Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Rice Meal-Prep Bowls

Name: Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Rice Meal-Prep Bowls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch pieces; 4 cups Broccoli florets; 1⅓ cups Long-grain white rice, dry; 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 Lemon, zested and juiced; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1 tsp Kosher salt; ½ tsp Ground black pepper; 2 tbsp Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving

Sheet-pan chicken breast and broccoli with lemon, garlic and oregano, served over white rice. Four lunch-sized portions from one tray and one pot.

Not yet kitchen-testedBalanced

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
Makes: 4 servings

Illustrative AI-generated image; not a photo of this recipe as tested.

Ingredients

Servings

1½ lbBoneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch pieces
4 cupsBroccoli florets
1⅓ cupsLong-grain white rice, dry
2 tbspFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)

Lemon-garlic marinade

3 tbspExtra-virgin olive oil
1Lemon, zested and juiced
3 clovesGarlic, minced
1 tspDried oregano
1 tspKosher salt
½ tspGround black pepper

Equipment

Oven
Sheet pan
Saucepan
Mixing bowl
Cutting board
Meat thermometer
Storage containers

Method

1
Heat the oven to 425 °F and line a large sheet pan with parchment.
2
Cook the rice according to the package directions, then spread it on a plate or tray so it cools quickly.
3
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, half the lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and broccoli and toss to coat.
4
Spread the chicken and broccoli in a single layer on the sheet pan, leaving space between pieces so they roast rather than steam.
5
Roast until the chicken reaches 165 °F in the thickest piece on an instant-read thermometer, about 18–25 minutes depending on size. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice.
6
Divide the rice, chicken and broccoli among four containers. Let cool briefly, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Add parsley when serving.

Storage

Refrigerator

3–4 days

at 40 °F (4 °C) or below

Freezer

2–6 months

for best quality, at 0 °F (−18 °C)

Guidance for: Cooked meat or poultry leftovers. These times assume:

Food is refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
Refrigerator holds 40 °F (4 °C) or below; freezer holds 0 °F (−18 °C) or below.
Food is stored in shallow, covered containers.
Leftovers are reheated to 165 °F (74 °C), checked with a food thermometer.
Freezer times are for best quality. Food kept frozen continuously at 0 °F stays safe indefinitely.

Shallow containers help the rice and chicken cool faster in the refrigerator.
Rice dries out when frozen and reheated; a splash of water before reheating helps.

Sources: FoodSafety.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), “Cold Food Storage Chart”; USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Leftovers and Food Safety”.

Allergens

None of the major US food allergens are present in the listed ingredients.

Derived automatically from our ingredient records and not yet verified by an editor. Always check product labels.

Nutrition

Not yet calculated. We publish nutrition only after every ingredient is matched to USDA FoodData Central data. Our methodology.

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