Chicken and Rice Salad

Chicken and Rice Salad

Chicken and rice salad

Serve: 2 

Ingredients

  • 300 g chicken breast, diced
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • ½  tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp dried oregano 
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

  • 1 cup Mexican-style rice (or preferred)
  • 50g romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 4 mini cucumber, diced
  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 50g cherry tomatoes, diced
  • 50 g sweetcorn
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp light Mayo & hot chilli sauce

Method

  1. Place chicken in a large bowl with all the seasonings. 
  2. Toss and marinate for at least 30 minutes. 
  3. Pan fry in olive oil until golden brown and cook through. 
  4. Transfer to a plate and let it cool completely. 
  5. Chop into bite sized pieces. 
  6. Place the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and sweetcorn in a large serving plate 
  7. Top with the cooked rice and chicken.
  8. Drizzle with the mayo & hot chilli sauce. 
  9. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

 

Macros per serve

Calories 500 kcal

Protein 40g

Carbohydrates 37g

Fat 21g

Fibre 4g

Sugars 5g

Health benefits

Chicken breast is an excellent source of lean, complete protein. Protein supports muscle maintenance and repair and can help with satiety. It also provides nutrients including niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus and selenium.

Romaine lettuce is very low in calories while contributing fibre, folate, vitamin K and vitamin A.

It adds volume to the meal without substantially increasing calories.

Cucumber provides plenty of water and a small amount of fibre and micronutrients while being very low in calories.

Cherry tomatoes provide vitamin C, potassium and carotenoids, including lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant carotenoid naturally found in tomatoes.

Sweetcorn provides carbohydrate for energy as well as fibre, folate and other micronutrients.

Red onion provides fibre and antioxidant plant compounds, including quercetin.

Parmesan provides protein and calcium and adds a strong savoury flavour, allowing you to use a relatively small amount.


Meal prep tips

Fridge: This is very suitable for meal prep.

Store in airtight containers at 5°C or below and consume within 3–4 days.

For the best texture, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to eat.

Best meal-prep method: Prepare the chicken and rice, then allow them to cool appropriately before refrigerating.

For each container:

Mexican rice

Cooked chicken

Romaine

Cucumber

Cherry tomatoes

Red onion

Sweetcorn

Parmesan


Keep the mayo/chilli dressing in a separate small container.

Add the dressing immediately before eating so the lettuce doesn't become soggy.

Freezer safe? The chicken and rice are freezer-friendly, but the completed salad isn't.

Romaine, cucumber and tomatoes become watery and lose their texture after freezing and thawing.

For batch cooking, freeze chicken + rice separately and add fresh salad ingredients after thawing.

Chicken/rice freezer: approximately 2–3 months for best quality.

Reheating: If frozen, thaw the chicken and rice overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat until steaming hot throughout, then add the fresh salad ingredients and dressing.

For refrigerated meal prep, the chicken and rice can be reheated while the salad remains cold.

 

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