Most of us have a budget when we go to the grocery store and are always looking for ways to feed our families with tasty meals that don’t cost a fortune. If you need ideas for budget-friendly dinners that are super tasty, here are 15 popular chicken recipes that you should try.
1. Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders
The first time I made bacon brown sugar chicken tenders for a family get together, multiple people asked me for the recipe. It’s that good. It comes from Dinner Then Dessert, and all you need are boneless, skinless chicken breasts, brown sugar, bacon, and some salt and pepper.
You can make these for dinner or as an appetizer, but either way, your family and friends will love them. You will definitely want to put this recipe in your regular rotation.
2. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders are a staple comfort food thanks to the juicy chicken, delicious breading, and the endless dipping options. The great thing about making our very own Oola garlic parmesan chicken tenders at home is that you can bake, fry, or cook them in a skillet. And, you can add whatever spices you like to the breading or fry batter to give your tenders the perfect flavor.
3. BBQ Chicken Tostadas
You can’t go wrong with chicken, cheese, and barbecue sauce. This recipe from Cupcakes and Kale Chips is simple and perfect for a busy night. Just pick up a rotisserie chicken, barbecue sauce, shredded cheese, and tostada shells, and in just minutes you will have a delicious meal.
4. Creamy Parmesan One-Pot Chicken And Rice
This creamy dish is one of the easiest to make on this list. All you need to do is dice up some chicken breasts in a skillet with butter and onions, add a few seasonings, add some chicken broth, rice, heavy cream, and parmesan, and in thirty minutes this dish from The Salty Marshmallow will be ready.
5. Quick And Easy Creamy Herb Chicken
You can serve this low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free idea from Cafe Delites over rice, gluten-free pasta, mashed potatoes, or with a side of veggies. With just a few seasonings and some milk, this amazingly tasty dish will come to life. And, there is also a dairy-free option, if needed.
6. Chicken Fried Rice
This recipe is cheaper and healthier than takeout, and it is the perfect way to use up leftover rice or veggies. This easy dinner idea comes from Iowa Girl Eats, and features diced chicken, egg, veggies, and soy sauce.
7. Crispy Crockpot Orange Chicken
When you order takeout for dinner, it can get expensive really quick. So, instead of going out to get your Chinese food fix, try our recipe for delicious orange chicken that you can make in the crockpot. The classic version features freshly-squeezed orange juice, orange marmalade, barbecue sauce, and soy sauce. You can also tailor the recipe to meet your tastes and dietary needs.
8. Greek Chicken Lettuce Wraps With Tzatziki
If you have never experienced tzatziki sauce, we need to fix that immediately. One of the yummiest sauces on the planet, it tops this recipe from Joyful Healthy Eats. These wraps are light, healthy, and low-carb. In addition to the chicken and lettuce wraps, you will need a few dry seasonings, some Greek yogurt, and the veggie toppings of your choice.
9. Shredded Chicken Tacos
This 30-minute meal comes from Cake Whiz, and it is perfect for Taco Tuesday. It is loaded with flavor, and you can make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. Add any toppings you like, just be sure to make enough because your family will want seconds, maybe even thirds!
10. Granny’s Chicken And Dumplings
Amanda Huffman/Gateway Blend
Nobody knows how to make chicken and dumplings better than grandma. This recipe from Oola only calls for six ingredients, so it is very affordable. However, it will take you a little bit of time to make the dumplings and the broth.
However, the end result is nothing but delicious. And, you can customize your dish by adding veggies and spices for an extra kick. Or, make it extra-creamy with some cream of chicken soup.
11. 12-Minute Chicken And Broccoli
If you need a go-to healthy dish for a busy weeknight, this recipe from Gimme Some Oven won’t let you down. It is incredibly versatile, so you can keep it simple or load it up with veggies. If soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and honey are staples in your kitchen, you are more than halfway to this delicious dish.
12. Cheesy Chicken Spinach Bake
The name of this recipe tells you all you need to know. With some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baby spinach, mozzarella, cream cheese, feta, and a few spices you can make this cheesy chicken spinach bake from Diethood.
This dish is so full of cheesy goodness, you will want to eat it straight out of the pan. And, if you are on the keto diet, this is the perfect meal to add to your recipe list.
13. Chicken Pot Pie
For this recipe from Dizzy Busy and Hungry, you can cut up chicken breasts or use pre-cooked, diced chicken. Cook the chicken in olive oil with onion, garlic salt, and pepper. Then toss in a bag of frozen mixed veggies, a can of cream of chicken soup, and some milk, then pour it all into a refrigerated pie crust, or if you have the time, try making it from scratch. After you place the second pie crust on top, you are ready to put it in the oven.
14. Chicken Stroganoff
Crock pots are your friend when you want to make a delicious meal on a budget. This idea comes from Chef In Training, and all you need is boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, onion soup mix, a package of egg noodles, and a little salt for taste.
15. Ramen Crusted Chicken With Asian Kale Toss
This budget-friendly recipe comes from My Recipes, and it features one of the staples of a thrifty grocery shopper – ramen noodles. This creative dish features fresh cilantro, carrots, mandarin oranges, kale, soy sauce, honey, and lime juice.
It takes just 45 minutes to prep and cook this dish, and it is just as friendly to your waistline as it is to your wallet.
Don’t let the low price of these chicken dinners fool you. Even though they won’t cost you a ton of cash, they will taste like a million bucks. Plus, there are many on this list that are time efficient and super easy to make! Some are incredibly healthy, and some of these recipes can feed an army.
So, be proud to pinch those pennies because you can’t go wrong with these winning chicken dinners.
