One or two hours on Sunday can take care of most of your meals until Friday. These 14 easy meal prep recipes cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a side, and every one of them holds up in the fridge.
Most lean on an air fryer, an Instant Pot, or a slow cooker, so the appliance does the work while you portion containers. You don’t need to make all 14 at once. Pick one breakfast, one or two proteins, a bowl or soup, and a vegetable, and you have a full week.
Here’s how the list is organized:
- Breakfast (recipes 1 to 3): egg bites and oats you can grab on the way out the door
- Proteins (recipes 4 to 6): batch-cooked chicken to use in wraps, salads, and bowls
- Bowls (recipes 7 to 9): complete lunches and dinners in one container
- Salads (recipes 10 and 11): fresh, protein-packed lunches
- Soups and chili (recipes 12 and 13): freezer-friendly comfort food
- Side (recipe 14): a quick vegetable that rounds out any container
Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes
1. Air Fryer Veggie Egg Bites
These fluffy, cheesy egg bites are packed with diced bell pepper and onion, and each one has about 9 grams of protein and 2 grams of net carbs. They cook at a low 320°F in silicone molds and are ready in about 19 minutes start to finish.
Meal prep tip: Make a double batch and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat in the air fryer at 300°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Veggie Egg Bites
2. Applesauce Overnight Oats
Rolled oats soak overnight with applesauce for a creamy, naturally sweet breakfast with zero cooking. Stir it together, spoon it into jars, and breakfast is done.
Meal prep tip: Overnight oats keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, so one batch covers the whole work week. Stir in Greek yogurt or protein powder for extra staying power.
Get the recipe: Applesauce Overnight Oats
3. Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats usually need babysitting on the stove, but the Instant Pot makes them hands-off. They come out hearty and chewy, and they thicken even more as they sit in the fridge.
Meal prep tip: Use the pot-in-pot method to keep oats from sticking, then portion into containers and add fruit, nuts, or brown sugar each morning.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Batch-Cooked Proteins
4. Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken
This is the most useful recipe on the list. Chicken breasts, broth, salt, and pepper go into the slow cooker with about five minutes of prep, and you get juicy shredded chicken for tacos, soups, casseroles, and salads all week.
Meal prep tip: After shredding, let the chicken sit in the warm cooking liquid for about 5 minutes so it soaks the moisture back up. Store it with a little of that liquid so it doesn’t dry out when reheated.
Get the recipe: Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken
5. Air Fryer Thin Chicken Breast
Thin-sliced chicken breasts cook in about 8 to 10 minutes at 400°F with a simple smoked paprika and garlic seasoning. No breading and no brining, just golden, juicy chicken.
Meal prep tip: Cook a full pound or two, let it cool, then slice it for salads, wraps, and grain bowls throughout the week.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Thin Chicken Breast
6. Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
Skewered chicken and vegetables cook evenly in the air fryer, and the recipe includes a handy time and temperature chart. They’re a fun change from plain chicken breast.
Meal prep tip: Slide the chicken and veggies off the skewers before storing. They fit neatly into containers over rice or greens.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
Meal Prep Bowls
7. Air Fryer Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
Diced chicken breast, bell peppers, and red onion get tossed in olive oil and taco seasoning, then air fried and spooned over basmati rice. It comes together in under 20 minutes.
Meal prep tip: Pack the chicken and rice together, and keep toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo in small separate cups.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
8. Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Rice Bowl
Tender, spiced chicken tikka is served over fluffy basmati rice with fresh vegetables. It brings bold Indian-inspired flavor to your lunch rotation without takeout prices.
Meal prep tip: Store the fresh vegetables separately and add them after reheating the chicken and rice so they stay crisp.
Get the recipe: Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Rice Bowl
9. Slow Cooker Chicken Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ground chicken, coleslaw mix, ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame give you all the flavor of an egg roll filling, without the wrapper or the frying. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work and is naturally low-carb.
Meal prep tip: Portion the cooked filling into containers for up to 4 days. Keep the sriracha mayo and green onions separate and add them after reheating.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Egg Roll in a Bowl
Make-Ahead Salads
10. Air Fryer Avocado Chicken Mango Salad
Juicy air fryer chicken tops a bright mix of mango, avocado, corn, tomatoes, and greens, finished with a lime dressing. It’s ready in about 20 minutes and feels like a treat on a Wednesday.
Meal prep tip: Prep the chicken, mango, corn, and tomatoes ahead. Slice the avocado and add the dressing the day you eat it so nothing browns or wilts.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Avocado Chicken Mango Salad
11. Air Fryer Southwestern Chicken Salad
Seasoned chicken cooks at 370°F for 12 to 15 minutes, then joins black beans, corn, avocado, and crisp vegetables. It’s filling, colorful, and full of fiber and protein.
Meal prep tip: The salad can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep the dressing on the side.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Southwestern Chicken Salad
Soups and Chili
12. Easy Instant Pot Chili No Beans
Browned ground beef and classic chili spices pressure cook into a thick, hearty chili in a fraction of the stovetop time. With no beans, it’s a solid low-carb pick.
Meal prep tip: Cool the chili, then portion it into containers for the fridge or flat freezer bags for later. Add cheese and toppings when you reheat.
Get the recipe: Easy Instant Pot Chili No Beans
13. Chicken Enchilada Soup
Chicken thighs, bell pepper, tomato, and green chiles cook in chicken broth and tomato sauce with chili powder, cumin, chipotle, and smoked paprika. It tastes like a restaurant favorite and fills you up.
Meal prep tip: Store toppings like cheese and tortilla strips separately. Soups reheat beautifully, so this one is ideal for later in the week.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
An Easy Side
14. Garlic Air Fryer Broccoli
Broccoli florets roast with garlic at 400°F and are done in under 10 minutes. You get that slow-roasted flavor without heating up the oven.
Meal prep tip: Spread the florets in a single layer with space between them so they crisp instead of steam. Add a portion to any protein container for an instant balanced meal.
Get the recipe: Garlic Air Fryer Broccoli
A Simple Sunday Meal Prep Plan
You can make five of these recipes in about two hours by letting each appliance run at the same time. Here’s one easy order:
Start the slow cooker first. Load the Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken so it cooks while you do everything else.
Mix the oats. Stir together the Applesauce Overnight Oats and portion them into jars.
Run the Instant Pot. Make the Easy Instant Pot Chili No Beans for dinners later in the week.
Use the air fryer in rounds. Cook the Air Fryer Veggie Egg Bites first, then the Air Fryer Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl filling, then the Garlic Air Fryer Broccoli.
Cool, portion, and label. Let everything cool before lidding, then write the date on each container.
That gives you breakfasts for five days, three or four lunch bowls, and two or three chili dinners, plus shredded chicken to use however you like.
Meal Prep Storage Tips
- Cool food before sealing. Trapped steam turns crispy food soggy and can shorten fridge life.
- Keep wet and crisp separate. Store dressings, sauces, avocado, and crunchy toppings on the side and add them right before eating.
- Eat the most delicate meals first. Save soups and chili for later in the week, since they hold up best.
- Reheat in the air fryer when you can. Chicken, egg bites, and roasted vegetables come back crisp instead of rubbery.
- Freeze what you won’t eat in time. Chili, soup, and shredded chicken freeze well in flat freezer bags.
Meal Prep FAQ
How long does meal prep last in the fridge? Most cooked meals keep 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Overnight oats and egg bites can last a little longer; check each recipe’s storage notes.
What are the easiest recipes for meal prep beginners? Start with Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken and Applesauce Overnight Oats. Both take only minutes of hands-on time.
Can I meal prep without an air fryer? Yes. The slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes on this list need no air fryer, and many air fryer recipes can be adapted to the oven with a little extra cook time.
Which of these recipes are low-carb? The Air Fryer Veggie Egg Bites, Slow Cooker Chicken Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Easy Instant Pot Chili No Beans are all good low-carb picks.
Start Prepping This Weekend
Meal prep doesn’t have to mean eating the same sad lunch five days in a row. With egg bites and oats for breakfast, a couple of batch-cooked proteins, a bowl or soup, and a fast side, these 14 easy meal prep recipes give you real variety with very little weeknight work.
Pick three or four recipes, block out a couple of hours on Sunday, and let your appliances do the heavy lifting. If you make one of these, leave a rating on the recipe and tag @forktospoon so we can see your prep!
