florets
0.3 cup Olive oil
2 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
6 cups Long-grain rice, cooked

Instructions

Prep and season: Cube chicken breasts and sweet potatoes into even 1-inch pieces. Toss chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli separately with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
Roast in stages: Spread sweet potatoes on one sheet pan and roast at 425°F for 10 minutes before adding chicken and broccoli to a second pan — sweet potatoes need a head start to cook through.
Finish roasting: Roast both pans another 18–20 minutes, swapping racks halfway, until chicken reads 165°F and vegetables are tender with browned edges.
Portion into containers: Divide cooked rice, roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli evenly across meal prep containers — about 1 cup rice and 6 oz chicken per container.
Cool and label: Let containers cool uncovered 15–20 minutes before sealing lids, then refrigerate. Label with the date; reheat covered to 165°F before eating.

Tonight's spread

Plate Chicken Meal Prep Trays with sides in separate pans so the crew can mix portions.
Line up Chicken Meal Prep Trays on the main counter with serving spoons — firefighters grab fast between calls.
Keep a backup tray warm in the oven at 200°F for late arrivals after a run.

Hall tips

Cool portions in shallow trays before the fridge — deep containers stay in the danger zone too long.
Keep a backup tray warm in the oven for late calls — nothing worse than cold plates after a run.
Taste for salt at the end — hall palates run salty after long shifts.
Pull chicken at 160°F and let carryover hit 165°F — dry breast ruins crew morale.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs ↔ breasts (thighs forgive overcooking on the flat-top).

Meal prep

Cook boneless chicken thighs and sauce ahead; assemble day-of in under 20 minutes. Label and date everything in the fridge.

Leftovers

Cool leftovers in shallow containers within two hours — deep pots stay hot too long.
Label trays with date and reheat to 165°F minimum before second shift.
Portion into individual containers on night one — locker-friendly for shift two.

Half-sheet pans
Parchment paper
Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil