Ranch Chicken Meal Prep

This simple chicken meal prep features garlic herb chicken, roasted potatoes and broccoli, and a little ranch dressing to drizzle over top!

The post Ranch Chicken Meal Prep appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Meal prepping is supposed to make life easier, so when I meal prep I make sure to keep it SIMPLE. I use the same simple formula (protein + 2 vegetables + sauce) and change up the seasonings and sauces each time to make it new. Today’s Ranch Chicken Meal Prep is the perfect example of this formula in action. It has simple pan-fried chicken breast, roasted potatoes and broccoli, and a little ranch dressing on top. Simple to prepare and delicious to eat! 🙌

Overhead view of a ranch chicken meal prep container with ranch dressing being drizzled over top.

What’s in This Meal Prep

This meal prep starts with humble chicken breasts seasoned with garlic herb seasoning (you can use homemade or store-bought), with Parmesan roasted potatoes and roasted frozen broccoli on the side, plus a little ranch dressing to drizzle over top of everything. It’s simple, satisfying, and super flexible, so you can make it meet your needs.

Substitutions and Add-ins

As I mentioned above, this meal prep is super flexible. Maybe you want to add a little more to make it extra fancy, or maybe you want to swap out one of the ingredients for something you like better. Here are some ideas for substitutions and add-ins if you want to take this recipe and run with it!

  • Add shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits for a little more flavor.
  • Double up on the chicken or add a scoop of cottage cheese for extra protein.
  • Swap out the roasted potatoes for rice or couscous cooked in chicken broth.
  • Turn it into a salad: use fresh broccoli and swap the roasted potatoes for a bed of greens. Add any other fresh vegetables of your choosing.
  • Use boneless chicken thighs in place of the breasts for extra tender meat.
  • Add a dollop of hummus and a couple of sliced grape tomatoes.
  • Swap the roasted broccoli for creamed spinach or creamed kale.

How to Store and Reheat Ranch Chicken Meal Preps

For the best flavor and texture, consume your ranch chicken meal preps within four days of preparing and make sure to store the ranch dressing separately. Keep the meal preps refrigerated until ready to eat, then reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high, or until heated through. Pour the ranch dressing over top, then enjoy.

What Containers do You Use?

For this meal prep, I used my favorite 3-cup rectangular Pyrex containers and small metal dipping cups for the ranch dressing. The dipping cups are taller than the depth of the glass container, so I do carry them separately. The cups are shown in the containers in the photos here just to make them all fit in the frame!

Four meal prep containers full of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli.
Three glass meal prep containers lined up in a row full of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli.
Print

Ranch Chicken Meal Prep

This simple chicken meal prep features garlic herb chicken, roasted potatoes and broccoli, and a little ranch dressing to drizzle over top!
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost $11.58 recipe / $2.90 serving
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 486kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. russet potatoes $1.42
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan $0.48
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05
  • 1/4 tsp paprika $0.03
  • 3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided $0.12
  • 1/2 tsp salt, divided $0.05
  • 1/4 tsp pepper $0.05
  • 1 lb. broccoli florets* $3.49
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast $4.99
  • 1 Tbsp garlic herb seasoning $0.30

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Clean and dice the potatoes into ¾" pieces.
  • In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, and ¼ tsp salt. Place the diced potatoes in a bowl, drizzle with 1 Tbsp cooking oil and the seasoned Parmesan, then toss until evenly coated.
  • Spread the potatoes out over a parchment-lined baking sheet then transfer to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, stirring once halfway through.
  • Place the broccoli florets in a bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbsp cooking, and add a ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Toss until the broccoli is evenly coated.
  • Spread the broccoli out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until browned on the edges, stirring once halfway through.
  • While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the chicken. Fillet the chicken breast into two thinner pieces to help them cook faster and more evenly. Season both sides of the chicken with garlic herb seasoning.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until well browned and cooked through.
  • Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for five minutes. Sliced the chicken breast into strips.
  • Divide the roasted potatoes, broccoli, and sliced chicken between four meal prep containers. Fill four small dressing containers with 2 Tbsp ranch dressing each. Refrigerate the meal preps until ready to eat!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 meal prep | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 618mg | Fiber: 8g
Three glass meal prep containers lined up in a row full of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli.

How to Make Ranch Chicken Meal Prep – Step by Step Photos

Seasoning being sprinkled over diced potatoes in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Clean and dice 2 lbs. russet potatoes into ¾” pieces. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Drizzle 1 Tbsp cooking oil over the potatoes, then add the seasoned Parmesan, and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Potatoes on a sheet pan ready to be roasted.

Spread the seasoned potatoes out over a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Roasted potatoes on a sheet pan.

Roast the potatoes in the preheated 400ºF oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tender, stirring halfway through.

Frozen broccoli in a bowl with oil being drizzled over top.

Once the potatoes are in the oven, start preparing the broccoli. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli here. Place 1 lb. broccoli florets in a bowl (no need to thaw if using frozen). Drizzle 1 Tbsp cooking oil over top and add ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Roasted Broccoli on a sheet pan.

Roast the broccoli in the preheated 400ºF oven for about 20 minutes, or until brown and crispy on the edges, stirring once halfway through.

Seasoned chicken breast on an orange cutting board.

While the vegetables are in the oven, prepare the chicken breast. Fillet one pound of boneless-skinless chicken breast into two thinner pieces (this helps them cook quickly and evenly). Season the chicken on both sides with about 1 Tbsp garlic herb seasoning (store-bought or homemade).

Cooked chicken breast in a skillet.

Heat a skillet over medium. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the seasoned chicken breast and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.

Sliced chicken breast on a cutting board.

Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Chicken, potatoes, and broccoli divided into glass meal prep containers.

Divide the potatoes, broccoli, and sliced chicken between four containers. Fill four small dressing containers with about 2 Tbsp ranch dressing each. Refrigerate until ready to eat!

Ranch dressing being drizzled over the meal prep.

When ready to eat, reheat your meal prep in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high, or until heated through. Drizzle the ranch dressing over top and enjoy!

The post Ranch Chicken Meal Prep appeared first on Budget Bytes.