This Meal Prep Jalapeño Chicken is incredibly flavorful and perfect for prepping on the weekend to have on hand all week! It’s marinated in a mixture of lime juice, avocado oil, diced jalapeño, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder! I love adding it to salads or just eating it by itself!
Oh, chicken. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten “burned out” from chicken. I think we all have, actually. I eat so much of it, that there’s only so much you can do to it to make it super delicious! Most often, I prep a big batch of it to add to my salads during the week for protein. Just because it’s easy, and it lasts all week! This version though, has completely changed the game for me.
Before I discovered this delicious marinade and method, I would usually just season it with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings, and then either sear it in a pan or grill it. And that method/flavor combo is just fine, but it gets OLD.
I was getting to the point where by Thursday/Friday I was practically choking down my salads. Ok, dramatic, I know. But the same ol’ chicken just gets weird after awhile. And kind of gross.
So I knew I had to switch things up! If you’re wondering if this is spicy, it’s not. It’s just really flavorful and has a slight smokiness.
The marinade is a mixture of lime juice, diced jalapeño (I remove the seeds and ribs so it’s not super spicy, but you can leave them in if you like spicy!), avocado oil (you can sub olive oil), smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. So incredible simple, but it’s SO insanely delicious! I couldn’t believe how good it was when I first made it. And now it’s a weekly occurrence!
The other trick is to marinade it for as long as possible. I usually do 24 hours if I can, but it’s not required. Whatever time you have, is great!
My other trick for making chicken super juicy (I’m known to overcook chicken to the MAX, so I had to find something that worked!😂) is to sear it in a cast iron skillet until golden, and then finish it off in the oven. I find that if you cook chicken for too long on the stovetop, it dries out. The oven helps to not brown the outside too much, and to keep the insides super juicy!
I also add a splash of water into the pan before I set it into the oven, so it kind of creates a steamy environment. I think that helps too!
My favorite way to serve this is in a salad, but it’s phenomenal on it’s own too! It would be great for fajitas, or served with cilantro rice and guac too. Really, you can do anything with this. It’s amazing.
Tell me: do you have any favorite meal prep staples or ways to get out of a chicken rut?!
Meal Prep Jalapeño Chicken
This Meal Prep Jalapeño Chicken is incredibly flavorful and perfect for prepping on the weekend to have on hand all week! It's marinated in a mixture of lime juice, avocado oil, diced jalapeño, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder! I love adding it to salads or just eating it by itself!
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped*
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Place chicken in a bowl or dish. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the marinade until it is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight, but up to 24 hours.
Once chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 375℉.
Heat a cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil. Once hot, add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Add the water and bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Store in the fridge all week for easy meals!
Recipe Notes
*I remove the seeds and ribs from my jalapeños because I don't like things to be super spicy, but feel free to keep them if that's your thing!
*I try to marinade my chicken for 24 hours, but overnight or whatever you have time for is fine! The longer, the more flavorful though.
*The baking time will differ greatly depending on the thickness of your chicken. Mine was perfect at about 20 minutes.
*I love slicing the chicken and storing in in a container in the fridge, so I can pull it out for salads and whatever meals I'm in the mood for! This is great served in fajitas with peppers and onions, or with cilantro rice and guacamole. The possibilities are endless!
[…] Ideas: Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos (Freezer Friendly) from Meal Plan Addict Meal Prep Jalapeño Chicken from Spices in My DNA Cream of Mushroom Paleo Casserole from Paleo Gluten Free […]