49 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Will Change Your Life

Whether you’re looking for more creative ways to avoid overspending when it’s getting to the end of the month, or if you’re just looking to overhaul your spending and eating habits, we’ve got something for everyone on this list.

Seriously, maybe you’re thinking we sound silly for thinking this is an important topic to discuss.

But when was the last time you checked your grocery budget? I mean, sure – more ingredients and fancy seasonings can definitely make for an incredible and delicious meal.

It’s definitely possible to have delicious and even healthy frugal meals without breaking the bank.

If you can end up with the same level of satisfaction once the meal is done with a cheaper per-serving cost as with a more expensive meal…well, why spend the extra money in the first place?

Let’s dive into these yummy cheap meals for your family!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Chicken

There’s a reason why Dave Ramsey’s favorite saying when talking about saving money on a food budget is to eat “beans and rice, and rice and beans.” Beans are just about the only “meat” out there that’s cheaper than chicken!

Because of the close similarity in both taste and price, you could try replacing the chicken for turkey with many of these meals!

1. Honey Garlic Chicken

Chicken thighs are always a great choice for a tasty meal on a budget! With a little work for a simple but flavorful honey glaze, you’ll have your whole family requesting this cheaper meal so often you won’t even touch the end of your food budget!

2. Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Cooked rice, chicken, and cheese. Pretty much the dream team when it comes to cheap but delicious!

3. Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups

Buffalo chicken is all the rage (and rightfully so) up here. Not only would these make a great Monday dinner idea on a budget, but you could also make a smaller version for tailgating snacks!

4. Crockpot Drum Sticks

Chicken thighs and chicken legs for the win! Yes, they can be cooked in a crockpot in several ways, for most like the easiest meal you’ll ever put together!

5. One-Pot Lemon Herb Chicken & Rice

Only having one dish to wash when I’m done cooking is always a huge win in my book. Big on flavor and low on cost, this delicious dish is good enough to give any takeout a run for its money! Just serve with some leftover rice for a nutrient-rich meal.

6. Easy BBQ Baked Breaded Chicken Recipe

Please. STOP buying those pre-breaded, frozen chicken strips for outrageous prices per pound when you can SO EASILY make your own at home using an air fryer for half the cost or less!

7. Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

Chicken parmesan is no longer limited to those rare nights you get to go on a date night to a real restaurant! Seriously, chicken parmesan is easy, juicy, delicious, and SO much cheaper than eating out or buying convenience versions from your grocery store!

Plus, you can add as much mozzarella cheese and red sauce as your please, yum!

8. Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders

Just like with the breaded chicken recipe above, THIS is your solution to have those little chicken tender strips everyone in your family loves, for a fraction of the cost. Enjoy the savings!

9. Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

This is a PERFECT recipe to plan for during the Thanksgiving season – stuffing goes on super sale, will last on your pantry shelves for months in its box, and will be a welcomed warm and tasty meal later in the cold of winter when you need a pick-me-up comfort food dinner!

Keep the cost even lower by putting your leftover Thanksgiving turkey to good use instead of the chicken thighs!

10. Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Bake

A restaurant staple and a great recipe on a budget. Use frozen broccoli to keep costs down, buy the pasta on sale, and you’ve got yourself a 5-star broccoli recipe on more like a $5 per casserole dish budget!

11. Slow Cooker Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken

A nice alternative to pulled pork in the backyard BBQ off-season.

12. Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken soup is a family favorite around our dinner table and a nutrient-rich meal! This classic chicken soup can be made with pantry staples and leftovers, like rotisserie chicken, making it the perfect comfort food for those on a budget.

For a heartier meal, add some shredded chicken or diced vegetables to your chicken noodle soup.

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Beef

Chicken might be the most versatile, but many people will argue that beef always has so much flavor. Whether it’s worth the price or not is up to you, but these beef-based quick meals on a budget might just have you sold!

Don’t forget to consider swapping out the beef in some of these recipes for ground turkey or chicken thighs to save even more on your food budget!

13. Ground Beef Stroganoff

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t enjoy a good beef stroganoff. It’s an easy one pot meal with ground beef, noodles, and good sauce.

14. Beef and Mushroom Country Casserole

Nothing has ever screamed “budget meal idea,” quite like soups do. This casserole recipe is full of great flavors and hearty ground beef, but don’t forget you can always tweak the recipe to better suit your tastes or budget!

I like adding grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese on top; you can’t go wrong with cheeses, right?

15. Slow Cooker Spaghetti & Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs can be made even easier- by dumping it into the slow cooker and letting it do all the cooking while you go about your day! Your kids will love this one!

16. Philly Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese

Philly cheesesteak has so much flavor, and doesn’t need to be reserved for the sandwich anymore with this filling and tasty cheap dinner idea! Plus, you can make it all in same pot and make dinner cleanup easy.

17. Bistek

This quiet ethnic dish isn’t as odd as the name might make you think – it’s essentially just braised beef. Serve on a roll or with simple fried rice to keep the cost as low as possible!

18. Slow Cooker Black Bean & Chili

Chili is perfect for cold nights, busy nights, and whatever else life throws at you. It’s simple, with everything going right into the slow cooekr for an easy meal that cooks while you go about your day.

19. Slow Cooker Beef Burritos

Perfect as a dinner recipe or for a budget-friendly lunch idea to add to your meal prep routine. When it’s out of the oven, top with sour cream, parsley, and even your favorite hot sauce, and you’re on your way to a flavorful dinner. You could even swap the fried rice for scrambled eggs to make a terrific grab-and-go breakfast idea!

20. Crock-Pot Steak Bites

Simple and multi-purpose, this is a recipe for a meat you could either use as-is with a side dish, or convert into a number of different affordable meals- use it in your breakfast burrito, slice it even further to make a mock “shaved steak” sandwich, or mix it into some simple fried rice and broccoli for throw-together stir-fry veggies and steak!

21. Salisbury Steak In Mushroom & Onion Gravy

There’s a reason your grandma made Salisbury steak — no it’s not because it’s “old people food,” it’s because it’s so affordable. If there’s one thing that almost everyone’s grandma was always good at, back in the day, it was stretching her dollar when it came to feeding her entire family. Take a page out of her book and give this one a try!

22. Crock-Pot Beef Stew

Beef stew is another staple around here. You just can’t go wrong with it! Make a large batch of this hearty stew so your family will have enough of this delicious comfort food for multiple nights of leftovers!

Buy your ingredients during a great sale, whip up a giant batch of it, and freeze leftover portions so you’ll always have a good stock of it but without the work each go!

23. Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Another one of Grandma’s favorite money-stretching recipes, nicely browned beef that goes right in the pot for an easy meal. Why? If you add enough of the right seasonings and flavors, you can make almost any roast cut of beef turn out about right for this meal! A few times, I skipped adding potatoes and served the stew over mashed potatoes- yum!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Pork

Pork is a meat that can be either very affordable or very pricey, depending on the cut, so always make sure to double-check sales (and unit prices) before you dive into pork-based frugal meals!

24. Apples and Spinach Pork Chops

How fancy does this cheap meal look? If you hosted a dinner party you’d surely impress all your guests with both incredible taste and a low cost! Saving this meal until apple season kicks in (autumn) will be sure to save you even more!

25. Easy Country-Style Pork Ribs In The Oven

Excuse me while I drool for a minute.

Pork Ribs are a great meal to make if you need an easy weeknight dinner recipe (or a party-size recipe) because you can buy a big quantity of meat, fill up a big roaster pan, and have a healthy dinner ready before you know it!

26. Slow Cooker Pork Chops In Cream Of Mushroom Soup

This recipe may be cheap but when it comes to flavor this recipe proves that sometimes price really doesn’t matter! Another great recipe to keep in your back pocket for a super easy but delicious meal!

27. Pinchos Morunos (Spanish Pork Skewers)

A recipe that’s essentially just meat plus seasonings — it doesn’t get much easier to make than that! Serve it with simply cooked rice to be a seriously budget-friendly dinner idea!

28. Country Fried Pork Chops

My grandma makes a recipe similar to this and lets me tell you how amazing it tastes! This is a great option to “replace” your fried chicken recipe if you find yourself out of stock of chicken in a given month!

29. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

When cooking for one, for two, or for a crowd, you really can’t go wrong with pulled pork! People always seem to think that pulled pork is such a time-intensive meal, but when you can have it cooked while you’re at work, well, that definitely proves them wrong!

30. Ham & Noodle Casserole

Ham is a great meat to keep in your freezer, when you can often get it for $1 per pound of less! Not to mention that a big ham can stretch for a long time, freezes well (before or after cooking), and is tremendously versatile!

31. Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder

That leftover ham we just talked about with the previous recipe? Use it here!

While it definitely depends on exactly where you live, it IS possible to feed a whole family on a $ 50-a-week meal plan. The key is to find ways to repurpose leftover ingredients!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Sausage or Meatballs

Depending on the type of sausage you get, this is another meat that is supremely versatile and can be super affordable (think Polish kielbasa)!

Meatballs are a great option to either make yourself or stock your freezer with when they’re on a great sale!

32. Crock-Pot Cheesy Potatoes

While this recipe calls for Italian or chicken sausage, you could definitely replace a number of other meats for that to change the flavor to your preference (or what’s currently stocked in your freezer)!

33. Sausage & Rice One Skillet Meal

Who doesn’t love a delicious dinner that only tastes like it took a ton of work, PLUS a super-fast cleanup?! Every mom’s dream! Just add your ingredients to some cooked rice and give it a stir. A simple stir fry never tasted so good!

34. Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Butter Meatballs

I know, you’re thinking that peanut butter plus meat sounds weird. But a lot of the meaty Chinese comfort food that you love is often cooked in peanut oil instead of olive oil! When I saw a friend’s super picky 3-year old eating these, I had to try them. Amazing!

Cheap Dinner Ideas Without Meat

Something a lot of people never really consider (or never seriously consider) when trying to cut down on their food budget is removing the meat from the meal entirely.

Sure, we all need good lean protein to fuel our bodies, but there are other sources besides meat for that. 

35. Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls

Want something more flavorful than a tuna salad? Let’s talk about making sushi bowls at home, even with cheap canned tuna. Why go out for expensive sushi when you can craft up your own (and likely much tastier) version for so cheap?

36. Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

I love this recipe for “meatless Mondays” in our house because, with the Ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese, I’m not missing out much on protein and flavor!

37. Mexican Vegan Falafel Bites

Have you ever tried falafel before? I had a friend ask what it was before and the description of “it’s basically deep-fried, mashed chickpeas” really had him pulling a face.

It took one bite for him to realize this comfort food NEEDED to be in his life more often. Canned chickpeas are in the same group as beans as far as higher protein content for an incredibly low unit price. Stock your pantry and enjoy this exotic dish more often!

38. Vegan Mushroom Risotto

There’s a reason that many vegetarians and vegans use mushrooms as a meat replacement because by some magic they still add a fairly “meaty” taste to a dish.

Trust me, when you eat a serving of this vegan risotto, you won’t even realize anything is missing!

39. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup With Tortellini

A nice twist on spinach artichoke dip – here it’s in soup form! Tortellini can be a little pricier, so consider replacing it with simple pasta to keep the cost down.

40. Zucchini Bake With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan

The thing I love the most about this delicious dish is that it’s a great way to use up those super cheap, fresh veggies from the farmer’s market during the summer! This would be perfect as a main dish (zucchini is another common meat and pasta substitute), or even as a side to take to a potluck!

41. 15- Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles

Everyone LOVES Chinese takeout, but nobody ever likes the bill that comes with it. Make your own exotic dishes using egg noodles right at home for cheap and easy weeknight dinner recipes at huge savings!

42. 30-Minute Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder

I’ve been seeing more and more recipes lately that use cauliflower as the main ingredient. I thought it was SO weird until I tried it! It’s excellent rice or potato replacement, and a heck of a lot healthier, too!

43. Protein-Packed Twice-Baked Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

One of the cheapest foods you can buy is potatoes, so of course, a baked potato recipe had to make this list! These twice-baked potatoes are packed with cauliflower and protein-happy tofu to give you a complete yet very cheap meal on a tight budget! (Replace the tofu for bacon, ham, or shaved steak if you’re craving a meatier version!)

44. Easy Vegetable and Dumpling Soup

While this recipe is definitely a HUGE money-saver (the 2 most expensive ingredients in here by amount used might be potatoes and flour!), it’s also an excellently healthy one to put on your meal plan if you’re planning a few meatless nights, or if you’re really just that short on cash! If you wanted to turn this into a soup with meat in it, just about anything would be a tasty addition!

45. 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

When it comes to cheap meals for large families, shepherd’s pie tends to be top of the heap since the ingredients are so cheap and 90% pantry staples! Try this vegan recipe, which uses lentils in place of the typical ground beef.

46. Baked Black Bean Taquitos

Make “Taco Tuesday” cost a heck of a lot less in your house! I make the taco seasoning in a big batch, so it’s always ready for dips, burritos, tacos, casseroles, and more. If you’re aiming to make cheap family meals on a tight budget, you HAVE to start using beans as a meat substitute more often. Why? They are packed with clean protein, PLUS they’re typically about 25% of the price of the same amount of ground beef!!

47. Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

Have you ever met anyone that DOESN’T like a good quesadilla? Try this easy and cheap grilling idea to satisfy your pickiest easters’ taste buds with one of the yummiest dinners on a tight budget!

48. Vegan Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

This isn’t just a cheap dinner idea, this is a childhood favorite around here (and a great choice for cheap dinner recipes for college students…this simple recipe could be modified to be 100% microwaveable)! A little bit vegan and a lotta bit cheap, when it comes to inexpensive dinner recipes for the entire family this classic grilled cheese combo cannot be beaten!

I top our soups with either more heavy cream or sour cream with parsley and chives. We occasionally like to add some sliced, leftover BBQ chicken in our sandwiches to “beef up” this meal some, and pack in even more amazing flavor!

Bonus Recipe: Have Dessert!

49. Crinkle Top Fudge Chocolate Brownies

I know no one is reading this because they took one look at that picture and absolutely cartoon-speed ran to their kitchen to make them. I mean, YUM, those look incredible!!

I know you can get cheap brownie mix for $1 a box any day of the week, but have you ever seen the ingredients on those? The ingredients are all staples that anyone who has done even the slightest bit of baking has in their baking cabinet, and the cost to make these at home is basically pennies in comparison to store-bought.

Oh, did I mention that the FLAVOR is absolutely INCREDIBLE? Definitely not something you’ll get in a box!

Cheap Meal Ideas To Freeze

Whether you’re making freezer meals in advance to reheat later (hint hint, a GREAT money-saving tactic!) or cooking each meal fresh each night, your deep freezer will be your new best friend!

Those super sale prices we talked about? Make sure you’ve got a big, good-quality deep freezer with plenty of room. When you see incredible deals on chicken breast or Italian sausage for $1 per pound, buy as much as you can!! Filling up your freezer with chicken thighs or chicken breast is always a smart choice – it is hands down the most versatile meat out there!

You can also cook meals ahead and freeze- chicken soup, ground beef burritos, chicken parmesan, mashed potatoes, and many more meals and sides can be frozen and thawed for easy meals during hectic weeks.

There are a couple of benefits to having a well-stocked, low-priced freezer (and pantry!):

1. You can “go grocery shopping” at any time of day, in any weather, and wear anything — even your pajamas!
2. If you find yourself tight on money for a month or two, with a big enough (and stocked enough) freezer you could potentially get by for the entire month without needing to buy meat at all! When it comes to making frugal meals when you’re on a super tight budget or a no-spend month, nothing beats what amounts to free food since it’s already been paid for!
3. You have NO excuse to ever NEED to pay full price for any freezer-friendly food ever again! You have the freedom to shift your grocery spending from “what do we need today” to “what should I stock up on for next month/later?” Total game-changer in making sure you don’t kill your budget!

Need I say more? When it comes to building a healthy shopping list on a budget, making it a habit to keep a “freezer stash” is a must!

How To Meal Plan On A Budget

It goes without saying that the BEST way to make sure you’re making quick inexpensive meals is to make sure to meal plan each week. Whether you’re making designing your menu using a service like $5 Meal Plan, or simply searching yummy recipes off of Pinterest, a meal plan is maybe the only way to truly make sure that you’re not overspending on comfort food!

Making a low-budget food shopping list is no different than making a list full of extravagant items, except for one thing — watching for sales.

You CAN still have steak, gourmet sauces on your pasta, or expensive produce, even if you’re on a budget. All it takes is designing your meal plan around what’s on sale, as opposed to what you feel like you’d want to eat this week.

For example, where we live a family-sized pack of boneless, skinless chicken breast, or a rotisserie chicken typically runs about $1.89-$1.99 per pound. If we wait for the super sales when it goes down to $1.49 per pound, we could reduce the cost of making that meal by up to 20%, by changing the price of just ONE ingredient!

Another local store sometimes has sales as low as $0.99 per pound for the exact same meat, although they’re even rarer. Still, a 50% savings is massive!

Now imagine the savings if you can get ALL the ingredients at a big discount!

Shopping On A Budget For Food

So now that you’ve got your head wrapped around how to plan for these cheap meals for the week, what about when you go shopping? There are a few pitfalls I wanted to mention so you don’t get sucked in! Here is how to keep your food costs as low as possible when money is tight.

1. Don’t always fall for the word “free.”

Some of the smaller stores will regularly run “buy one get one free” sales, especially on meat. That sounds great on paper, but if you head to the store and buy the meat without double-checking its unit price, you might find yourself paying MORE per pound even with the sale, than the regular price you could get at a different store.

I say it’s more important to check for price per pound ad compare at stores online- that’s how I find sales on ground beef and chicken, and stock up in the freezer when there’s $1+ off per pound.

2. Stick to your list.

It’s WAY easier than we all like to admit to having something catch our eye as we shop, and we end up tossing it in the cart without thinking twice about the price. There’s no faster way to ruin your food budget than that!

If this is something you really struggle with, you’ll definitely want to check out using a grocery shopping service like Instacart. Since someone else does the shopping for you and delivers it straight to your doorstep, there is literally ZERO chance for this off-list buying to happen!

3. Work on saying “no.”

Maybe your kids absolutely insist they won’t eat unless it’s brand-name mac & cheese. Maybe you’ve got a couple of parties coming up and need to shop for large groups. Whatever the case is, it’s all too easy to feel like you need to satisfy everyone around you and their food preferences.

A friend recently had a birthday party for their kid, and was telling me how their mother felt like 2 main dishes weren’t enough — I was shocked! It’s especially important, whether you’re satisfying party guests or planning easy dinner ideas for picky eaters, to be able to keep things in check and say “no.”

No one needs 3 meat choices, your kids definitely can’t tell the difference between the mac & cheese brands once it’s on their plate, and your steak can taste just as good without buying steak sauce to put on top.

4. Don’t forget your coupons!

Even if you don’t have time to sit and use scissors to find your savings each week, you CAN still get those coupon savings! There are a variety of coupon apps, but one of our all-time favorites is Ibotta.

It’s even easier than traditional couponing because you can simply choose the offers after you shop (to save time by not cutting out coupons you’ll never use), upload a picture of your receipt, and earn the cashback right away! Use this link to get a $5 sign-up bonus!

5. If buying in bulk to the freezer, portion out before freezing!

Unless you’re super sure you’ll have time to cook 3 lasagnas when you thaw that 6-pound brick of ground beef, you’ll want to divide it up before you put it in the freezer for later. Grab a roll of quality freezer paper to make sure it’s well-stored and won’t get freezer burn easily.

You might also consider immediately making a few crockpot recipes with your bulk meat purchase, and freezing the finished product instead. Even if all you did with that ground beef was brown it before freezing, it’s still worth it for both the price and time savings! You could even toss it into an instant pot to quickly brown the beef while you’re unpacking your other groceries. Now that’s a savvy time-saver!

6. Keep up on your pantry inventory.

As you shift from shopping for today vs shopping to stock up, you’ll be able to better keep your pantry stocked with various staple items — things like seasonings, rice or pasta, base ingredients for sauces, black beans and kidney beans, and canned soups, to name a few.

You can find a great starter list of pantry staples here.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for cheap, easy, and delicious dinner ideas, you’ve come to the right place! These 45+ recipes will change the way you think about cooking (and eating) at home. From simple pasta dishes to hearty casseroles, there’s something here for everyone.

So what are you waiting for? Get cooking!