This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
I’m trying to get back to eating more whole foods after the holidays and the best way I’ve found to do that is to prep meals ahead of time. Last week I tried a new recipe for blackened chicken and safe to say it was a hit. My husband and I both loved it, and there was some chicken left over that our kids also devoured. I decided to pair it with jasmine rice and roasted carrots, one of my favorite sides. But the truth is you could make whatever sides you want, or even add this blackened chicken recipe to a salad or wrap, depending on your food goals.
Blackened Chicken Recipe + Meal Tip Ideas
I chose to make my blackened chicken along with white jasmine rice and roasted carrots.
I started with about 4.5 pounds of chicken breasts (butterflied), 3 cups jasmine rice, and 5 lb of carrots.
I preheated the oven first and peeled the carrots (my least favorite part).
Then I sliced them into pieces and added olive oil and salt.
I also got some water boiling and added 3 cups of jasmine rice and let it set. (I got this Dutch oven for Christmas–I love it!)
After the carrots had been cooking for a bit, I added some minced garlic and set them back in the oven.
At this point, the rice was done. I let that sit while I got the chicken ready.
The blackened seasoning is so easy and includes spices you probably already have in your pantry.
I rubbed the seasoning on the chicken breasts and put them on our pre-heated Blackstone that I had lightly coated with canola oil.
The chicken took less than 10 minutes since I had our butcher butterfly them ahead of time!
At this point the carrots were done. I love when they get a little black on the bottom.
Then it was time to assemble the meals! I used 10 glass containers and to each one added about 6 ounces sliced chicken, 1/2 cup of rice, and 1/2 cup of carrots. (You could change this up depending on your nutritional goals).
This made 10 servings which for me and my husband means 5 days’ worth of meals. We ate two the day I made it and put 8 more in the fridge. I can’t tell you the relief I feel when I open the fridge and see lunch made for the next several days. Not only does it keep me on track with my food goals, but about an hour of work saved so much time over the course of the week.
Ingredients
- 4.5 lb chicken breasts
- 4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tbsp oregano
- 1.5 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
- Mix together all the spices and rub all over the chicken breasts.
- Grill on both sides for about 4 minutes each, or bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
