Meal prep without an oven

You do not need an oven to meal prep. A stove with one or two burners, a wide pan and a large pot cover most of what batch cooking needs. Stews, curries, stir-fries, soups and rice bowls are all stovetop food, and they are also the dishes that keep best in the fridge.

What equipment do you need?

• A wide frying pan or wok, at least 12 inches across, so meat browns instead of steaming.
• A large pot with a lid, for rice, pasta, soups and curries.
• A sharp knife, a big cutting board and a set of containers.
• An instant-read thermometer, so you know chicken has reached 165°F without cutting it open.

The full list, with what to skip, is in the kitchen tools you need for meal prep.

Which recipes work on the stove?

• Ground beef and broccoli rice bowls: one pan, 20 minutes.
• Garlic chicken and rice bowls: pan-fried thighs and steamed broccoli.
• Chicken fajita bowls: a hot pan and thinly sliced chicken.
• Coconut chickpea curry and big-batch turkey chili: one pot each, and both freeze.
• Black bean soup: the cheapest pot on the site.
• Cold peanut noodle salad: only the pasta needs heat.

How do you plan the cooking with one burner?

Cook in the order that frees up the burner fastest. Rice or pasta goes first, because it can sit covered off the heat while you cook the rest. Then the dish that needs your attention, such as a stir-fry. A soup or curry can simmer last while you portion everything else.

If you have two burners, run the pot of rice and the pan of protein at the same time. Two hours covers three recipes. The timing is laid out in how to meal prep a week in one afternoon.

What about baked dishes like egg muffins?

Some make-ahead breakfasts need an oven, but there are stovetop versions. Scramble eggs with peppers for breakfast burritos, or make overnight oats, which need no heat at all. A microwave also cooks a single mug of eggs in about a minute.

How do you cool food quickly without much space?

Spread rice on a tray, slice meat before chilling, and split a big pot of soup into shallow containers. Everything should be in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. More on this in how long meal prep lasts.

Is a microwave enough for reheating?

Yes. Add a splash of water, cover loosely and stir halfway. See how to reheat meal prep for timings by dish.