Meal Prep Honey Garlic Chicken Thigh with Roasted Broccoli & Rice — 48g Protein, Under $4
If there is one meal prep dinner that earns a permanent spot in the weekly rotation, this is it. Honey garlic chicken thighs are one of the most universally loved flavour profiles in home cooking — sweet, sticky, garlicky, and deeply satisfying — and they reheat better than almost any other protein. Paired with oven-roasted broccoli and white rice, this is a complete, macro-balanced dinner that holds up perfectly in the fridge for four days. The honey garlic glaze thickens as it cools and coats the chicken even better the next day. At 48 grams of protein and under four dollars, this is the dinner that makes Sunday meal prep feel entirely worth it.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the rice: combine rinsed rice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Rest covered for 5 minutes. Fluff and cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss broccoli florets with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for 16–18 minutes until the edges are slightly charred and crispy. Cool completely.
- While the broccoli roasts, make the honey garlic sauce: whisk together soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thigh with salt and pepper. Sear for 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to 165°F (74°C).
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken and let it bubble for 1 minute.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and stir the sauce around the chicken for 30–60 seconds until it thickens into a glossy glaze that coats the chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
- Once everything has fully cooled, layer into a meal prep container: rice on the bottom, sliced glazed chicken on top, roasted broccoli alongside.
- Spoon any remaining glaze from the pan over the chicken.
- To serve: reheat for 90–120 seconds and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if using.
Notes
Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the ideal meal prep protein — cheaper than chicken breast, far more forgiving to cook, and they stay moist and tender after reheating unlike breast meat which dries out quickly. The honey garlic sauce uses four pantry staples that cost almost nothing per recipe and elevate cheap chicken into something genuinely craveable. Broccoli is one of the highest-protein vegetables available and is consistently inexpensive — buy a large head and cut your own florets rather than buying pre-cut bags which cost significantly more.
