Smoked Paprika Grilled Chicken with Lemon Roasted Broccoli

We can't go too long meal prepping before we run into chicken, can we? Chicken is a staple of meal preppers around the world due to its low cost and amazing macros. Trying to spice it up and vary your chicken intake can be a struggle sometime, but smoked paprika adds a flavor that sets this recipe apart from any other plain grilled chicken out there. This week's recipe is adapted from this skillet chicken recipe and this roasted broccoli recipe. The secret to this mediterranean-style meal is the smoked paprika and the lemon juice on the broccoli--adds a bit of pep to an otherwise straight-forward meal. I typically will add hummus to dip the chicken in to add some variety. Blueberries help round out this meal with a bit of sweet fruit.

Macros

• Calories: 709
• Protein: 63g
• Carbs: 26.5g
• Fat: 41.5g
• Sugar: 6g

Shopping List

• 4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 container Smoked Paprika (make sure that it’s smoked, not regular!)
• 3x 10oz bags of broccoli flowerets
• 1 bag MacFarms Roasted & Salted Macadamia Nuts (Costco)
• (optional) Hummus (pick up whatever's available, or cheap)
• (optional) 2x 16oz containers of blueberries

Other items (if you don't have this at home already):

• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Ground cumin
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Garlic (4 cloves, minced)

Preparation

Chicken - 1-2 hours

In a small bowl, mix together the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Cut chicken breasts in half, to make it easier/faster to grill. Rub with smoked paprika mix (above). Yeah, this is messy.

Note: I like to mix the spices/olive oil and prep the chicken the night before I'm planning on grilling it, just to let everything set and it saves time when you're actually prepping the next day. After cutting the chicken in half and applying the rub, I’ll toss it in a 9x13, cover, and refrigerate. It’s fine to do this the day of, but it helps spread the prep time out. 

Grill the chicken as you typically would. Once done, cut up into strips and divide into 8oz portions per meal.

Lemon Roasted Broccoli - 30-45 minutes

1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in two 9x13 metal pans.
2. Prep the broccoli by cutting the flowerets in half, if needed, to make them easier to eat and roast faster. Divide equally between pans.
3. Cut lemon in half, squeeze one half per pan.
4. Divide garlic between pans, 2 cloves per pan.
5. Salt to taste, and toss.
6. Roast over low(ish) heat on grill or in oven--somewhere around 375 degrees. Stir every 10 minutes to make sure the broccoli is roasted evenly--remove when done. This typically takes 25-30 minutes...I like it when it’s a bit soft and some have been charred nicely.

Once done, divide between your 6 meals (typically I shoot for 4-5oz).

Hummus - 5 minutes

In small plastic container, measure out as much hummus as you’ll want, and store in refrigerator. I typically do 6 Tbsp, or 81g. I only have one small container, so I have to do this each morning.

Macadamia Nuts - 10 minutes

In 6 plastic snack baggies, measure out 33g of mixed nuts per bag. Store in cupboard.

Blueberries - 10 minutes

In 6 plastic snack baggies, measure out 4oz of blueberries per bag. Store in refrigerator.

Putting it all together

While the meat is cooking, prep the broccoli and get it roasting in the oven, or put them aside to roast on the grill later. Then, measure out your blueberries, mixed nuts, and hummus.
Once the meat and broccoli is done, cut up the meat, and weigh out your servings in your snazzy meal prep containers. I shoot for 8oz meat, 4oz+ of broccoli per lunch. You should get something like the picture below. Toss all this in the fridge, and in the morning each day just grab your container, blueberries, hummus, and nuts, toss in a lunchbox with some ice and go!