Super high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

If you’re staring down a long week of work and dreaming about ordering greasy takeout but desperately need to stick to your goals, then this high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep is about to become your new weeknight hero. Trust me, I totally get it! Back when I was figuring out how to lose 80 pounds here in Asheville, NC, I realized I couldn’t survive without comfort food flavors. That’s why I started the Easy Detox Recipes blog—taking those sticky, sweet, savory Southern and takeout favorites and making them clean and macro-friendly. You can see more of my journey and tips on Medium.

This recipe delivers everything you crave—that sticky glaze, tender chicken, perfectly seasoned rice—but clocks in at only 420 calories with a whopping 38 grams of protein. You get that amazing, satisfying flavor profile without the guilt or the massive takeout bill. Forget waiting an hour for delivery; we’re making this entire high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep happen in about 30 minutes flat. It’s the ultimate healthy takeout alternative that actually tastes like the real deal!

Why You’ll Love This high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

When you’re meal prepping, you need speed and flavor that holds up well in the fridge. This recipe is designed for exactly that—it’s fast, packed with protein, and tastes just as good on day four as it does on day one. It really beats those sad, bland containers you sometimes end up with!

Quick Prep and Flavor

We are talking about a full, satisfying dinner ready in just 30 minutes total. I know, it sounds too fast! But that high heat stir-fry method locks in the flavor, giving you that sticky, glossy, takeout-worthy coating on the chicken. The sauce is bold—you get the sweetness from the honey balanced perfectly with the savory soy and that little kick from the ginger and chili flakes.

Macro-Friendly Benefits

This is where the magic really happens for anyone tracking their macros. You get huge satisfaction from this meal without derailing your diet. Check out these numbers:

• Protein Powerhouse: A massive 38 grams of protein per serving to keep you full for hours.
• Calorie Controlled: It stays under 420 calories, making it perfect for a low calorie chicken and rice option.
• Veggie Boost: We sneak in peas, carrots, and peppers right into the rice base.

Equipment Needed for high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

When you’re moving this fast, you need the right tools ready to go before you even chop the first piece of chicken. Having everything laid out makes this whole assembly line process so much smoother. Don’t try to make this work with a tiny pan; you need surface area to get that sear!

Essential Cooking Gear

Luckily, this recipe doesn’t require any fancy gadgets, just the basics you probably already have hiding in your cabinets. Make sure these are clean and ready:

• A large nonstick skillet—this is crucial for searing the chicken and then making the rice without everything sticking.
• A small bowl dedicated just for whisking the sauce together.
• A sturdy spatula, preferably one that can handle scraping up the bottom of the pan when you’re stirring the rice.
• Paper towels, because drying that chicken properly is half the battle!

Ingredients for Your high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

Getting the right amounts of everything is super important here, especially for the sauce balance. I always measure out my honey and soy sauce ahead of time because once that chicken is sizzling, you don’t want to be hunting for spoons! To make things crystal clear for your prep routine, I broke the ingredients down into two main groups, just like we tackle them in the pan.

Remember, using low-sodium soy sauce makes a big difference in controlling the final saltiness, especially since we are making this for healthy meal prep! Follow me on Pinterest for more quick meal ideas.

For the Honey Sesame Chicken

Item	Amount
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cubed	1\u00bd pounds
Avocado Oil (for searing)	1 tablespoon
Honey	3 tablespoons
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce	3 tablespoons
Sesame Oil	1 tablespoon
Minced Garlic	2 teaspoons
Fresh Ginger, grated	1 teaspoon
Cornstarch (for thickening)	1 teaspoon
Sesame Seeds (for garnish)	2 tablespoons
Green Onions, sliced (for garnish)	3
Red Pepper Flakes	\u00bc teaspoon

For the Veggie Fried Rice

Item	Amount
Cooked Brown Rice, chilled	3 cups
Large Eggs, whisked	3
Avocado Oil (for eggs/veggies)	1 tablespoon
Frozen Peas and Carrots, thawed	1 cup
Red Bell Pepper, diced small	\u00bd
Corn Kernels	\u00bd cup
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce	2 tablespoons
Sesame Oil	1 teaspoon
Green Onions, sliced (for mixing)	2

Step-by-Step Instructions for high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

Okay, let’s get cooking because this is the fun, fast part! Remember, we are working in stages here to maximize flavor and texture. Read through the steps once before you start, and have everything prepped—that’s the secret to crushing this 30-minute timeline.

Preparing the Chicken and Sauce

First things first: get your chicken ready. Take those 1-inch cubes of chicken breast and pat them absolutely bone-dry with paper towels. Seriously, don’t skip this! Dry chicken sears; wet chicken steams, and we want golden brown color here. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in your big nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When that oil is shimmering, add the chicken cubes. You need to make sure they are in a single layer. If your pan is crowded, stop! Take half the chicken out and cook it in a second batch. We need that high heat to stick around. Cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until they look beautifully golden and cooked through.

While that chicken is browning, grab your small bowl. Whisk together the honey, the low-sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and that teaspoon of cornstarch until it’s totally smooth. That cornstarch is going to work hard later, so make sure there are no lumps!

Finishing the Chicken Coating

When the chicken is done, pull it out of the skillet and set it on a plate. Don’t wipe the pan—those little crispy bits are flavor gold! Pour your prepared honey sesame sauce right into that hot pan. Bring it up to a simmer, stirring gently, and watch it work its magic. It only takes about 2 to 3 minutes for that cornstarch to kick in, making the sauce thicken up and get nice and glossy. Once it’s sticky, toss that cooked chicken right back in. Stir it for just a minute to coat every single piece beautifully. Turn off the heat, sprinkle on your sesame seeds, green onions, and red pepper flakes. Set this gorgeous chicken aside.

Making the Veggie Fried Rice Base

Now we clean that skillet quickly—a quick wipe with a paper towel is usually enough. Add the final tablespoon of avocado oil and crank the heat back up to medium-high. Pour in your whisked eggs and scramble them fast for just a minute or two until they are *just* set. Break them up into small pieces and pull them out onto the plate with the chicken.

Back into the hot pan goes another splash of oil if needed. Toss in the minced garlic and let it get fragrant for about 30 seconds—don’t let it burn! Then, add your thawed peas and carrots, diced red pepper, and corn kernels. Stir everything constantly for about 2 minutes until those veggies soften up a bit.

Combining Rice and Final Assembly

This is the crucial step for good fried rice: add your chilled, cooked brown rice. Use your spatula to break up any clumps. Drizzle everything with the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil. Keep stirring constantly—this is what gives you that slightly crispy texture instead of mushy rice—for a solid 3 to 4 minutes until the rice is piping hot all the way through. Finally, fold those scrambled eggs back into the rice, along with the last bit of sliced green onions. Give it one last toss to combine everything evenly.

To finish your high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep, divide that veggie fried rice evenly into your four containers. Top each one generously with the sticky honey sesame chicken. Make sure that chicken hits 165°F before you seal them up for the week!

Expert Tips for Perfect high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

Even though this recipe is straightforward, a couple of little tricks can take your high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep from good to absolutely legendary. These are the things I learned after making this recipe way too many times while trying to keep my macros in check!

Achieving Crispy Rice Texture

Listen to me on this one point: you absolutely must use day-old, chilled rice for your fried rice. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture clinging to it, and when you stir-fry it, it just steams and turns into a gummy mess. Chilled rice is slightly drier, which allows it to heat up quickly and develop that slightly firm, crispy bite that makes restaurant-quality fried rice so addictive. Don’t cook the rice the same day you plan to make this! If you want to see another great rice dish, check out my Texas Roadhouse Seasoned Rice.

Sauce Consistency Control

The cornstarch is your best friend here, but it needs the right heat to activate. If your sauce seems too runny after returning the chicken, don’t panic! Just let it simmer uncovered for an extra minute, stirring constantly. If you accidentally over-thicken it and it looks pasty, just whisk in a teaspoon of water or broth off the heat until it loosens up slightly. You want it thick enough to coat the chicken, but not so thick that it’s gloppy when it cools down.

Storing and Reheating Your high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

Since the whole point of this is meal prep, we need to make sure these containers taste amazing all week long. Proper storage is key to keeping that chicken tender and the rice from getting too dry in the fridge. I usually portion mine out right when they cool down, but you can keep the chicken and rice separate if you want to be extra careful about texture!

Best Practices for Refrigeration

If you’re keeping these for the work week, they hold up beautifully for up to five days in the refrigerator. It’s best if you use airtight containers. If you have the patience, storing the saucy chicken separately from the rice prevents the rice from soaking up too much glaze and getting heavy. But honestly, for speed, I just stack them up and seal them tight!

Storage Method	Max Duration
Refrigerator (Airtight)	Up to 5 days
Freezer (Freezer-Safe Container)	Up to 2 months

Reheating for Fresh Taste

When it’s time to eat, pop one container into the microwave. I usually run mine for about 2 minutes, but you might need 3 depending on your microwave’s power. The most important thing I learned is to add a tiny splash of moisture back in. Stir in about a tablespoon of plain water or even some chicken broth halfway through heating. This steam helps rehydrate the rice and makes the whole meal taste fresh, not dried out, by the time you dig in!

Frequently Asked Questions about high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep

I get so many great questions about customizing this recipe, especially when people are trying to hit specific fitness goals. Here are a few of the ones I hear most often when folks are planning their high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep!

Can I Substitute the Chicken Breast?

You absolutely can swap the chicken breast! I usually stick to breast because it keeps the calories lower, but chicken thighs work great too. If you use thighs, just know you’ll get a richer flavor and slightly more fat, which will bump up the calorie count a little bit. They stay incredibly tender, though, so it’s a delicious trade-off!

How to Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?

This is an easy fix! The main gluten source is the low-sodium soy sauce. You can swap that out 1:1 for tamari, which is essentially gluten-free soy sauce. Make sure you still use cornstarch for the sauce thickening, as that’s naturally gluten-free. Then you have a fantastic, safe healthy takeout alternative!

Is This Truly a Healthy Takeout Alternative?

It really is my favorite solution for beating delivery temptation! When you look at what you’re getting—38g of protein for just 420 calories—it’s way better than almost any restaurant version. We control the sugar, we load up on fresh veggies in the rice, and we use lean chicken. If you’re looking for a satisfying, low calorie chicken and rice meal that doesn’t taste like diet food, this is it, hands down! For more low-calorie ideas, check out my full recipe index.

Share Your high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep Success

Now that you’ve got your week sorted with this amazing high protein honey sesame chicken rice meal prep, I really want to hear about it! Did it save you from ordering pizza? Tell me how it went!

Please take a moment to rate this recipe at the top of the page and leave a comment below. I love seeing your photos and hearing how this clean comfort food fits into your busy life!

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