These Coconut Mango Chicken Meal Prep Bowls with basmati rice, corn salsa and an easy mango marinade are a delicious way to prep your lunches for the week!
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Ingredients in mango chicken
I might just drown in these Coconut Mango Chicken Meal Prep Bowls, they just scream summer. No matter the weather outside, you'll get a taste of sunshine with these bowls! Here's everything you need to make them:
- 2 chicken breasts, or 4 chicken cutlets (cutlets are basically like a thinner chicken breast that cooks much faster; you can make cutlets by slicing a chicken breast in half lengthwise)
- avocado
- shredded unsweetened coconut
- cilantro
- mango marinade (recipe follows – you basically need a mango, lime juice, honey and sriracha)
- corn salsa (recipe follows – alternatively, any type of salsa will work here, even store bought!)
- jasmine rice
How to make coconut mango chicken
This coconut mango chicken bowls are really easy to throw together, even if it looks like a lot of steps. You'll marinate and BBQ the chicken, cook the rice, and then make up your corn salsa. I also garnished the bowls with some sliced avocado. Because every bowl should come with avocado, okay.
Here's how to make this mango chicken:
- Cook the rice and preheat your BBQ.
Blend the ingredients for the mango marinade together, then divide marinade into two separate bowls. Marinate chicken cutlets in the one bowl of marinade for 10 min while leaving the other bowl untouched (do not get this near the raw chicken!) - Meanwhile, mix together ingredients for corn salsa.
- Grill chicken for 5 min per side, then add to meal prep bowls over rice, topping with corn salsa and adding extra mango sauce and coconut. Enjoy!
An important note about the marinade
Something I've been doing a lot of lately is doubling whatever marinade I've made and saving half for the actual meat I'm grilling, and then using the other half as a dressing or sauce. I swear, it takes years off your meal prep time and you also get to enjoy a ton of flavour in whatever you're making.
HERE'S AN IMPORTANT NOTE: when saving half your marinade, you want to make sure to mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl separate from the chicken FIRST so as to avoid contamination. Divide the mixture in half, save the uncontaminated version for after you're done cooking everything, and the other half for marinating the chicken. Safety first!
Making this recipe in the oven
If you don't have a BBQ, no need to worry! You can cook the chicken the same exact way in the oven – just let it cook in the sauce in an ovensafe dish for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. I've listed the alternative instructions below!
Ingredient substitutions
There are many different substitutions you can make for this recipe! Here's how you can change it up to make it your own.
Chicken cutlets – I usually slice two chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make cutlets. However, you can use chicken thighs with this recipe instead. Just be sure to use boneless, skinless thighs.
Rice – Jasmine and basmati rice are the two blends I prefer here, but you can use any type of rice or even quinoa with this recipe.
Corn salsa – Feel free to add any type of veggie to the corn salsa. I do prefer corn and black bean over tomato seeing as tomatoes do not hold up as well for that many days in a row, but it's whatever you prefer.
Avocado – If you want your avocado to stay in tip top shape, I recommend buying one that is still super hard and will ripen as the week carries on. Basically, try to pick the firmest avocado you can while ensuring a tiny bit of softness so you can slice it up and pack it in these bowls for the week. I usually find it's fine for 4 days or so if you slice it up just at the point where it's about to ripen.
Storing and reheating
You can store this mango chicken in the fridge up to 5 days. To reheat, sprinkle some water overtop and then microwave for 1-3 minutes. You'll want to remove the avocado, but the corn salsa is fine to heat. These bowls are also quite enjoyable cold, so don't feel the need to heat if you don't want to!
Can you freeze this chicken?
You can freeze leftover cooked chicken and rice, but not the salsa or avocado. If freezing, be sure to pack in individual portions in glass containers then defrost in the fridge overnight. From there, you can reheat using the same instructions above. If you add fresh avocado and salsa, you won't even be able to tell it's a freezer meal!
More meal prep chicken recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into your weekly lunches
- Stock up on jasmine rice while you're at it.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
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Mango Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 chicken cutlets)
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- Extra cilantro, for garnish
Mango marinade
- 1 mango
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
Corn salsa
- 1 cup corn
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3/4 tsp salt
Jasmine rice
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat BBQ to med-high heat (alternatively, preheat oven to 425 F). Cook rice in a rice cooker according to package directions.
- Blend ingredients for mango marinade together in a blender, then divide marinade into two separate bowls. Marinate chicken cutlets in the one bowl of marinade for 10 min while leaving the other bowl untouched (do not get this near the raw chicken!)
- Meanwhile, mix together ingredients for corn salsa.
- Add chicken to grill and cook for 5 min per side (alternatively, bake for 12-15 minutes). Remove from heat. Divide rice among four glass meal prep bowls. Add 1 piece of chicken to each bowl and top with extra reserved mango sauce, corn salsa, shredded coconut and cilantro. Add slices of avocado and refrigerate up to 5 days.
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Sandra Jeffers says
My daughter just finished making this recipe. She is working a contract job and staying with me for a month. Instead of buying cafeteria food at her work, she now has homemade food to take. She had me try it and it was wonderful. I will be making it soon for my husband. Thanks for sharing.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed Sandra!! 🙂
Danielle Taggart says
Been meal prepping lunches for a few weeks now and this is by far the best yet! Even Hubby agrees. I added a chopped jalapeno to the salsa for an extra kick!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you liked it Danielle!! 🙂
Jess says
How do you reheat when using this recipe as meal prep?
Taylor Stinson says
Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high 🙂
Kimber Hays says
How do you keep the avocado from turning brown
Taylor Stinson says
You can put some lemon or lime juice overtop!
Tiffany says
Hi. This looks delicious. Can this meal be put in the freezer to eat at a later date?
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks Tiffany! You should be able to freeze the meat up to 3 months – defrost in the fridge overnight then sprinkle some water overtop before reheating for 2 minutes or so in the microwave!
Hanna says
I am planning to serve this as an Easter lunch for the family. They love chicken and rice with the right accompanying ingredients.