Traveling is always fun, but I’m always so ready to get back to a good eating routine as soon as I get back. So, as soon as I got back from my trip to China I set to work preparing some meal preps. Meal preps with a LOT of vegetables! For this Roasted Vegetable Couscous Meal Prep I combined a few of my favorite recipes to create a super filling veggie-packed meal that can be made either with chicken or as a vegetarian/vegan meal prep with chickpeas. And remember, these meal preps can also be served as a regular dinner combo instead of being packed away for later!
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This Meal Prep Includes:
- Roasted Vegetable Couscous (made with less couscous and more parsley to increase vegetable to couscous ratio, and reduce the recipe size)
- Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breast
- OR Garlic Herb Chickpeas (using my All-Purpose Garlic Herb Seasoning, instructions below)
- Ranch Dressing (Optional. I used store bought this time, Ken’s Steakhouse brand)
Make This Meal Prep Vegetarian or Vegan
In the recipe instructions below I show you how to make quick Garlic Herb Chickpeas to use in place of the Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken Breast for a vegetarian option. Not only are the Garlic Herb Chickpeas super fast, but they bring the cost of this recipe down to $2.20 per serving instead of $4.00. So it’s quite a savings!
Use vegan ranch dressing to make the whole meal vegan, or make a homemade vegan ranch dressing. There are a TON of recipes for vegan ranch dressing online from very reputable sites. Check out Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing from Karissa’s Kitchen, Easy Ranch Dressing from Minimalist Baker, or Vegan Ranch Dressing from Food with Feeling.
How to Store the Roasted Vegetable Couscous Meal Prep
Store the roasted vegetable couscous with the sliced chicken or garlic herb chickpeas in one container, but I suggest leaving the ranch dressing separate, in case you want to reheat the dish before eating. This dish can be eaten cold or reheated. The exact containers in the photos in this post are apparently not available anymore, but you can find a comparable set of glass containers here (affiliate link).
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Meal Prep
Servings 4Ingredients
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
- 4 Roma tomatoes ($1.35)
- 2 zucchini (about 20 oz.) ($1.69)
- 1 bell pepper ($1.00)
- 1 red onion ($0.42)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 pinches salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 cup couscous ($0.79)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth ($0.20)
- 1/2 bunch parsley (about 1 cup chopped) ($0.40)
Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breast or Garlic Herb Chickpeas*
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 lb. each) OR two 15 oz. cans chickpeas ($4.23)
- 2 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.36)
- 1 tsp dried parsley ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- pepper ($0.02)
Optional Dressing
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing ($0.70)
Instructions
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
- Prepare the Roasted Vegetable Couscous first. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop the Roma tomatoes, zucchini, and bell pepper into 1-inch pieces. Slice the red onion into 1/2-inch thick strips. Place the tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and peeled garlic on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the chopped vegetables, toss to coat, then season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
- While the vegetables are roasting, begin the couscous. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a small sauce pot. Once boiling, stir in the couscous. Place a lid on top, remove the pot from the heat, and let the couscous sit for five minutes, or until all of the broth is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then place in the refrigerator to begin cooling as you prepare the rest of the meal.
For Garlic Herb Baked Chicken
- While the couscous is chilling, begin the garlic herb baked chicken. Combine the room temperature butter with the parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir until it forms a paste.
- If the chicken breasts are thick, gently pound them with a mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness, no more than 3/4-inch thick (I cover the chicken with plastic to prevent splatter when pounding). Pat the chicken dry, then smear the butter herb mixture over the entire surface.
- Place the seasoned chicken in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 400ºF, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
For Garlic Herb Chickpeas
- To make Garlic Herb Chickpeas instead, rinse and drain 2 15oz. cans of chickpeas. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add the chickpeas, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden and the skins are blistered. Remove them from heat and then season with the same garlic herb spices used for the chicken (no butter). Stir until the chickpeas are coated in the herbs and spices.
Assemble the Meal Prep
- When the vegetables are finally finished roasting, pull out the whole garlic cloves from the baking sheet and mince them. Combine the partially cooled couscous, the roasted vegetables, garlic, and chopped parsley in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Divide the Roasted Vegetable Couscous between four containers and top with sliced chicken or 1/4 of the Garlic Herb Chickpeas. Serve each portion with 2 Tbsp ranch dressing.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Small Roasting Pan
- Glass Meal Prep Containers
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Roasted Vegetable Couscous Meal Prep – Step by Step Photos
Start the roasted vegetables first, since they will take the longest to cook. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. I used 4 Roma tomatoes, 2 zucchini, 1 bell pepper, 1 red onion, and 4 cloves of garlic. Chop the zucchini, bell pepper, and tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Slice the onion into 1/2-inch strips. Peel the garlic, but leave it whole.
Place the chopped vegetables on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and toss to coat. Season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The rest of the meal will be prepared while the vegetables are in the oven. They will likely be the last ingredient to finish cooking.
Begin the couscous next. Bring 1.5 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a small sauce pot. Once boiling, stir in 1 cup couscous, place a lid on top, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then transfer it to the refrigerator to begin cooling as you prepare the rest of the meal.
Next start the chicken. If your chicken is thick, pound it to an even thickness, no more than 3/4-inch thick, using a mallet or rolling pin (I cover it with plastic while pounding to prevent splatter). Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Combine 2 Tbsp room temperature butter with 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some pepper until it forms a paste. Spread the paste over the entire surface of the chicken.
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes at 400ºF, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
If you want to do Garlic Herb Chickpeas instead, simply rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of chickpeas. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add the chickpeas and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden and the skins are blistered. Remove the chickpeas from the heat, then add the same garlic herb seasoning blend as used above (dried parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper). Stir to coat the chickpeas in the herbs and spices.
When the vegetables are finally finished roasting, remove the whole garlic cloves and mince them. Combine the cooked and cooled couscous, roasted vegetables, garlic, and about 1/2 bunch chopped parsley (about 1 cup chopped) in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Divide the Roasted Vegetable Couscous between four containers.
Then top with either sliced Garlic Herb Baked Chicken or Garlic Herb Chickpeas.
Drizzle 2 Tbsp ranch dressing over top of each serving just before eating.
I came across this recipe and I haven’t tried it yet, but I really do! I am skeptical because when I have done meal prep before, my chickpeas always get hard and not crispy anymore by the next morning. Does this still happen if you cook them in a skillet like you did in this recipe?
I wouldn’t describe these chickpeas as crispy, even just after cooking. They’re more like just seasoned and heated. Because they don’t dry out and get crispy in the skillet, they don’t get hard after refrigeration either.
Delicious! I was a little bit skeptical about how it would all come together but the flavors are perfect! I did mine with chickpeas and a side of ranch and it was great. Great healthy lunch option!
My veggies turned out kinda mushy :/ Any tips to prevent this? Loved the recipe though!
Vegetables do get quite soft when you roast them, but if by mushy you mean soft and watery, that might be a problem with the vegetables being too over crowded on the baking sheet. When they are spread out a bit that moisture can evaporate as they roast and they don’t get soupy.
This is one of my new favourites! I made the chickpea version, and used a tzatziki sauce instead of ranch because all the flavours of this just seemed so Mediterranean to me. I have a tendency to want to overcomplicate things in the kitchen, but Budget Bytes has shown me how to keep it simple yet still delicious :)
Sooo yummy! I made this tonight but subbed cilantro for the parsley, and made your lime crema instead of the ranch. Delicious!
OOOOh where to I find this Lime Crema recipe?! That sounds more up my alley then ranch….
Here you go, Joy: Lime Crema :)
So good! I ended up picking out the fresh parsley so next time I’ll just leave it out lol. It stayed fresh in my fridge for 4/5 days. The chickpeas were great &filling, a good meal to have in my arsenal going forward as I try to switch over to being a vegetarian!
I have made the cous cous and chicken multiple times and it is a crowd pleaser! One question though: are you meant to spread the herb butter over both sides of the chicken? Every time I try it seems to not be enough. Thanks so much for your great recipes!
Hi Andrea! You’ll be just fine rubbing it on top of the chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
Hello,
I just made this and it tastes amazing! Perfect for me and my brother as we’re both still in college :)
I was just wondering, how many grams are there in 1 serving for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Jill! The recipe makes about 4 servings total.
I dont want to sound dumb, but I work nights so it’s hard to make decent meals for myself for the week. How many days would the chickpea one last in the fridge? Is it possible to freeze them? Also are there any dishes you might recommend, my work place doesnt have a microwave to heat our food.
Hi Taryn, we recommend 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Made this with chickpeas tonight and it was fantastic. My son told me to rate it 5 stars and add it to my favorites. :) My only change was using bulgur wheat instead of couscous because that is what I happened to have on hand. Thanks for the recipe.
Hooray! Winner!!
Absolutely delicious. Made both the chicken for my omnivore partner and made the chickpeas for myself (vegan), and we both absolutely devoured it. I accidentally put vegan butter in the spices for the chickpeas as well as the chicken (should have been the chicken only, I read the recipe too fast), but that was a very happy mistake because it tasted amazing.
What a great adaptable recipe for you both! Thanks for sharing Joyce!
Can this be stored 4 days if you choose the chickpeas instead of the chicken and remove the tomatoes?
We recommend storing for just a few days in the fridge. Removing the tomatoes can help it from getting too soggy yes.
Hi, just wondering how long this can be stored in the fridge? thanks
We recommend up to 3 days.
Beth, you continue to surprise me with each recipe you post. I don’t know what sort of witchcraft you did but this recipe was FANTASTIC. This was my first time making couscous, and I can now say I will eat it regularly. Very easy to put together, and delicious. Please post more meal prep recipes, they are my absolute favorite!
Well thank you Nisha!
Thank you, Nisha!! :)
I may have overlooked it, but I can’t find the temperature the chicken cooks at. Could it bake at the same time that the veggies are roasting?
Yep, same temp, 400ºF. :)