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Meal prep Thai chicken bowls are the ultimate answer to flavorful, no-fuss lunches. Juicy chicken is marinated in a mouthwatering mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and fresh lime, then paired with a crisp, tangy cucumber salad for the perfect balance of savory and refreshing. Make a batch ahead of time, and you’ve got a healthy, satisfying meal ready whenever hunger strikes. Serve it over rice, noodles, or your favorite base—this is one meal prep you’ll actually look forward to eating.
This mouthwatering meal prep Thai chicken is really simple to make and offers delicious flavors like savory soy, fragrant sesame, ginger and garlic, and zesty lime.
More meal prep ideas are Cajun chicken and sweet potatoes, firecracker beef, Caprese chicken, Greek salad, or buffalo chicken bowls.
Why You’ll Love It
Delicious flavors: The combination of tender chicken and contrasting sweet, savory and spicy flavors is so good in these simple Thai chicken lunch bowls.
Easy to make: You’ll simply marinate the chicken and grill it, then toss the salad ingredients together and divide everything between meal prep containers.
So convenient: Meal prepping is really convenient, as you can just grab a Thai chicken bowl whenever you’re hungry.
Gluten-free and dairy-free: This meal prep recipe is free from both gluten and dairy.
Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Balsamic vinegar: Adds rich sweetness to the marinade and the cucumber salad dressing.
Red pepper flakes: For a touch of spice. You can adjust the amount used.
Garlic and ginger: Adds depth to the marinade flavor profile.
Lime: You’ll use lime zest in the marinade and both lime zest and lime juice in the cucumber salad mixture.
Cucumbers: Choose cucumbers that are dark green all over without yellow areas or mushy patches.
Onions: Both red onion and green onion feature in the recipe.
How to Make Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Marinate the chicken: Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and lime zest in a bowl. Add chicken and marinate for at least an hour.
Make the cucumber salad: Combine the cucumber salad ingredients.
Cook the chicken: Cook the chicken in olive oil in a grill pan until it’s golden brown all over and 165ºF in the center. Let it cool and then slice.
Assemble the meal prep bowls: Divide the chicken between meal prep containers and then add the cucumber salad on top. Put the lids on and refrigerate until serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Add more spice: Add Sriracha or extra red pepper flakes for more heat.
Add peanuts: Drizzle the chicken with Thai peanut sauce or sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Low carb option: Serve with cauliflower rice instead of white rice for a low-carb option.
Add crunch: Add toasted sesame seeds on top of the chicken.
Add veggies: Some cooked, sliced bell peppers would be good with this dish. Fresh vegetables on the side or cooked with the chicken help make this a balanced healthy meal.
Garlic and ginger: Substitute minced garlic for the garlic powder and/or minced fresh ginger for the ginger powder. For this recipe, use a teaspoon of each if using fresh or bottled.
Vegetarian/vegan: Use firm tofu instead of chicken for a vegetarian/vegan option.
Make it sweeter: Add white or brown sugar to the cucumber salad.
Balsamic vinegar: For a more acidic and less sweet flavor, use rice vinegar.
Serving Suggestions
With rice: Cooked jasmine rice, basmati rice or brown rice makes a tasty side, or you could make hibachi fried rice.
With soup: Serve with miso mushroom ramen soup, wonton noodle soup or sweet and sour soup.
With veggies: Enjoy garlic green beans or steamed vegetables.
More side dish options: Crab cake egg rolls or pork potstickers would be good.
How to Store Meal Prep Thai Chicken
Store: Store the meal prep containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can keep the chicken and cucumber salad in separate containers or together.
Freeze: This meal prep salad isn’t suitable for freezing.
Reheat: Microwave the chicken only until heated through, and then serve with the cucumber salad on the side.
Top Tips
Marinating time: Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight if possible for a deeper flavor.
Check for doneness: It helps to use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked to 165ºF.
Cool the chicken: Allow the chicken to cool slightly before adding to the meal prep containers. If you put it in there still hot, the steam will make the salad soggy.
Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls FAQs
I used these meal prep containers, although these containers without dividers would also work.
Sure! The easiest way to whip up your own satay sauce (peanut sauce) is to shake equal parts creamy peanut butter, soy sauce and honey together in a sealed jar. You probably already have these peanut sauce ingredients on hand.
Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls Recipe
Meal Prep Thai Chicken
Equipment
- Microplane or Grater
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1 Pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- ¼ Cup soy sauce
- 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ Teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest from ½ lime
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, for grilling
For the Asian Cucumber Salad:
- 2 English cucumbers, diced or thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ Cup green onions, chopped
- zest from ½ lime
- juice from 1 lime
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
To Serve:
- white rice, cooked
Instructions
- Add the chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, ginger powder, red pepper flakes, and lime zest to a large bowl. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
- In another large bowl, combine the cucumbers, red onions, green onions, lime zest, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to combine and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large grill pan over a medium-high heat or heat the grill to somewhere between 450º and 500ºF.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to hot pan.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
- Remove from the pan and rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
- In 4 meal prep containers, evenly distribute the chicken and the cucumber salad.
- Seal the containers with their lids, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, add the chicken to a plate and microwave until heated through.
- Serve with the cold cucumber salad and some hot cooked rice on the side.
Notes
Check for doneness: It helps to use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked to 165ºF.
Cool the chicken: Allow the chicken to cool slightly before adding to the meal prep containers. If you put it in there still hot, the steam will make the salad soggy.
When it comes to meal prep Thai chicken lunch bowls are one of the tastiest options. Juicy, marinated chicken breasts pair with a fresh and crisp Asian cucumber salad. There’s plenty of lip-puckering tang from the lime juice along with savory soy and sesame flavors, just a little heat from red pepper flakes. Served over white rice, this makes a satisfying lunch or evening meal.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Just made a batch of these Thai chicken bowls for lunch this week and I’m actually excited to open the fridge. The chicken is packed with flavor from the lime, soy, and garlic marinade, and that cucumber salad? So refreshing.
Just prepped these Thai chicken bowls for the week and let me tell you—they are packed with flavor! The chicken has this amazing soy-garlic-lime thing going on, and the cucumber salad on the side is so fresh and tangy. And they make lunch something I actually look forward to.