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Author:
Kevin Curry
8 Healthy Mexican Meal Prep Ideas
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Meal prepping for the week is a time-saving habit to add to your weekly routine, but it can get boring if you use the same set of recipes over and over again. When you find healthy ingredients that work for you, the next step is finding variety in your arsenal of recipes. To make it easier on yourself, plan your meal prep for the week around one type of cuisine. That way, you’re more likely to be able to reuse preferred ingredients across multiple dishes. Ditch the repetition, and instead, try something new this week!
Here is a breakdown of 8 Mexican meal prep ideas that you can reheat and eat without a hassle. When you think of good Mexican food to make at home, it can be daunting to remember how time-consuming and complex many traditional recipes are. Believe it or not, you can still enjoy a flavorful meal without spending hours in the kitchen every night. Most of the repeat ingredients found throughout Hispanic dishes are fresh and full of bright flavors, making this a vibrant and nutrient-dense cuisine. Try some of these easy-to-make, healthy Mexican meal prep recipes.
Essential Ingredients for Mexican Meal Prep
As promised, when you meal prep you should be able to reuse ingredients so you can enjoy the same nutrient profile with different flavors. Mexican recipes often employ an array of fresh ingredients with different colors, textures, and tastes. This versatility makes homemade Mexican food a healthy but fun choice for meal prep.
Some of the most common ingredients that you’ll find repeated throughout many Mexican recipes include foods and spices like:
- Corn
- Beans
- Rice
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Lime
- Chili peppers
- Cilantro
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
Best Mexican Food Meal Prep Recipes
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
You can’t go wrong with a classic! While fajitas feel like a labor of love when you take a bite, it can actually be a quick and easy meal to put together for busy weeknights. These sheet-pan chicken fajitas can be ready in under 30 minutes and stored for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Instead of sauteing everything over the stove, this recipe calls for one baking tray and 25 minutes of oven time.
If you plan on storing sheet-pan Mexican fajitas for the week, try experimenting with your cooking time. Because bell peppers and other veggies can get too soft too quickly, you can take them out of the oven early so they finish cooking as you reheat.
Mexican Quinoa (Vegan)
Quinoa can be a nutrient-dense base for salads that measures up to the vitamin content of greens like kale and spinach. While it is higher in carbs than your traditional salad greens, it is also higher in complete protein and minerals like iron, magnesium, and folate. For plant-based eaters, quinoa is an excellent protein-substitute, and is even naturally gluten-free. So, for people with restricted diets, quinoa can be a perfect addition for versatility and nutrition.
This vegan Mexican quinoa salad is a healthy Mexican meal prep recipe that you can make in bulk and portion out for lunches or dinners during your week without worrying about the integrity of the base. Some meals do not sit well in the fridge, but quinoa continues to soak up bright flavors as it sits, so keeping it in the fridge should not compromise the taste.
Lighter Elotes (Dip)
Whether you prefer your corn on or off the cob, this recipe will elevate the sweet bite that we know and appreciate. Mexican street corn, otherwise known as elote, is a popular side dish and snack. You start by grilling ears of corn and topping them with mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, and chili powder. While it sounds simple, the creamy and cheesy addition to sweet corn perfectly balances the flavors for a mouth-watering chomp every time. You can prepare a few elotes ahead of time and store them in the fridge by wrapping the ear in aluminum foil, or in an airtight container if you prefer to shear the corn.
Tortilla soup is a warm and comforting classic that can make a rainy day feel right. The original name for Sopa de Tortilla is actually Sopa Azteca, which comes from the dish’s roots in Aztec society. Yes, it’s been around that long! Safe to say if a recipe has been popular for that many centuries, it’s probably delicious.
Don’t take my word for it, or the Aztecs. Try it for yourself! This authentic tortilla soup recipe will be perfect for a cold or dreary day. The warm chicken broth, bright herbs, and vibrant tomatoes are a perfect pick me up. The perfect thing about tortilla soup is that it’s a recipe you can make with some leftover ingredients from your week of Mexican meal prep. All of the ingredients in this recipe are staple ingredients in Mexican cooking, so try this instead of throwing away any extras!
Beef Barbacoa Bowls
Speaking of a labor of love, slow-cooked beef barbacoa is a delicious but timely protein to prepare. This recipe for beef barbacoa bowls is mouth-watering, but expect to prepare for dinner when the sun is still high. The slab of meat should take about 8 hours in the slow cooker, so patience is the key to success! From there, a meal prep Mexican bowl is just a few ingredients away.
The effort it takes is seriously worth it! Beef barbacoa is a perfect protein for Mexican bowl meal prep because of the bold and rich seasonings that have developed in the meat. As it marinates with the other base ingredients like rice and beans, it will infuse that fullness of flavor.
Vegetarian Chiles Rellenos
Even when your diet restricts certain ingredients, you shouldn’t have to give up delicious favors that you crave. The tex-mex and southern/hispanic combo of flavors is popular for the ability to adapt to various dietary restrictions without sacrificing traditional and satisfying dishes. These vegetarian chiles rellenos are filled with mushrooms, onions, black beans, and corn — ingredients that will soak up the bright tang of the poblano chili pepper.
You can make a batch of these stuffed peppers in under an hour, and then store them for up to 4 days in the fridge for reheating. Throw them in the microwave for a quick meal or crispen up the outer layer of the pepper by reheating in the oven. If you’re looking for anti-inflammatory Mexican recipes, the alternative of black beans and mushrooms in these chilies rellenos make it a perfect choice.
Authentic Tacos al Pastor
Tacos al Pastor are made with pork shoulder — a tasty but technical cut of meat to work with. If cooked right, the thin slices of meat are bold, spiced, and tender. The authentic method of preparing tacos al pastor is to use a spit, which is a metal rotating stick that cooks the meat evenly on all sides. You may see these machines in certain hispanic restaurants to prepare certain cuts, but they are less common to have in the house.
If you don’t have a spit and aren’t in the market for one, the next best option would be cooking it on a vertical skewer over a drip pan in the oven, or you can use a skillet to brown the meat and infuse the marinade. Because you traditionally use a whole pork shoulder, this is a perfect recipe to add to your list of Mexican meal prep ideas. Simply shred cuts of meat and store in an airtight container to be used in tacos throughout the week.
Enchiladas Verdes
Enchiladas verdes are made with green tomatillo peppers which are typically more mild and sweet than alternatives like the habanero. Instead of focusing on spice level, green tomatillo salsa is savory and tangy. To meal prep these enchiladas verdes, you’ll want to prepare the sauce and rolled tortillas separately. Fill your tortillas with shredded chicken, cheese, and any other preferred toppings, and then roll them up tight. Store these in an airtight container in the fridge, and when you’re ready to eat one, top with the green sauce and reheat it in the oven or microwave.
Customizing Your Meal Prep Mexican Food
Whether you’re a picky eater, have dietary restrictions, or focus on hitting specific nutrient-goals, Mexican food is one of the easiest cuisines to find simple and delicious substitutes for.
For example, if you are vegan and don’t eat meat, swapping out chicken for beans and rice in an enchilada would be delicious. If you focus your attention specific proteins like pork, beef, chicken, or seafood, you’ll find a whole arsenal of bold and flavorful recipes with that protein.
When you meal prep Mexican food, you have the flexibility to mix and match proteins and produce with your ultimate goals.
Final Thoughts
Meal prep doesn’t have to be boring and repetitive. Even if you want to focus on a select few ingredients, you can make a variety of unique tasting dishes. Mexican meal prep is the perfect idea for when you feel stuck in a culinary rut and want to spice things up — no pun intended. Try one of these delectable recipes or check out more Mexican-inspired dishes in the Fit Me Cook recipe section.
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