These Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls have chicken breast, broccoli and asparagus tossed in a sweet and savory honey sesame stir fry sauce. Perfect for healthy meal prep lunches!
For more stir fry sauce ideas, check out this post with SEVEN different stir fry sauces that you can make ahead and freeze!
Can I tell you a secret? I’m not an organized person.
I know you see all these meal prep breakfasts and make ahead lunch bowls and maybe some neatly stacked containers of chicken fajita lunch bowls and you think ‘wow, that Denise? She’s organized!’.
The truth? I’m so not organized. I mean, my bag is still not unpacked from travelling last week!
The recipes that you see on the blog are a product of my disorganization. This is me, trying to overcome my disorganization. And I hope you don’t mind: I’m bringing you along for the ride!
Can I tell you another secret? Today’s honey sesame chicken lunch bowls are actually just a stir fry, divided into four containers.
I’m pretty sure you figured that out already, but just so we’re on the same page (wink wink).
I’ve already posted lots of salad-type lunch bowls…such as these chicken fajita lunch bowls, and these Mediterranean farro chicken lunch bowls. I thought it was time to mix it up a bit.
Guess what? These honey sesame chicken lunch bowls can be ready in under 30 minutes.
Just think about this: 30 minutes effort to ensure that you’ll have a healthy, filling lunch waiting for you for FOUR days. Doesn’t that sound awesome? It is.
Note: on day four, your broccoli is not going to smell like roses, but it still tastes delicious! Swap it for carrots, bell peppers or zucchini.
How it all goes down: cook your rice. Shake together your sauce. Cook your veggies. Then cook your chicken. Toss chicken in sauce and cook until it thickens slightly.
Portion out into four containers (I’m obsessed with these ones
right now!)
Take a picture and post it on your social media. Let people assume that you have your life together. The end.
More meal prep work lunches for us!
- These Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls have a creamy dreamy peanut sauce!
- Get a ton of inspiration from this round-up of 19 Healthy Make Ahead Lunch Bowls
- Probably the EASIEST meal prep you’ll do: these Southwestern Sweet Potato & Lentil Jar Salads
Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls
Ingredients
Honey Sesame Sauce:
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce I use reduced sodium
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Chicken Lunch Bowls:
- 3/4 cup uncooked rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups broccoli chopped into small pieces
- 3 cups snap peas cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- salt & pepper
- red pepper flakes optional
- sesame seeds garnish
Instructions
- Shake together all honey sesame sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Divide between 4 storage containers.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add broccoli and snap peas. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until bright green and tender. Add to the rice in the storage containers.
- Add additional olive oil if necessary. Add the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Cook for 7 or so minutes, until cooked through.
- Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes, until thickened.
- Add the chicken to the lunch containers and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Products used in this recipe:
Rosie
February 26, 2019 at 7:46 pmLoved it!
Janis
January 17, 2019 at 4:04 amUmmm you can only safely keep cooked rice in the fridge for 3 days. Less if you don’t get it in the fridge quickly.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2009/01/27/2475255.htm
Denise
January 17, 2019 at 2:13 pmJanis it depends on which source you look at. This one, which pulls its data from the US FDA clearly states 4-6 days. Cool your rice as quickly as possible and reheat to steaming hot and you should be perfectly safe. But you do you and if you don’t feel comfortable with 4 day storage, then go ahead and move on to another recipe.
Dee
December 2, 2018 at 9:23 pmI doubled this recipe thinking it would make 8 meals. Didn’t realize how tiny the containers were that were used here. My 8 meals is basically 4. Hoping it takes just as good as it smells! Might be a bit hangry this week though!
Denise
December 3, 2018 at 10:35 pmThe portions I use are what are in line with what is recommended for daily caloric intake. 1/2 cup rice, 4 oz chicken and 1.5 cups veggies is a pretty good sized portion for most people. Sorry you found it small.
Tania
October 8, 2018 at 3:21 pmI know this is a strange question but how much did the “2 large chicken breast” weigh?
Denise
October 11, 2018 at 9:32 amRoughly 1 lb!
Gina Leslie
September 23, 2018 at 1:00 pmThis looks awesome. Going to give this ago. Thank you for posting!
Denise
September 25, 2018 at 8:14 pmI hope you enjoy!
Alexandra Nightingale
September 3, 2018 at 9:42 amDo you have instructions on how to reheat thie?
Denise
September 6, 2018 at 9:01 pmHi Alexandra! Just heat in the microwave until it’s steaming hot. Hope you enjoy!
Ashley Oliver
September 1, 2018 at 2:13 pmThis is my second recipe of yours that I’ve tried. I’m really enjoying these balanced, easy meals. This one is delicious as is. I added some toasted cashews on top for a crunch and subbed carrots for snap peas. Next time, I’d like to add a little onion and eggplant to the sauteed veggies.
Denise
September 6, 2018 at 9:07 pmYummy! I love your swap ideas!
Anu
August 21, 2018 at 3:12 pmDenise,
Thank you for sharing the honey-sesame Chicken recipe! Prepped it as is and was an excellent addition to my meal prep game plan! I paired it with brown rice and curried cauliflower… Delish!!
Denise
August 22, 2018 at 9:39 amI’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Anu!
Clara
August 14, 2018 at 4:59 pmHi! Are you able to freeze this and heat later?
Denise
August 22, 2018 at 9:54 amHi Clara! I have done this and it works great! They freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw completely before putting in the microwave 🙂
Renata Diniz
July 16, 2018 at 6:28 pmHi! My name is Renata and I am brazillian. I think it is difficult for me to prep because I do not have any idea how much of the ingredients I should buy as much as possible. For example, this recipes asks for 1 cup of brocolli. So, how much should I buy or unfreeze to prepare this recipe without leftover? It would be easier if everything was in grams or ounces / pounds (I dont know the measure system of USA).
I know that this probably isn’t the focus of this website, since I am a foreigner, but … could you recommend another site or maybe a way to solve my problem?
Sorry for my bad english and thank you! I really loved the site.
Renata Diniz
July 16, 2018 at 6:31 pm* sorry! the translator made a mess in my previous comment. Here’s the correct one:
Hi! My name is Renata and I am brazillian. I think it is difficult for me to meal prep because I don’t have idea of how much of ingredients I should buy to loose as minimal as possible. For example, this recipes asks for 1 cup of brocolli. So, how much should I buy or unfreeze to prepare this recipe without leftover? It would be easier if everything was in grams or ounces / pounds (I dont know the measure system of USA).
I know that this probably isn’t the focus of this website, since I am a foreigner, but … could you recommend another site or maybe a way to solve my problem?
Sorry for my bad english and thank you!
Denise
July 17, 2018 at 4:01 pmHi Renata! Unfortunately that is not a common way for us to measure here in Canada…I do try to weigh ingredients whenever I’m baking but for cooking I am really just estimating in cups, and I don’t know what it works out to in weights. You might have better luck with European-based blogs as they will weigh their ingredients out and don’t use cups to measure. I hope this helps!
Sinead
August 5, 2018 at 11:44 amHi Renata,
I live in Brazi too! . An American cup measurement is about one teacup. A medium/large head of broccoli from the market is about 4 cups. You do get used to the amounts and what they should look like over time! I’ve tried websites to convert but one cup is a different weight for every type of food so I’ve never managed to do it that way.
Nancy
September 9, 2018 at 10:57 am1 cup is about 250 mL. Hope that helps!
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 5:32 amIt’s me again. I am looking for the breakdown of carbs, sugar, fibre and protein for your recipe
Denise
May 11, 2018 at 10:03 pmHi Sue, that information is right on the recipe card…is it not displaying for you?
Denise
May 11, 2018 at 10:04 pmOh I understand your question now…if you click on the link in my response to your previous question you will see all that info. These are strictly estimates, as a reminder 🙂
Sue
May 5, 2018 at 7:03 amCan’t have rice and was wondering what nutritional value would be for just the chicken, sauce and vegetables
Denise
May 7, 2018 at 10:02 amHi Sue, that’s a great question. I just popped it into My Fitness Pal and it looks like it is 270 calories without the rice. You can find the full breakdown here
Beth
July 31, 2018 at 7:53 pmCan you do cauliflower rice? I use it just because it’s less calories and don’t really see a huge difference in taste!
Denise
August 2, 2018 at 9:18 amYes! Absolutely, cauliflower rice is actually great in meal prep! I prefer making my own versus using frozen as it keeps better and doesn’t get as mushy 🙂
Tyla Gunning
February 15, 2018 at 10:34 amThis recipe is AMAZING! added a bit to much soy so my end result was very strong in soy sauce but other than that being my own fault it’s INCREDIBLE! Can’t wait to have this amazing meal for lunch for the next few days :D!
Denise
February 15, 2018 at 10:59 pmSo happy you enjoyed it Tyla!
Erin
December 5, 2017 at 7:54 pmMade this over the weekend and was feeling unsure going into lunch today as my last few attempts at meal prepping have been average at best. However, this was great! A few people told me it smelled amazing and it tasted just as good as it smelled. Even better, it was very filling. This is definitely a keeper for me, easy prep and a delicious meal.
Brianna
November 14, 2017 at 11:15 aminstead of using broccoli can i use carrots? do i cook them the same way as the broccoli?
Denise
November 14, 2017 at 10:41 pmHi Brianna! You can absolutely sub the carrots for broccoli. I think they’d cook for a similar time, depending on how you cut the carrots 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Mary
August 1, 2017 at 11:19 amI made these the other day and am just now enjoying one for lunch. The flavor is awesome and my husband approved!
Denise
August 2, 2017 at 9:13 amSo glad you’re enjoying your lunches this week, Mary!
Ellie
July 15, 2017 at 7:53 amThis looks greats looking to try this for work next week as lunch just a bit confused by the cup measurements? Is there anything I can use instead of cups to measure the ingredients?
Denise
July 19, 2017 at 9:42 amHi Ellie, unfortunately I don’t have weight measurements for these ingredients. I did find in my notes that 3/4 cup uncooked rice is 140g/5 oz. Hope that helps 🙂
Christy
April 25, 2017 at 12:55 pmJust ate this for lunch today. So delicious!!! pretty easy to make too. I just did some frozen veggies I had in the freezer, still worked great. Thanks for the recipe!
Denise
April 27, 2017 at 9:28 pmSo happy you liked it Christy!
Mike
April 1, 2017 at 11:38 amHi, where can I find that sauce shaker or something similar? Thanks!
Denise
April 7, 2017 at 10:48 amHi Mike, I love using my Oxo Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker, or just a jar with a secure lid 🙂
Mavis
March 29, 2017 at 8:28 amI have heard that heating olive oil can make it a carcinogen. Any thoughts on that?
Denise
March 29, 2017 at 9:44 amHi Mavis, I actually worked for 7 years in cancer research and have NEVER heard that before. In fact if you type ‘olive oil carcinogen’ into PubMed, you will find a whole lot of articles that suggest that olive oil has anti-cancer properties. I wouldn’t recommend heating olive oil over high heat, though, since it has a low smoking point. Hope this answers your question 🙂
Neha
March 19, 2017 at 5:54 amI just wondered what size your Pyrex lunch boxes were (2cups?)
Denise
March 24, 2017 at 11:26 amHi Neha! I used the 2 cup snapware containers (these ones). They put the price up on Amazon but I’ve heard they’re a great deal at Walmart!
Lawren
February 20, 2017 at 2:25 amSounds delicious!
I am just wondering do I need to reheat each day or can it be eaten cold?
Denise
February 20, 2017 at 11:48 amHi Lawren, they are heated up like a stir fry 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!
Denise
February 12, 2017 at 10:33 pmYes!
Cindy
February 11, 2017 at 7:40 pmI am trying to not eat rice or pasta… what do you suggest in place of that?
Denise
February 11, 2017 at 11:06 pmHey Cindy! You could use cauliflower rice, quinoa, barley, any other grain. I hope you like it 🙂
Wendy
January 31, 2017 at 12:06 pmI made these for lunch this week and they are delish! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Denise
February 1, 2017 at 10:15 amI’m so happy you liked them Wendy! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Naomi
January 24, 2017 at 6:01 amHey this looks delicious was just wondering about the chicken. If I used already cooked frozen chicken is it safe to reheat it again to make the meal and then reheat when eating? Or would you say it’s better to use fresh chicken?
Denise
January 24, 2017 at 10:37 pmHi Naomi! I haven’t tried making this particular dish with already cooked/frozen chicken, but I have frozen lots of my slow cooker chicken recipes after cooking and they seem to keep well in the fridge after thawing. I can’t find any official food safety information about this though…so if you are nervous, go for the fresh chicken instead.
Natalie
January 16, 2017 at 7:19 amdo you store the chicken in the fridge or the freezer?
Denise
January 16, 2017 at 12:03 pmHi Natalie! I store the whole thing assembled with the sauce and everything in the fridge. I haven’t frozen them as I don’t enjoy freeze/thawed rice.
Laura
January 15, 2017 at 12:13 pmThe ads on this sight make it impossible to navigate.
Denise
January 15, 2017 at 10:39 pmLaura, can you tell me if you’re on mobile or desktop?
Denise
January 16, 2017 at 12:03 pmHi Maxine, I’m sorry I have no idea of what “1R 1Y 1-2 G and 2tsp” means? Could you please clarify?
Courtney
March 18, 2017 at 1:51 pmThe R, Y, G and tsp are 21 Day Fix container counts.
Johnny
January 14, 2017 at 3:40 pmMy wife and I just made this dish and it was delicious!!! We will definitely keep this as an easy go to recipe.
Denise
January 14, 2017 at 11:02 pmI’m so glad you guys liked it Johnny! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Julie
January 13, 2017 at 6:10 amCaleries?
Denise
January 14, 2017 at 11:09 pmJust added that info at the bottom of the recipe card! 450-ish, but there are suggestions if you want to lighten it up 😀
Jamie
January 12, 2017 at 9:16 pmI’m following the SlimFast Plan (2 shakes, up to 3 100-calorie snacks, and 1 healthy 500-calorie meal per day), and these bowls are perfect–tasty, filling, and easy! I now have dinner for the next four nights. Thanks so much!
Denise
January 12, 2017 at 11:36 pmI’m so glad they work on your plan Jamie! They’d be perfect for dinner 😀
Glenda
January 12, 2017 at 1:01 pmMade this today and it was absolutely amazing! Added a red pepper for part of the broccoli and peas and used brown rice but didn’t change anything else. I could have split the recipe into 6 and would have had plenty. I am trying freezing the other 3 bowls so we will see. I will definitely make this again!
Denise
January 12, 2017 at 11:38 pmSo happy you liked them Glenda! I’d love to know how it freeze/thaws 😀
Geri
January 10, 2017 at 1:03 pmGoing to try this tomorrow !!!
Denise
January 10, 2017 at 10:25 pmLet me know how you like them, Geri 🙂
Jessica
January 8, 2017 at 6:47 pmA great alternative for soy sauce is liquid aminos…I made this today and swapped the soy sauce for liquid aminos, which a great, healthier alternative.
Denise
January 8, 2017 at 10:49 pmI definitely want to try this 🙂 Thanks Jessica!
Adam
January 8, 2017 at 6:13 pmJust made this tonight. Watch out for salt levels. Used low sodium broth and soy but might have overseasoned a bit. I would say leave it off the chicken since you can always add. Super excited for lunch this week.
Denise
January 8, 2017 at 10:50 pmThanks Adam! We use low sodium soy sauce but didn’t find it too salty. But definitely add the sauce to taste.
Debbie
January 8, 2017 at 3:51 pmCan’t wait to try this
Emma
January 8, 2017 at 10:22 amThese look delicious! When having them for lunch, do you reheat everything in the same tub in the microwave? Or eat cold? Thanks!
Denise
January 8, 2017 at 3:42 pmHi Emma! Yes, I re-heat the whole portion in the microwave.
Miranda
June 3, 2017 at 10:58 amHow long do you microwave it for?
Denise
June 4, 2017 at 10:16 pmHi Miranda, that’s going to depend a lot on the microwave you’re using, since they all seem to have different strengths. I put mine on 80% and give it 1:30 (with the lid ajar), and that works well in my microwave.
T Johnson
January 7, 2017 at 11:50 amWhere do I find the small glass dishes?
Denise
January 7, 2017 at 5:04 pmThese snapware pyrex dishes are my absolute favorites: http://amzn.to/2iUOJ5t I found mine at Canadian Superstore but Amazon carries them too.
Hilary
July 8, 2017 at 8:34 amDo you use the 2 cup size pyrex dish for this lunch bowl?
Denise
July 9, 2017 at 10:01 amHi Hilary, yes I do! These are the ones I love: http://amzn.to/2tWQ1Cs
Judy
January 5, 2017 at 8:44 pmJust saw this! Sounds very good.
Denise
January 5, 2017 at 10:23 pmThanks Judy!
Marie
January 5, 2017 at 8:03 pmThankyou, I’m going to try this in the next couple days! I like easy simply recipes for 2 people!
Denise
January 5, 2017 at 10:26 pmI hope you like them, Marie!
Lauren
January 1, 2017 at 8:16 pmLooks delish! Do you think these would be ok to freeze to last over a couple of weeks?
Denise
January 3, 2017 at 10:57 amHi Lauren! I’ve never tried freezing this, actually I’ve never had much luck at freezing rice. If you try it would you let me know how it turns out?
kristina
December 5, 2016 at 1:03 pmWhere can I find the Recipe for this meal ? ?
Denise
December 5, 2016 at 11:57 pmHi Kristina, you’re on the right page, it’s just above! 🙂
Mk
November 26, 2016 at 10:26 amMore bowl recipes This is nice!
Andrew
November 17, 2016 at 7:05 amThis looks great and cant wait to try it. How much of each item (chicken, rice, vegetables) did you put into the containers? Thank you very much.
Denise
November 20, 2016 at 7:41 pmHi Andrew, thanks so much! I think it’s about 1/2 cup cooked rice per bowl, 1/2 of a large chicken breast was about 1/3 cup? And lots of veggies, 1.5 cups per bowl. This is an estimation 😉 I hope you enjoy it!
Christina M Laney
November 11, 2016 at 10:31 pmHow do you reheat the rice without is turning into a hard gritty crunchy mess? I can never reheat rice, even if I pour liquid into it first.. All I have at work to reheat with is a microwave..
Denise
November 12, 2016 at 8:21 pmHi Christina! My rice never ends up crunchy…maybe because I use a rice cooker? With this recipe you will have some sauce on the rice so hopefully that will help too.
Lanette Perrin
January 7, 2017 at 3:52 pmWhat kind of rice you use?
Denise
January 7, 2017 at 5:02 pmYou can use whichever type of rice or grains you’d like. I use basmati.
Mary Anne
January 13, 2017 at 4:18 pmUse cauliflower rice instead. Far fewer carbs, and no crunchy rice problems.
Mary Anne
January 13, 2017 at 4:31 pmI would use Coco Aminos in place of the soy sauce. Healthier option.
Karen
December 1, 2016 at 8:54 amJust sprinkle a little water on the rice and have a lid loose over it when you microwave it. I also use a rice cooker which may help to start.
Ellie martin
January 20, 2017 at 2:40 pmIs it safe to microwave rice though?? I heard you can get food poisoning?? That is the only thing that is puttting me off right now!!
Denise
January 20, 2017 at 11:00 pmIt’s perfectly safe to reheat rice! In fact it’s safe to make rice ahead and store for 4-6 days (I never keep mine for longer than 4 days though) http://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/71
Mary J.
January 23, 2017 at 4:25 pmIf I am going to re-heat rice in the microwave, I dampen a paper towel and drape it over the dish. It acts a steamer and the rice comes out perfect! These bowls sound delish and I plan on making them! Thanks!
Sandy
February 12, 2018 at 11:57 pmHave you tried putting a moist paper towel on top of your rice container and heating it that way while adding some water directly on the rice? That should work. Or you may want to put the rice on a plate and push the rice to the edges of the plate and leave the middle of the plate empty and try not to put too much time on the microwave, start with 30 secs and put 15 more secs and so forth to get the desired heat.
Shanna
November 6, 2016 at 10:05 pmHey. How many calories per serving is this? Thanks 🙂
Denise
November 6, 2016 at 11:12 pmHi Shanna, since I’m not a nutritionist, I’m not comfortable providing nutritional information for my recipes. You could always try a calculator like My Fitness Pal!
Jamie
January 12, 2017 at 3:38 amI calculated 450 calories per bowl. 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane
November 6, 2016 at 1:32 pmYou’re my make-ahead lunch guru, Denise, organised or not.
The best thing about this is how easy it is. I’d love to see the ‘lunch envy’ you provoke when you take this to work!
Robyn
November 5, 2016 at 3:44 pmI love the look of your grain bowls! Especially this one!!!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
November 1, 2016 at 4:52 amIt sounds like you are organized with food though…I mean, these lunch bowls, YUM! I love the flavors of this chicken! Sounds perfect for an easy lunch!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life
October 31, 2016 at 8:36 pmThese are lunch goals!!! I’d happily eat these every day – so many great flavors!
Annie
October 31, 2016 at 1:48 pmI need these lunch bowls in my life! Such a quick and easy way to ensure a healthy lunch on the go! I love it!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel
October 31, 2016 at 8:47 amNow this is a lunch bowl I can get into! LOVE the honey sesame flavors (and I’m pretty sure I can convince my kids to eat my veggies…;))!