Whether you’re a fitness fanatic, member of the Cody Rigsby Peloton fan club, or a busy parent, we could all use a bit more protein in our lives. Not only is protein important for recovering from exercise and building muscle, its digestion and absorption is metabolically costly. If you’ve heard of the thermic effect of food, 20-30% of calories in protein consumed are used for digestion. That’s 5-10x more than carbs or fat!
Science aside, proteins just soothe the soul and keep your belly full. And that’s key for happy living and fat loss all the same. So, in this post, you’ll find 30 awesome high protein meal prep recipes to help you get more protein in your diet and enjoy every bite doing it.
1. Air Fryer Chicken Bites/Nuggets
With flavors like lemon pepper, cajun, garlic parmesan, and a Chick-Fil-A grilled nuggets copycat, these air fried chicken morsels are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. They’re super easy to make and go great with just about anything.
- Calories: 150
- Protein: 27g
- Carbs: 0g
- Fat: 5g
Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Bites
2. Baked Almond Chicken
Whether you’re running through Whole30 or just need a lower carb protein option for meal prep, this almond chicken should satisfy any and all crunchy fried chicken cravings.
- Calories: 300
- Protein: 31g
- Carbs: 6g
- Fat: 17g
Recipe: Paleo Almond Chicken
3. Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
If you’re a fan of shredded chicken, this is a must try recipe. It calls for chicken thighs so every bite is ultra tender, and I have a ton of recipes to make with it like nachos, sliders, stuffed sweet potatoes, and BBQ chicken mac and cheese.
- Calories: 165
- Protein: 18g
- Carbs: 3g
- Fat: 9g
Recipe: Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken or Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
4. Veggie Chicken Soup
With sweater weather right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start perfecting your soup roster. I know this veggie packed chicken soup will always have a place in my high protein meal prep rotation. You could say it’s chicken soup for the meal prepper’s soul.
- Calories: 235
- Protein: 30g
- Carbs: 23g
- Fat: 3g
Recipe: Veggie Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash
5. Smoked Chicken Breast
This recipe makes a huge batch of tender, smoky sliced chicken. It’s one of my all time favorite chicken recipes. And while the base recipe makes Mexican seasoned smoked chicken, you can use any seasoning blend or rub you’d like.
- Calories: 180
- Protein: 26g
- Carbs: 8g
- Fat: 4g
Recipe: Traeger Smoked Chicken Breast
6. Twice Baked Potatoes
You may be wondering why a carb source like potatoes would be on a roundup of high protein meal prep ideas, but the inclusion of center cut bacon and fat free Greek yogurt gives these twice baked potatoes a big protein boost.
- Calories: 195g
- Protein: 11g
- Carbs: 21g
- Fat: 8g
Recipes: Traeger Smoked Twice Baked Potatoes or Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
7. Baked Tacos
There’s nothing better than popping a few of these tacos in the air fryer for a few minutes to bring them back to life. You can use all kinds of filling options and have a crispy, crunchy snack on hand at all times.
- Calories: 120
- Protein: 11g
- Carbs: 10g
- Fat: 4g
Recipe: Crispy Baked Tacos
8. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
With options to make a big ol’ batch in a smoker or baked in the oven, these buffalo chicken stuffed peppers are a meal prep must. They satisfy all the cheese, salty cravings while still packing a big veggie punch. And that, in my opinion, is what high protein meal prep is all about.
- Calories: 230
- Protein: 27g
- Carbs: 13g
- Fat: 8g
Recipes: Traeger Smoked Stuffed Peppers or Baked Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
9. Protein Pancake Mix
Okay, this recipe is technically cheating because you mix protein powder with other pancake mixes. But it makes THE best protein pancakes and waffles in town. And you can easily make things like high protein McGriddles or chicken and protein waffles.
- Calories: 110
- Protein: 7g
- Carbs: 14g
- Fat: 3g
Recipe: Homemade Protein Pancake Mix
And for more recipes like this, check out all my protein powder recipes.
10. Firecracker Chicken
Ground chicken is a high protein meal prep superstar. It’s super low fat and takes on any flavor you can throw at it. In this case, it’s a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce that’s appropriately named for the flavor explosion that’s bound to occur. Pair it with rice, cauliflower rice, or wrap in an egg roll wrapper or baked wonton cup for a protein packed treat.
- Calories: 185
- Protein: 22g
- Carbs: 0g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: Firecracker Ground Chicken
11. Ground Chicken Chorizo
I’m really proud of this recipe. It transforms ultra lean ground chicken into something almost identical to fatty Mexican pork chorizo. You can make huge batches and toss in a pan to reheat for next level breakfast tacos, chorizo con papas, chorizo queso, and more.
- Calories: 130
- Protein: 21g
- Carbs: 1g
- Fat: 6g
Recipe: Mexican Chicken Chorizo
12. Mexican Chicken
I usually pull this recipe out when we’re entertaining, but it works just as well as a high protein meal prep recipe. Similar to the BBQ chicken above, this recipe uses chicken thighs and light broiling to make tender and flavorful chicken with tons of crispy bits for texture. Whether you make tacos, salads, or eat it straight out of a container, it’s a real treat.
- Calories: 200
- Protein: 22g
- Carbs: 2g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: Pulled Mexican Chicken Thighs
13. Air Fryer Orange Chicken
You are going to love this Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken recipe that is easy to make form pantry staples and great for meal prep and lunch boxes.
- Calories: 203
- Protein: 25g
- Carbs: 15g
- Fat: 4g
Recipe: Air Fryer Orange Chicken
14. Mexican Pork Tenderloin
Similar to the smoked chicken breast above, this pork tenderloin packs a huge amount of flavor into an otherwise boring cut of meat. Pair it with a big batch of smoked charro beans and esquites, and you’ll have protein packed meals all week.
- Calories: 175
- Protein: 29g
- Carbs: 7g
- Fat: 3g
Recipe: Smoked Pork Tenderloin
15. Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
You aren’t going to believe how simple it is to prepare this delicious Greek Chicken recipe for meals all week long using pantry staples you already own.
- Calories: 307
- Protein: 28g
- Carbs: 12g
- Fat: 17g
Recipe: Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
16. Greek Ground Chicken and Rice Skillet
What’s not to love about Greek seasoned ground chicken, veggies, and high protein rice all cooked together in one skillet? This is a super easy recipe that goes perfectly with a Mediterranean salad and Greek yogurt Tzatziki sauce.
- Calories: 280
- Protein: 28g
- Carbs: 22g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: Greek Ground Chicken Skillet
17. Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
These tender lemon pepper chicken thighs cooked with bright, zesty seasoning are easy to make and are full of flavor! They’re perfect for meal prep or a weeknight meal.
- Calories: 474
- Protein: 56g
- Carbs: 6g
- Fat: 27g
Recipe: Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
18. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
This healthier chicken salad is made with Greek yogurt in place of mayo and is an easy high protein meal to prep for the week ahead.
- Calories: 122
- Protein: 22g
- Carbs: 3g
- Fat: 2g
Recipe: Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
19. BBQ Chicken Meatballs
How many meatballs is too many for meal prep? Like Lindsay Lohan would say, the limit does not exist. These things are super easy to make and reheat like a dream.
- Calories: 95
- Protein: 9g
- Carbs: 5g
- Fat: 4g
Recipe: Baked BBQ Chicken Meatballs
20. Greek Meatballs and Potatoes
If you like sheet pan meals, these Greek meatballs should be right up your alley. The extra crispy potatoes are the perfect match, and you can even add more veggies to the sheet pan to make it a high volume meal prep option.
- Calories: 370
- Protein: 36g
- Carbs: 39g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: Sheet Pan Meatballs and Potatoes
21. High Protein Pork Carnitas
These Carnitas are loaded with protein and they’re great for meal prep. Add these carnitas to tacos, burritos and salads.
- Calories: 245
- Protein: 33g
- Carbs: 4g
- Fat: 10g
Recipe: Whole30 Pork Carnitas
22. One-Pan Cheeseburger Pasta
Chickpea pasta is a high protein recipe superstar, but you have to get it just right for meal prep. And this recipe definitely gets it right.
- Calories: 275
- Protein: 25g
- Carbs: 19g
- Fat: 13g
Recipe: Ground Chicken Cheeseburger Pasta
And for more high protein pastas, check out my Banza pasta recipes.
23. Cajun Butter Chicken and Potatoes
Cajun Butter Chicken and Potatoes are an easy one pan meal ready in under an hour and perfect for meal prep. These juicy chicken breasts and crispy potatoes are perfectly seasoned with a little kick!
- Calories: 335
- Protein: 39g
- Carbs: 29g
- Fat: 7g
Recipe: Sheet Pan Cajun Chicken and Potatoes
24. Honey Sriracha Ground Chicken and Broccoli
Pan roasted broccoli meets sweet and spicy ground chicken in this dynamic duo of a recipe. Pro tip: Make double or triple, because it won’t last long.
- Calories: 260
- Protein: 30g
- Carbs: 18g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: One-Pan Ground Chicken and Broccoli
25. Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
Deconstructed stuffed peppers are a protein packed meal that’s full of flavor, perfect for meal prep!
- Calories: 360
- Protein: 20g
- Carbs: 63g
- Fat: 3g
Recipe: 30-Minute Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
26. Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup
You can make this soup on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker, and it’s packed with spicy chipotle beef and tons of filling vegetables. It doesn’t get more “meal prep friendly” than soup in my opinion. Not only does it reheat well, I think it’s even better as leftovers.
- Calories: 185
- Protein: 14g
- Carbs: 23g
- Fat: 4g
Recipe: Ground Beef Vegetable Beef Soup
27. Teriyaki Beef Meal Prep Bowls
As one of my most popular social media recipes of all time, these meal prep bowls combine teriyaki ground beef with zucchini and mushrooms over a blend of jasmine and cauliflower rice. All that is topped off with a lower calorie yum yum sauce to make aesthetic bowls that are high volume, packed with protein, and reheat great for meal prep.
- Calories: 330
- Protein: 23g
- Carbs: 35g
- Fat: 9g
Recipe: Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry
28. Texas Style Pulled Beef
With only five ingredients, this recipe is one of the easiest high protein meal prep recipes on the list. Everything goes in a slow cooker to make a Tex Mex spin on Mississippi pot roast. It’s perfect for making pulled beef tacos and quesadillas or leftover beef hash, omelets, nachos, and more.
- Calories: 180
- Protein: 18g
- Carbs: 2g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Shoulder Roast
29. Creamy Italian Ground Chicken Soup
This recipe went super viral on Instagram, and for good reason. Extra lean ground chicken is cooked with Italian seasoning, garlic, and Calabrian chiles before adding farfalle, green peas, and a cheesy lemon ricotta sauce. It’s thick, creamy, and packed with protein.
- Calories: 370
- Protein: 41g
- Carbs: 33g
- Fat: 10g
Recipe: Italian Ground Chicken Soup
30. One Pot Lemon Ricotta Ground Turkey Pasta
This one pot pasta recipe combines jumbo pasta shells and a cheesy ricotta sauce with roasted broccoli and lemon pepper seasoned ground turkey. It has way better macros than it has any business having, and it’s one of the easiest recipes on this list to make.
- Calories: 390
- Protein: 36g
- Carbs: 38g
- Fat: 11g
Recipe: One Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
Wrapping Up
This was obviously a meat heavy list. If you need more plant based options, check out this 4 day high protein vegan meal plan or roundup of 40 vegan recipes high in protein. And if you have any questions about recipes on this list or anything macronutrient related, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Billy
Saturday 30th of April 2022
There were some great ideas on here that I never would've thought of! I personally value nutrition over taste, so the healthy substitutions wouldn't bother me at all, yet I know it'll hardly make a difference to taste!