This Baked BBQ Chicken is so easy and packed with flavour. Serve it with baby potatoes and kale salad for the best meal prep lunch!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – you could also try making this recipe using chicken thighs.
- BBQ sauce – use your favourite store-bought version or homemade BBQ sauce if you’re feeling fancy.
- Kale salad kit – feel free to swap out for another salad kid or veggies of your choice.
Roasted potatoes
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- Baby potatoes – any kind of potatoes will work as long as they’ve been chopped up into small pieces.
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best. Bottled lemon juice or even lime juice will work in a pinch.
- Paprika – chili powder would provide a similar flavour here.
- Garlic powder – try using a bit of fresh minced garlic instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make BBQ chicken
- Bake the potatoes.
- Season and bake the chicken.
- Make the kale salad.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss the chicken in BBQ sauce.
- Assemble in meal prep bowls or serve fresh!
What goes well with BBQ chicken?
I personally like serving this BBQ chicken with a simple kale salad and roasted potatoes for a well-rounded meal. It makes a great meal prep lunch or dinner! There are tons of other things you can serve with your BBQ chicken as well – it goes with just about anything.
Here are some great ideas of what to serve on the side:
- Homemade sweet potato fries or green bean fries for a low-carb option
- Grilled or steamed vegetables
- Baked potatoes
- Cornbread
- Mac and cheese
You can also repurpose your chicken and turn it into wraps, quesadillas or even as protein on a yummy salad. The options are endless!
Frequently Asked Questions
I find that the best way to make BBQ chicken breasts in the oven is cook them in the oven at 450° Fahrenheit. It ensures you get a nice juicy piece of chicken without being overcooked!
I like to put the BBQ sauce on after baking. A sweet BBQ sauce can get gummy in the oven or even burn, which isn’t what you want. After the chicken has rested for about five minutes, toss it in your favourite BBQ sauce and enjoy.
Chicken breasts will take about 20-25 minutes to cook, depending on their size. The best way to tell if they’re done is to use a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast – once it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165° Fahrenheit, it’s done.
Storing and reheating
You can store your leftover BBQ chicken in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Once it’s completely cooled, assemble it in your glass meal prep containers with the kale salad and potatoes. I like storing it in individual serving sizes so when I’m ready to eat, I just have to pull one out of the fridge and I’m good to go!
When you’re ready to reheat your chicken, sprinkle some water over top to avoid that gross leftover chicken taste and microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through. If you’re reheating your meal prep bowls, make sure to take out the kale salad before microwaving since it won’t reheat well.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months in airtight glass containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags. The night before, stick the chicken in the fridge to thaw then reheat the next day in the microwave. Serve with some fresh sides and dig in.
More chicken meal prep recipes
- Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
- Meal Prep Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this chicken into leftovers.
- This Kitchen Scale comes in handy for weighing out protein.
- A Rice Cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
Baked BBQ Chicken {Meal Prep}
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Optional sides
- Eat Smart Kale Salad kit
Roasted potatoes
- 4 cups baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. If serving alongside chicken, mix all ingredients under potato heading together in a small baking dish then bake for 45 minutes.
- Add chicken to another small baking dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your breasts.
- While chicken is baking and if serving, toss kale salad kit together with dressing.
- Remove chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting up into bite-sized pieces and tossing with BBQ sauce.
- Serve in meal prep bowls alongside potatoes and kale salad. Bowls will last in the fridge up to 5 days.
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