No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas

Sharing is caring!

Hey everybody! Today I am going to talk about no-cook meal prep ideas. Meal prepping is wonderful, but not everyone has the time or the skills to spend a few hours cooking each week.

If you are completely new to meal prepping check out my post How to Meal Prep in 4 Easy Steps. It walks you through all the steps and tricks that I have learned.

If you need some worksheets to help you plan and organize your meal prep, check out my Resource Library page.

Now that you know how to meal prep and got the tools you need to plan it, let’s talk about how to plan a no-cook meal prep.

10 No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas

Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on some of the links and make a purchase I receive a small commission. This in no way changes the price for you and helps to support this blog. I only recommend products that I believe would offer value to my readers. To learn more about my policy, click here.

Essentials for no-cook meal preps

First, we need to identify what are some of the best foods or ingredients to use to make good meals that don’t require you to cook them yourself.

The items in this list are either precooked or canned. This helps to save you lots of time and is perfect if you don’t feel very confident in the kitchen.

No-cook meal prep ideas

Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chickens are amazing! You can usually find them in the deli section of your local grocery store. They taste good alone or you can shred the meat off the bone to use in lots of different recipes.

no-cook meal prep ideas: sausage

Precooked Sausage

Precooked sausage is great for no-cook meal preps. You can use it as your protein for lots of recipes. You can find it in the deli section of your local grocery store.

N/A

 

Canned Beans

Canned beans are a very versatile ingredient. They are already cooked in the can and they come in lots of different varieties. All you need to do is drain and rinse the beans and they are ready to heat in the microwave or add to your recipe.

no-cook meal prep ideas: bagged salad

Salad Kits

Salads kits are another great no-cook food. The salads come prewashed, chopped, with complimentary toppings and salad dressing all ready to go. You can add some protein to make it a meal or use them as a side dish. They also come in lots of different varieties. You can find them in the produce section of your local grocery store.

N/A

 

Microwavable Rice

Rice makes a good no-cook ingredient because it can be added to so many recipes. It also works well as a side dish. You can find microwavable rice in the dried goods section of your grocery store. It comes in small single serve portions or bigger sizes as well.

no-cook meal prep ideas: frozen vegetables

Microwavable Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables you can steam in the microwave are wonderful for no-cook meal preps! They cook in about 5-6 minutes and couldn’t be easier to make. They make a great healthy side dish. You can find them in the freezer section of your local grocery store.

no-cook meal prep ideas: fruits and vegetables

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great addition to a no-cook meal prep. They are super healthy and travel well. You can find lots of them pre-cut in the produce section of the grocery store to save yourself even more time.

Recipe Ideas for a No-Cook Meal Prep

Here are some meal ideas that you can use to make a no-cook meal prep. All of these recipes can be cooked using a microwave alone. They are fast and pretty healthy.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

Combine some shredded rotisserie chicken with your favorite salad kit and you are ready to go.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken, rice and vegetables

Chicken, Rice, and Steamed Vegetables

Cut up a rotisserie chicken and use your microwave to cook the rice and vegetables. Dinner is served!

NO-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken Wrap

Chicken BLT Wrap w/ Fresh Fruit

Shredded rotisserie chicken, microwavable bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a little ranch dressing wrapped up in a tortilla. Add some fresh fruit on the side for a great lunch or dinner meal.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: BBQ sandwich

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches w/ Side Salad

Shred a rotisserie chicken into a bowl, pour in your favorite BBQ sauce, stir, and serve on a bun. Add half a salad kit as a side dish.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken quesadilla

Chicken Quesadillas

Take a tortilla, top with shredded rotisserie chicken, sprinkle cheese over top, cover with another tortilla. Heat in the microwave until cheese is melted and you are done. Put a little salsa and sour cream on the side for dipping.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken burrito bowl

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Mix together shredded rotisserie chicken and taco seasoning in a medium bowl. Cook rice in the microwave and place in your dinner bowl. Layer on top shredded lettuce and shredded rotisserie chicken. Top with shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Optional add-ins: canned beans and corn. Dinner is served!

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chili

Sausage and Bean Chili

Slice precooked sausage into 1-inch slices. Place sliced sausage, can of pinto beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of tomato sauce, and chili seasoning packet into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour the desired amount of chili into your dinner bowl and heat in the microwave. Optional toppings: Shredded cheese or sour cream. For a different variation, add in shredded rotisserie chicken instead of sausage.

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Taco Salad

Black Bean Taco Salad

Place shredded lettuce from a salad kit into a large bowl. Top with black beans, tortilla strips, and chipotle ranch salad dressing. Enjoy!

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: bean and corn quesadilla

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Place a can of black beans and a can of corn into a medium bowl. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top and stir to combine. Place a tortilla on a plate. Spread bean and corn mixture on top. Sprinkle cheese on top of beans and corn and top with another tortilla. Heat in the microwave and add sour cream or salsa for dipping. Dinner is served!

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas: Chili over potatoes

Chili Over Baked Potatoes w/ Steamed Veggies

Cook potato in the microwave. Cut in half and set aside. Pour chili beans in a small bowl and heat in the microwave. Pour chili beans over the baked potato and sprinkle cheese on top. Cook frozen vegetables in the microwave. Enjoy!

So there you have 10 no-cook meal prep ideas. These meals are perfect if you are new to cooking or need food you can make fast! Be sure to follow me on Pinterest here where you can find lots of other meal prep ideas for new or advanced cooks. If you have any other great no-cook meal prep ideas, leave a comment below or email me at Candice@littlestepsbighappy.com.

Looking for more healthy dinner recipes?

Pin this for later!!

No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas

You might also like:

4 Meal Prep Steps
How to Meal Prep in 4 Easy Steps
Picture of fruit, vegetables, and a meal plan. Text overlay: How to Meal Plan in 4 Simple Steps
How to Meal Plan in 4 Simple Steps
picture of food surrounding text: 4 Easy Weekly Meal Plans for Healthy Families
4 Easy Weekly Meal Plans for Healthy Families

 

Sharing is caring!

16 thoughts on “No-Cook Meal Prep Ideas”

  1. I just started budgeting and planning out our meals and pre pairing them all in advanced. We were shocked to realize how much we were spending on food for lunches when we would eat out. Definitely will be returning to this list for these recipes.

    Reply
    • It’s amazing how fast eating out can add up! I’m glad you found some ideas that were helpful for you! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

      Reply
  2. I do not use rotisserie chicken enough. There are so many easy recipes out there for using it. I’ve gotta step up my game! I’m always needing super quick dinner ideas.

    Reply
    • Rotisserie chicken is my go-to for recipes if I don’t have the time to cook the chicken myself. I’m glad you found something useful. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

      Reply

Leave a Comment