12 Cheap Chicken Dinners That Still Taste Like a Million Bucks
Dinner on a budget doesn’t have to mean bland or boring. These 12 cheap chicken dinners prove that you can serve up serious flavor without draining your wallet. From juicy baked thighs to saucy skillet meals, each recipe is satisfying, simple, and totally crave-worthy. If you’re looking for meals that feel indulgent but cost next to nothing, this list is your new go-to.
Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
Thai Basil Chicken or Gai Pad Krapow is a popular Thai chicken recipe that is easy and quick to make, budget friendly and incredibly tasty! You can make this easy Thai recipe with ground chicken or ground turkey. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite size pieces can also be used (cooking time will increase by a few minutes).
Chicken Potato Broccoli Casserole
Chicken potato broccoli casserole is where chicken and veggies mix with cheese and topped with a buttery cracker topping. Budget and kid friendly, even for those that are not big broccoli fans.
Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken
This Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken is easy to make and great for a quick and affordable weeknight meal. These chicken drumsticks are the perfect mix of sticky, juicy, and crispy all at the same time!
Southwest White Chicken Chili
Skip the bland, water versions–this White Chicken Chili is creamy, packed with flavor, and ready in just 25 minutes. It’s the perfect family-friendly meal for busy weeknights, easy on the budget, and freezer friendly too. This is the white chicken chili you’ll come back to every time!
Slow Cooker Green Chile Cheesy Chicken
Slow Cooker Green Chile Cheesy Chicken is saucy, flavorful, and perfect over rice for a hearty meal. The rich, melty cheese and bold green chile flavor come together in every bite, making this an easy and delicious dinner option.
Honey Garlic Wings
Honey Garlic Wings are oven baked and easy to make for dinner or as an appetizer! These wings are coated in the best thick, rich, sticky honey garlic sauce ever!
Lemon Chicken Tray Bake
A wonder pan recipe with incredible flavour, this lemon chicken tray bake is truly sensational!
Chicken Carcass Soup
Chicken soup made from the chicken carcass? Why not! This comforting chicken carcass soup brings together all the rich flavors of homemade stock. It might just be the best chicken soup recipe yet. For more hearty and nutritious soups, take a look at my high protein soup recipes.
Chicken Schnitzel
Chicken schnitzel is a traditional German dish that features thinly pounded chicken cutlets that have been coated in breadcrumbs and fried. It is extra-crispy, juicy, and loaded with flavor. Plus, it will be on your table in under 20 minutes!
Chicken Quesadillas
These chicken quesadillas are a quick and easy dish that is perfect for lunch or dinner any day of the week! Bite-sized pieces of chicken are tossed with a homemade seasoning blend and then sauteed to perfection before being loaded up with some cheese in between tortillas! Of course, this recipe is great for using up some rotisserie chicken, too!
Cream Cheese Chicken
Velvety, easy-to-make cream cheese chicken combines juicy pan-seared chicken thighs with a tangy, luscious, and cheesy, irresistible sauce. This amazingly delicious skillet chicken dinner is a dish that will make the weeknight rotation.
Cornell Chicken (Firehouse Chicken)
What is Firehouse Chicken? Chances are if you don’t live in upstate or western New York or have friends from that area, you may have never heard of it, but that is about to change. You might also know it as Cornell Chicken, perhaps?
