What are your favorite prepped foods to have on hand each week?
Although I haven’t talked about it on the blog in awhile, meal prep is what keeps me fed. Nearly every Sunday without fail, I do some form of meal prep so I can have grab-and-go foods on hand or components to put together easy lunches and dinners. It’s a real timesaver, especially on nights when I don’t have a ton of time (or energy) to cook a full meal. One of my favorite staples to have on hand is grilled chicken to throw on top of salads for lunch, or to serve aside roasted veggies for dinner.
This recipe was inspired by the happiest place on earth: Trader Joe’s. In their refrigerated section, they have awesome grilled balsamic rosemary chicken that I like to pick up on occasion to eat throughout the week. It’s delicious. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty darn expensive considering the amount of chicken you get. Since I’m not made of money, I knew I needed to make my own version.
I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts because I love their flavor, and they’re a little easier on the wallet. Then I mixed up a simple marinade, put it all in a big ziploc bag and let it all do it’s thang in the fridge. After throwing it on the grill pan I had juicy, flavorful chicken to eat all week long. Boom. Meal prep is that easy friends!
You’re going to love this recipe because it’s simple to make, comes together quickly and can be enjoyed with a variety of sides.
- 1.5 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs (or breasts)
- ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Avocado or Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
- 2 Sprigs of Rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- ¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Basil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Whisk together the balsamic, oil, coconut sugar, rosemary, garlic and seasoning in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken in a gallon-sized plastic bag, or in a large container with a lid. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure all chicken is well coated. Close the bag or place the lid on the container. Put in the refrigerator to marinade for at least one hour, up to overnight.
- When the chicken is done marinating, preheat a grill pan or skillet to medium heat and prepare with cooking spray. Cook the chicken ~8 minutes per side or until cooked through completely.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Your Turn:
- Do you prep food to eat for the week?
- What are some of your favorite prepared foods to have on hand?
I love that this can be prepped 5 days ahead of time! This looks like an amazing recipe. I can’t wait to try it. <3
Thanks Kate! I’m all about easy cooking in advance 😀
YUM! Pinned for dinner!
Woo hoo! Hope you love it 🙂
We make balsamic chicken and balsamic pork chops often, but I’ve never used Avocado oil in the marinade and I bet that would give it an interesting flavor as well. These look delicious!
I definitely recommend avocado oil! It has a very mild flavor, and it holds up really well in high temperatures.
I love chicken and balsamic, and I bet that touch of rosemary is wonderful!
It definitely takes it over the top!
I’m just so stocked that the weather is still good most days to turn up the grill! Grilled chicken always wins!
Yes it does! Chicken + grill = happy Les
Ummm I want that turquoise plate. ….and I guess I wouldn’t mind the chicken either 😀 Sounds so good!
That plate is my FAVE. It’s so pretty! I got it at World Market 🙂
that looks delicious. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs to use with chicken.
Mine too! It’s such a good combination.
This sounds so good, and I love the idea of having it on hand for meals throughout the week. I am a huge fan of meal prep as well, but I never think to pre-prepare chicken. Will be giving this one a go!
Hope you love it! Having cooked protein on hand like chicken makes eating for the week a breeze
My mouth is straight up watering reading the ingredients in this marinade. Thighs are so tender and yummy, too!
Awww thanks Jess! Let me know if you give it a try <3