24 Meal-Prep Recipes You Can Make On Sunday For The Whole Week

    Cook once, eat deliciously all week long.

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Maybe you're busy and don't have the time to cook a gourmet meal every night, or perhaps you're just getting tired of constantly cooking. These meal prep recipes are perfect for you. Make everything on Sunday and enjoy these meals that keep on giving for the rest of the week.

    1. Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

    Fit Foodie Finds / Via fitfoodiefinds.com

    Toss this four ingredient teriyaki sauce over some chicken breasts in the slow cooker and wait for this Japanese-inspired meal to cook itself. You can prep the rice and veggies simultaneously and just combine everything when you're ready to eat.

    Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

    2. Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls

    Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com

    Use whatever kind of meat (ground chicken, pork, or beef) or keep things vegetarian with something like sweet potato and black beans.

    Recipe: Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls

    3. Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

    Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com

    Butter chicken is one of those comforting take-out meals that is actually surprisingly easy to make at home. Heat it up with some frozen naan and basmati rice for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

    Recipe: Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

    4. Shrimp Fried Rice Bowls

    Several plastic containers filled with shrimp fried rice and green beans.
    Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net

    Skip the take-out this week and instead, make a big batch of this veggie-packed shrimp fried rice. If shrimp isn't your favorite, swap in anything from chicken to tofu.

    Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice Bowls

    5. Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi

    An Instant Pot filled with pasta, shrimp, peas, and red pepper flakes.
    Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com

    Frozen shrimp, peas, and your favorite pasta cook in the Instant Pot in a tangy and rich butter, garlic, and lemon sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese right before you're done cooking so it melts into the pasta.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi

    6. Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

    A Dutch oven filled with creamy chicken tortellini soup with carrots and fresh herbs.
    A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com

    A big pot of soup will keep you full (and feeling extra cozy) all week. You can make this with whatever kind of pasta you have on hand, but cheese-filled tortellini is always a good idea.

    Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

    7. Honey Garlic Salmon Lo Mein

    I am a Food Blog / Via iamafoodblog.com, I Am a Food Blog / Via iamafoodblog.com

    Don't worry if you don't have lo mein noodles: you can make this classic Chinese-inspired dish with spaghetti. If you're not into salmon, you can use this same honey garlic marinade on any protein.

    Recipe: Honey Garlic Salmon Lo Mein

    8. Korean Steak Bowls

    Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com

    Start with your favorite grain, cook some beef, mix up a crunchy cucumber slaw, and prepare the spicy gochujang dressing. Store everything separately in the fridge, then combine everything into one bowl at meal time.

    Recipe: Korean Steak Bowls

    9. Spiralized Pad Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

    Two food containers filled with spiralized zucchini pad Thai with chicken.
    The Girl On Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com

    This lightened up dish is made with zucchini noodles, but you can also use rice noodles for a more traditional pad Thai.

    Recipe: Spiralized Pad Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

    10. Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese

    A plate of penne topped with lentil Bolognese, grated cheese, and basil.
    Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com

    Celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, and lentils cooked in a mixture of red wine, crushed tomatoes, and spices gives this vegetarian dish a surprisingly meaty texture. Tossed with some pasta, you won't get sick of this recipe anytime soon.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese

    11. Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls

    A bowl of rice topped with chicken gyro, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, and yogurt sauce.
    Le Creme de la Crumb / Via lecremedelacrumb.com

    Prepare the cucumber salad and the Greek marinated chicken in a big batch, then serve everything on top of orzo throughout the week. If you don't have time to make tzatziki from scratch, grab a store-bought version.

    Recipe: Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls

    12. Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad

    The Defined Dish / Via thedefineddish.com

    While traditionally made with tuna, this salmon niçoise salad is nutritious, super fresh, and filling. Roast the salmon, green beans, and potatoes on a sheet pan and boil a handful of hard boiled eggs, and you'll have all the key ingredients ready to eat.

    Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad

    13. Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice

    Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com

    Instant Pot to the rescue! This one-pot meal never disappoints. Best of all, you can use pretty much whatever veggies are in your fridge.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice

    14. Honey Baked BBQ Salmon Bowls

    Cotter Crunch / Via cottercrunch.com

    The marinade — made with barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and honey — is light and zesty.

    Recipe: Honey Baked BBQ Salmon Bowls

    15. Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas

    I Wash Your Dry / Via iwashyoudry.com, I Wash You Dry / Via iwashyoudry.com

    Roasting carnitas in the oven can take all day, but this Instant Pot version cuts down the cooking time drastically. Enjoy the crispy pork all week in tacos, on burrito bowls, or on a bun.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas

    16. Sesame Noodle Bowls

    Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com

    Made with tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and Sriracha (if you like some heat), you'll want to put this easy homemade sesame sauce on everything.

    Recipe: Sesame Noodle Bowls

    17. Falafel Salad Bowls

    Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com

    Homemade falafel takes a bit of patience, but if you cook a big batch you can freeze it for months. Serve these crispy baked falafel balls on top of a big salad (slice the veggies in advance to save even more time!) or in pita bread.

    Recipe: Falafel Salad Bowls

    Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    It may be getting cold outside, but you can transport yourself to the Caribbean sunshine with this spicy and zesty jerk chicken.

    Recipe: Meal Prep Jerk Chicken and Gingered Broccoli

    19. Red Thai Curry Meal Prep

    Peanut Butter and Fitness / Via peanutbutterandfitness.com

    The greatest thing about curry is that once you prepare the sauce, you can add whatever protein and veggies you like best. Make a big bowl of rice and spoon the curry over the grains throughout the week.

    Recipe: Red Thai Curry Meal Prep

    20. Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    Our Salty Kitchen / Via oursaltykitchen.com

    Make a bunch of chicken breasts on Sunday, shred it with a fork, and douse it in buffalo sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. Follow the recipe and enjoy it in lettuce cups or get creative — eat it in sandwich form or even in tacos.

    Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    21. Muffin Tin Chicken Pot Pies

    The Food Charlatan / Via thefoodcharlatan.com

    These individually-portioned chicken pot pies are ideal for meal prepping. If you don't finish them all within a few days, pop them into the freezer for future lazy nights.

    Recipe: Muffin Tin Chicken Pot Pies

    22. Caprese Chicken Salad Bowls

    Glass containers filled with quinoa, mozzarella balls, tomato, chicken, and basil.
    Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com

    Not a quinoa person? Swap in your favorite grain or, better yet, your favorite kind of pasta!

    Recipe: Caprese Chicken Salad Bowls

    23. Cauliflower Fried Rice With Crispy Tofu

    Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com

    This lower-carb take on fried rice will still satisfy your comfort food cravings. Feel free to customize your bowls by adding your favorite fresh or frozen veggies and protein.

    Recipe: Cauliflower Fried Rice With Crispy Tofu

    24. Lemon Orzo With Roasted Vegetables

    Vanilla and Bean / Via vanillaandbean.com

    There's something about this veggie-packed orzo that just gets more delicious as it sits in the fridge. If you're worried about it getting soggy, prepare the olive oil and lemon dressing but keep it on the side.

    Recipe: Lemon Orzo With Roasted Vegetables