Written by Tyler DiGiovanni | BSBM
Fact checked by Sam Coleman, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
You can hit the gym as hard as you want, but your results will be disappointing if you're not getting the proper macronutrients. Too often, I've seen people wonder why they're not packing on size even though they regularly hit the gym and eat pretty clean. The problem, most of the time, is not eating enough to get a substantial amount of protein in your diet.
We want to give you 7 easy-to-make recipes that will give you a hefty serving of protein, and set you on the path of the brolic.
7 Easy Recipes To Help Build Muscle
We’ve got you covered with seven easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that pack a punch for muscle growth. These meals are designed to fuel your workouts and keep your muscles fed with the nutrients they need to grow stronger.
Easy Breakfast Recipes
What better way to fuel up your muscle protein synthesis than with the first meal of the day? Yea, yea, technically anything could be considered breakfast, but here's a couple recipes that use more traditional morning foods. You'll notice the carbs are also somewhat high; we wanted to ensure you have enough energy post-meal to crush it in the gym.
1. Egg and Oat Pancake
This may sound a little odd or gross at first, but it's not as bad as you think, and you can customize it to match your tastes.
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 tsp seasoning of choice (Sweet - Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinnamon, ¼ tsp Vanilla extract. Savory - Chinese Five-Spice, Italian seasoning etc)
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- Optional - 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
How to make it
- Crack all the eggs into a bowl and whisk until homogenous
- Add the oats to the bowl and mix until completely blended
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat
- Add the egg/oat mixture to the pan
- Once the bottom browns and little bubbles are seen on top, flip the pancake
- Cook until the bottom browns
- Optional - Top with peanut butter for an additional 7 grams of protein
Macros
- Protein - 37g without peanut butter, 44g with peanut butter
- Carbs - 62g without peanut butter, 70g with peanut butter
- Fat - 30g without peanut butter, 46g with peanut butter
Related: 3 Easy Protein Pancake Recipes
2. Overnight Oats
This is really one of the easiest things you can do. Pop all the ingredients into a container, mix it up, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Oats
- ½ cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
- ¾ cup 1% Milk
- 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
- Optional ingredients - fruits, berries, granola
Macros
- Protein - 38g
- Carbs - 80g
- Fats - 24g
Related: 4 Best Overnight Oat Recipes
Easy Lunch Recipes
We realize that most people don't eat lunch at home and don't want a huge meal that will add to the mid-day slump. Here are a couple of light, protein-rich meals that are simple to make.
3. Salad with Chicken
Okay, so yeah, it's not the best name, but there are a couple of different ways to do this one. The base salad will stay the same, but your effort level will change the type of chicken used. This recipe calls for chicken breast, but it's up to you whether or not you want to grill it or use a store-bought rotisserie bird.
Ingredients
- 8oz Chicken Breast
- 1 Large Hard Boiled Egg
- ½ Avocado
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it
- Put the spinach in a bowl or container
- Shred the chicken on top
- Add avocado cut into chunks if preferred
- Peel and cut the egg in half
- Garnish with olive oil and lemon juice
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
Macros
- Protein - 65g
- Carbs - 16g
- Fats - 37g
4. Mayo-Free Tuna Salad
This will take a little bit of prep at home, but at least with this fish-based lunch, you won't have to worry about being the person who reheats seafood in the staff microwave, drawing the ire of your co-workers.
Ingredients
- 2 5oz Canned Tuna in Water
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Squeeze of Lime Juice
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Celery
- Salt & Pepper to taste
How to make it
- Drain cans of tuna and add meat to a bowl
- Open the avocado and scrape it into the bowl
- Using a fork, mash the avocado and tuna together
- Add chopped red onion, celery, and a squeeze of lime juice
- Mix together
- Season to taste
Macros
- Protein - 62g
- Carbs - 18g
- Fats - 32g
Recipe: 12 High Protein Lunch Recipes To Build Lean Muscle
Easy Dinner Recipes
Since you most likely have a little more time to spend preparing this, the recipes might take a little longer, but they are by no means difficult to pull off.
5. Crock-pot Burrito Bowl
This one is pretty easy since you can get it set in the morning before leaving for work and have it ready when you walk in the door at night. The only extra time might be making some rice to go along with it.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Breast
- 2 15 oz Cans Low Sodium Black Beans Low Sodium
- 1 24oz Jar of Salsa
- 2 Cups Corn - Frozen
- 4 oz Water
- 1½ tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbps Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
How to make it
- Trim the fat off the chicken breast
- Put chicken on the bottom of the crock pot/slow cooker
- Drain your black beans and give them a quick rinse
- Add all the ingredients to the crock pot
- Mix to combine your spices, making sure to keep your chicken submerged before covering
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours
- Shred chicken with two forks when cooked
- Optional - Serve with a bowl of rice
Macros: (16 oz serving)
- Protein - 50g
- Carbs - 41g
- Fats - 2g
Related: 7 Best Protein Bowl Recipes
6. Protein Packed Chili
Who doesn't love chili? Chili is a fantastic protein-rich meal that will keep you full for hours. It's best served with a bowl of rice or some chips for extra carbs.
Ingredients
- ~3.5lb 93/7 Ground Beef
- 1 lb Bacon - chopped
- 2 Yellow Onions - diced
- 3 Tbsp Garlic - minced
- 1 Jalapeño - diced
- 2 15.5oz Cans Low-Sodium Red Kidney Beans
- 6 oz can Tomato Paste
- 3 Bell Peppers - cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 Tbsp Cumin (add more if needed)
- 1 tsp Chili Powder (add more if needed)
- Oregano to taste
- Onion Powder to taste
- Garlic Powder to taste
- 1 Tsp Ground Mustard
- 4 Bay Leaves (Take these out prior to eating)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
How to make it
- In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and fat has rendered
- Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon putting aside for later
- Add the diced onion to the left behind bacon fat, and cook until onions start to become translucent
- Add minced garlic and diced jalapeno, and cook for another minute
- Add powdered seasonings and ground beef to the pot, stirring and breaking up the beef into smaller pieces
- Once the meat is browned, add a can of tomato paste, add water to the can, get the leftover paste, and pour it into the pot
- Drain one can of beans and pour into the pot
- Pour the other entire can of beans into the pot
- Add the cut-up bell peppers and bacon
- If chili doesn't look like it has enough liquid, add another tomato paste can's worth
- Throw the bay leaves in
- Bring chili to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until beans and peppers are cooked through
Macros: (~16 oz serving)
- Protein - 65g
- Carbs - 30g
- Fats - 45g
7. Salmon Bowl
We had to include another fish dish on this list because of the health benefits of Omega-3s. Salmon is also a great choice due to its relatively mild fish flavor. Get ready for delicious Asian flavors and a high protein content.
Ingredients
- 8oz Salmon filet
- ½ cup thawed pre-shelled Edamame beans
- 1 Small Cucumber
- 1 Small Avocado
- 1 Scallion
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ Cup Long Grain Rice
- Bottle of preferred Teriyaki sauce
- 1 Cup Butter Lettuce
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it
- Cut the salmon into bite-size cubes and put them in a bowl or ziplock bag
- Add garlic powder, enough teriyaki sauce to cover the salmon, and a pinch of salt
- Let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes
- While the salmon is marinating, cook rice according to the directions on the package
- Slice cucumber into thin discs, chop the scallion, remove the pit and skin from the avocado, and cut into strips
- Once salmon has marinated, remove chunks and discard marinade
- Air fry salmon for 12 minutes at 390°F
- Put salmon on top of rice and lettuce, garnish with remaining ingredients
- Optional - Drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce
Macros
- Protein - 64g
- Carbs - 36g
- Fats - 35g
Wrap-Up
Instead of sticking with the same boring foods in your diet, try to incorporate these seven recipes into your meal plan. Each of these dishes is packed with muscle-building protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to help facilitate growth. Not only are they good for you, but they're also easy to make! You don't have to dread spending the entire day in the kitchen anymore for meal prep, with most of these dishes being able to be made in around 30 minutes (slow cooker being a big exception, but you're not doing anything during that time anyway).
Staying on track with your diet can be the most challenging part of chasing your dream physique, but hopefully, with these recipes, you can stay on track and enjoy your meals while doing so!
Have a favorite recipe of your own? Share it with us in the comments!
Tyler DiGiovanni
Author