Preparing a meal in advance makes weeknights and school nights so much easier. This meal prep recipe is a family favorite. I love knowing that if we have a late game or a long day and I don’t have time to make dinner from scratch my gang can still have a nutritious home-cooked meal in minutes.
This cilantro lime chicken can be made on the grill, on a grill pan on your cooktop or even seared in a sauté pan on your stove top. The marinade is light and flavorful. The sweet potatoes can be made simply with olive oil and sea salt or if your gang likes the sweet potatoes on the sweeter side you can add honey and cinnamon. The broccoli can be sautéed as-is or you can add a little crushed red pepper for a touch of heat. The versatility of this dish makes it something you can make again and again without it getting old.
I opted to use Heinen‘s Gerber boneless chicken breasts which are produced with no hormones or antibiotics. The high quality of this chicken produces a tender moist chicken breast that doesn’t dry out even when it’s reheated. And you can feel good about what you’re not putting into your family.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Meal Prep
INGREDIENTS
For the Cilantro Lime Chicken:
- 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 limes, juiced (approx. 4 tbsp. juice)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
- 6 medium sweet potatoes, diced into cubes
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
- 3 tbsp raw honey (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
For the Sautéed Broccoli:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
METHOD
- In a large mixing bowl, add the boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lime juice, ground cumin, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and fresh cilantro. Toss this all together to coat evenly. Then, top with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to marinate. (You could also place everything in a large sealable bag if you’d prefer.)
- While the chicken is marinating, start on the sweet potatoes by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F and lining a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced sweet potatoes, coconut oil, raw honey, sea salt, and ground cinnamon and toss to coat evenly.
Spread the sweet potatoes out evenly over the prepared baking sheet and, when the oven is preheated, place into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. - To make our easy sautéed broccoli, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Once hot, add raw broccoli florets, followed by sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
Cover the pan and cook 6-8 minutes, tossing regularly until the broccoli is almost tender and is bright green. (You can add a little low sodium chicken broth or water to help it along if you’d like.) - To cook the chicken, brush the grates of your grill or grill pan with olive oil. Remove chicken from marinade. Allow excess to drip off. Place chicken on grill. on high to sear for one minute per side. Turn the heat to medium indirect heat (MOM for webber fans) continue to cook aproximately 4 minutes per side, until fully cooked.
Remove from the heat let rest for 5 minutes then dice into cubes. - To assemble, I recommend using meal prep containers. Start by adding the diced chicken, followed by the sautéed broccoli, and then the sweet potatoes. Top everything off with a wedge of lime and you’re good to go.
About the Author
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. Her Blog, Table and Dish is a website devoted to celebrating and curating the many ways that food binds us. Sally hopes that her recipes and images will inspire you to gather your friends and family in the kitchen to make memories, use the time to connect with busy kids, chat over mixing bowls, get messy, laugh, sing, set the table, clear the table, pass the salt, debate the days topics and pray. You can follow her here as a weekly contributor to 365Barrington and Heinen’s as well as via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
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Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
