Orange Marinated Chicken (+ my take on meal prepping)
Bake chicken for about 40 minutes p until it’s golden brown as shown.
Meal prep is huge in fitness, but personally I’m not a fan of preparing a week’s worth of full meals at once. It works for some people, but eating the same meals feels boring, repetitive and ultimately unsustainable for me. I want my meals to support my goals in the gym, but food is also so much more than that - it should be tasty, comforting, exciting, and often social.
Protein is the hardest macronutrient for most of us to get in during a busy week. While there are plenty of ready-to-eat carb and fat sources (breads, rice, spreads, dressings, nut butters…), we generally have to plan ahead to make sure we have enough protein on hand to support training goals.
In order to prioritize my protein intake without fully preparing a week’s worth of the same old meal, I love to cook a large batch of a tasty protein source (like this baked chicken) that can be used in a wide variety of lunches. Throw 2-4 pounds of this chicken in a marinade overnight and set yourself up for healthy lunches throughout the week.
Another great reason to try this? Mastering one small habit at a time is the most sustainable way to introduce new habits. A recipe like this is a great place to start. Cooking a batch of chicken (or another protein) for the week’s lunches one evening won’t make a huge dent in your day, but it will have a huge effect. You’ll end up eating out when you actually want to, not when you just didn’t have time to make a lunch. After a few weeks, add another new healthy habit! Maybe something for breakfast? Or adding a 20m walk during your lunch? These seem small, but they’ll stack up quickly and have a huge positive effect.
Ok, now that we’ve talked habit building - here’s the recipe!
Marinade the chicken, ideally for 24 hours.
Ingredients
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (I like morton and basset, its worth the extra cost compared to generic)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 pounds chicken thighs (breasts or drumsticks would work too!)
Instructions
1. Make the marinade by placing all of the ingredients aside from the chicken in a blender and blending for about 30 seconds. The quantities listed make enough marinade for 4 pounds of chicken, so divide if necessary. If you aren’t sharing, I’d start off with 2 pounds or so. 4 is a lot to get through on your own before it starts to go bad!
2. Place 4 pounds chicken thighs in a large baking dish that has a lid, or in a large ziploc. Pour marinade over all of the chicken, ensuring that every piece is coated.
3. Place in the fridge for about 24 hours. I like to make this one night after dinner, put it in the fridge, then bake it the next evening. I eat some for dinner that night when it’s warm and reserve the rest for lunches (it’s great both warm and cold!)
4. To bake the chicken, preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the chicken in a single layer. Bake for about 40m, or until cooked through and golden. Serve, then store the rest.
I highly recommend putting these things on your grocery list and making this over the weekend to set yourself up with a tasty dinner AND enough protein leftover for lunches the coming week! It’s great on salads, sandwiches, mixed in with pasta or mac and cheese, or as a small snack on it’s own. Comment below and share if you want to give it a try.