Chicken & Rice Freezer Bowls
In the same spirit as those frozen burritos I make from leftover takeout, these chicken, vegetable, and rice bowls are my way of making mornings less stressful and evenings less frustrating. Standing in the freezer aisle looking at TV dinners—the kind with a protein, a starch, and a vegetable—I realized a lot of folks rely on them not because they’re exciting, but because they make life easier. I wanted something in my own freezer that did the same job, only better.
So I sauté onions, cook ground chicken until it’s saucy, and layer it over vegetables and rice so the chicken drapes down over everything when it reheats. It’s a complete meal made ahead, saved for later, and the kind of lunch my kids are proud to say their chef mom made… even if I made it weeks ago. Makes 6 perfect lunches for later.
What You Need
6 plastic pint (16oz) containers with lids or 6 mason jars of the same size, also with lids.
Freezer or painter tape
Sharpie or permanent marker
4 cups cooked white or brown rice
4 cups meat mixture
3 cups veggie mixture
Chopped peanuts, squeeze of lime and fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Ingredients
For the meat mixture
2 tablespoons olive oil or other cooking oil of your choice
1-1 ½ lb ground chicken, turkey, pork, beef or tofu
1 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 medium onion (cut into small dice)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large tomatoes (cut into small dice with their juice), about 2 cups
1 tablespoon tamarind puree (optional)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
A nice handful cilantro leaves (optional)
For the vegetables
1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil of your choice
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cloves, minced garlic
Pinch of chili flakes
2 cups cooked, bitesize vegetables such as edamame, corn, carrots, broccoli or asparagus
3 cups packed spinach or kale leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter
Directions
Make the filling
In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Then add the ground meat, onions, ginger and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the meat and onions are cooked through and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and spices. Cook for an additional two minutes or until the garlic and spices are fragrant and toasted. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated at the bottom of your pan. Once they are fully incorporated and have started to break down add the tamarind and the broth and allow it to simmer for another three minutes or so. You want the mixture to be saucy, not soupy. If you take it too far and the meat mixture looks dry, add a little water to juice it up. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Make the veggies
Wipe out your meat skillet and return it to the stove. Add the oil and the ginger and heat over medium until the ginger just starts to sizzle. Add the edamame and saute for about one minute. Then add your greens, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Let the greens wilt down while tossing. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice vinegar and butter, stirring until the butter is melted. Set aside.
Build your bowls
Begin by distributing the meat mixture evenly between each of the 6 containers. Next, divide the veggie mixture on top of that. Finish with the rice.
If you have measured correctly, this should give you a little room at the top of each container to allow the food to expand as it freezes without breaking its top open. If your containers are full to the top, scoop out some rice.
Grab your freezer tape and a sharpie and make labels with the name and date. If you plan to gift these or if you intend for your kids to heat them up themselves, you can write heating instructions on that label.
To reheat, remove the lid and drape a clean kitchen towel over top. Microwave on defrost for 4 minutes. Then raise the temperature to high and heat for 5 more minutes. Allow it to cool in the microwave for a minute before inserting a knife through the center to make sure it is nice and warm. If it is, carefully invert it onto a plate, and sprinkle it with peanuts, herbs and lime. If this is a packed lunch situation, you can leave it in the original container and pack that in an insulated bag. Then invert it into a bowl just before eating.