These are easy cheap recipes with chicken
If you are looking for comfort food then these cheap chicken recipes are for you. They come in at under £1 a head for four people and most of them can be made in the slow cooker too.
These are super easy chicken recipes that are great for the whole family. These made delicious chicken dinner meals that you can easily make from scratch.
If you are looking for more £1 a head family-meals then have a look at:
The Ultimate £1 Per Head Budget Meal Planning List – This is our full list of £1 a head family meals that can help you to fill your meal plan on a budget.
31 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family – This is our full list of slow cooker chicken and other meat recipes that are great if you are on a budget.
£18 a Week Food Budget Shopping List UK – If you need a budget menu then use this post. This gives you a family shopping list that you can use.
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Cheap and easy beginner recipes
It’s not easy to start cooking from scratch if you’ve never done it before. The best way is to start small and learn how to cook your favourite meals from scratch.
For us, it was chicken fajitas. We learnt how to make the spice mix using Spicentice first then using dried spices.
If you do feel out of your depth then have a look at Spicentice. They send you packets of spices that can help liven up your mealtimes. What we love the best about Spicentice though is that the packets include an exact shopping list and easy-to-follow instructions. You can then use them over and over again.
Spicentice are Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly, offer gluten-free spices and dairy-free.
Using Spicentice we have cooked:
Beginner Chilli Con Carne Recipe for Just 95p a Head
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie For Just 82p Per Portion
Spaghetti Meatball Recipe For 73p a Head
Easy Chicken Fajita Recipe: A Family Meal for 94p a Person
Chinese Chicken Curry For Just £1.54 For 4
Really Easy Homemade Beef Burgers For Under £1 a Head
The Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipe For Under £1 a Head
Chicken Tikka Masala Curry For Under £4 a Head
The Best Katsu Curry Recipe For Under £1 a Head
The Best Turkey Curry For Under £1 a Head
The Best Firecracker Chicken For Just 99p a Head
Cheap chicken recipes
These are the best budget chicken recipes that are great for the whole family. We use freezer and tinned vegetables that help keep the cost down as much as possible.
Have a look at our Store Cupboard Essentials list here to make sure you have everything you need to keep your shopping bill down.
Chicken and pasta recipes
Chicken and pasta go really well together. They are both pretty cheap and are quick to make. Use these recipes if you need a healthy and budget friendly family meal on the go.
Chicken and Pepper Pasta
This creamy chicken pasta recipe is great for the whole family. It uses only frozen vegetables and chicken so is really cheap to make.
Read how to make our Easy Creamy Chicken and Pepper Pasta here.
100g Lightest Philadelphia 80p
125g Wholemeal pasta 14p
125g Frozen peppers 25p
125g Cherry tomatoes 25p
10g Garlic 2p
400g Frozen chicken breasts £2.54
Total: £4 that’s £1 a head.
Tuscan chicken pasta
This creamy pasta is a real hit in my house. It only takes 15 minutes to cook and is a great fast dinner if you are in a rush. Boil the water for the pasta and add a stock cube. Wait until it has desolved and add the pasta and cook. Normally about 12-15 minutes. In a different pan, add the chicken cubes to the pan. You can use oil but I use a little water to stop it sticking. Add the garlic and tomatoes and simmer on a low heat. Add the cream cheese and cream to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes or until it looks more reduced. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir.
1 chicken stock cube 5p,
200g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Pasta Shapes 15p,
1 tbsp mixed herbs 5p,
2 JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA frozen Chicken Breast Fillets £1.26,
2 garlic 10p,
175g tomatoes 25p,
100g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Soft Cheese 26p,
25ml double cream 20p,
400g tin tomatoes 28p,
200g frozen carrots 22p,
100g Spinach Leaves in Water 30p,
50g Grana Padano 73p.
Total: £3.85 that’s 96p for four people.
Chicken curries
We love chicken curries. They are really easy to make and cheap to cook. We use frozen chicken to keep the costs down and batch cook on days when we know the whole family are going to be late home.
Firecracker Chicken
This firecracker recipe is based on four people. It takes only takes about 10 minutes to actually cook the sauce but the rice could take up to 20 minutes.
Read how we make our Firecracker Chicken For Just 99p a Head here.
3 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (defrosted) £2.10
2 onions 20p
3 garlic cloves 15p
5g ground ginger 5p
1 red pepper 45p
1tbsp lemon juice 10p
1 bunch of spring onions 37p
2 tbsp tomato puree 5p
4 tbsp soy sauce 6p
2 tbsp hoisin sauce 6p
1 tbsp plain flour 10p
1 tbsp low cal cooking spray 5p
150g wholemeal rice 25p
Total: £3.99 (prices correct at time of publishing)
Chicken Curry
You can make this curry with any meat you have that’s left over from a Sunday Roast. We’ve used chicken and turkey for this.
Read how we make The Best Turkey Curry For Under £1 a Head here.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
1 large onion 19p
2 tsp curry powder 5p
1 green pepper, chopped 30p
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely 4p
1 tbsp sunflower oil 1p
400g can chopped tomato 25p
300g (or whatever you have) leftover turkey meat
300g of boiled sweet potato 25p
2 tbsp mango chutney 4p
rice 20p
naan bread 45p
Total: £3.18 + leftover meat cost (Correct at time of publishing)
Easy butter chicken
This takes a bit of prep the night before but is great for a fakeaway recipe for a weekend. Add the spices to the slow cooker and sear. Add the chicken including the puree and chicken stock. Cook on low for 6 hours and serve with the natural yogurt.
Soak the chicken in:
1 tbsp lemon juice,
2 tsp ground cumin,
2 tsp ground paprika,
1tsp hot chilli powder,
200g fat-free natural yogurt.
For the curry:
100g frozen onion 23p,
3 garlic cloves 5p,
1 green chilli 7p,
1 tsp garam masala 5p,
3 tbsp tomato purée 7p,
300ml chicken stock 5p,
3 chicken breasts £1.20.
Total: £1.72 that’s 43p for 4 people.
Katsu Curry
This is a great baked chicken curry recipe that is easy for beginners and doesn’t take too long to cook. This is based on the traditional Japanese curry. It is packed full of flavor and makes a great Friday night or weekend treat meal instead of ordering in.
Read how we make our Katsu Curry Recipe For Under £1 a Head here.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
100g frozen onion 16p
400g tin carrots 47p
3 garlic cloves 5p
1 egg 10p
900ml chicken stock 10p
2tbsp soy sauce 5p
1tsp honey 5p
3tbsp plain flour 5p
100g breadcrumbs 55p
200g wholemeal rice 15p
Total: £3.13 that’s 78p per person.
Slow cooker no-spice chicken curry
This is a great slow-cooking curry recipe that is great for leftovers too.
1 large onion,
3 tbsp mild curry paste,
400g can chopped tomatoes,
2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder,
1 dried ginger,
1 yellow pepper,
2 chicken breasts.
Cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Sear then in the slow cooker. Once cooked, add the spices and cook for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the slow cooker and cook on slow for 6 hours then serve.
Chicken Tikka Masala
This serves four and is a medium heat. This really does just take 10 minutes to make but does take up to 40 minutes to cook so make sure you have some time as it’s worth it.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
100g frozen onion 16p
2 garlic cloves 6p
200ml tinned tomatoes 28p
100ml single cream 60p
1 tsp lemon juice 5p
4 tbsp low cal spray 20p
1 tsp salt 3p
180g Rice 24p
Total: £3.17 that’s 79p for a family of four.
Sali murghi
This is packed with spices and is a great sweet curry. Blitz the spices and sear the chicken in the slow cooker. Add the tinned tomatoes and vinegar. Add some water if you think it’s needed. Leave to cook for 6 hours then add the apricots at the end.
3 chicken breasts £1.20,
1 tsp Ground cinnamon 2p,
1 tsp ground cumin 5p,
200g onions 25p,
3 garlic cloves 15p,
1 tsp ground ginger 2p,
1 tsp ground coriander 2p,
1 tsp ground garam masala 5p,
½ tsp ground turmeric 2p,
400g tinned tomatoes 28p,
2 tbsp white wine vinegar 10p,
150g dried apricots 31p.
Total: £2.47 that’s 61p for 4 people.
Chicken Balti
This serves four people and isn’t as spicy as it sounds. If you prefer it light then don’t add any chillis or paprika. This takes about 20 minutes to cook and does perfectly with our egg-fried rice recipe too.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
200g frozen onions 16p
200ml tinned tomatoes 28p
3 garlic cloves 9p
1 tbsp tomato puree 3p
2 tbsp cooking oil 3p
1 tsp salt 2p
1 red chilli 5p
Pinch of dried paprika 3p
Total: £2.11 that’s 52p a person for 4 people.
Chinese Chicken Curry
This family-friendly meal is a great fakeaway recipe for a Friday night. It’s not very spicy and you can use frozen vegetables and tins that are in your cupboard.
Read how to make our Chinese chicken curry recipe here.
2 chicken breasts 65p
2 onions 16p
Small piece of ginger 15p
2 garlic cloves 6p
400ml stock 3p
2 tbsp low cal spray 10p
3 tbsp plain flour 10p
1 tsp sugar 5p
180g rice 24p
Total: £1.54 that’s 38p a person.
Chicken Jalfrezi
This curry serves 4 people and is of medium spice. It takes 30 minutes to cook but you can make it in the morning and then throw it all in one pan when you get home.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
2 frozen onions 16p
1 frozen peppers 15p
3 garlic cloves 9p
Small piece of ginger 2p
2 tbsp tomato puree 6p
2 tbsp cooking oil 3p
1 tsp salt 2p
Total: £2.09 that’s 52p a person.
Chicken vindaloo
This is quite a spicy chicken curry recipe and does need a bit of prep work. Cut the chicken into cubes. Use the ingredients above and add the chicken to a bowl. Let it marinate overnight. In the morning, fry off the chicken cubes. Then add the rest of the ingredients with a can of water. Put on a slow heat for 6 hours and come home to a hearty meal.
1 tbsp lemon juice 5p,
3 chicken breasts £1.20,
2 tbsp white wine vinegar 6p,
2-3 garlic cloves 5p,
2 tsp finely grated ginger 5p,
1 tsp garam masala 5p,
1 tsp ground cumin 2p,
1 tsp ground coriander 2p,
½ tsp cayenne pepper 2p,
½ tsp black mustard seeds 2p,
For the sauce:
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.
½ tsp flaked cinnamon stick 2p,
½ tsp chilli flakes 2p,
½ tsp cayenne pepper 5p,
50g onion 25p,
½ tsp salt 2p.
Total: £1.90 that’s 47p for 4 people.
Chicken and Banana Curry
This chicken banana curry is a mild curry that is great for those nights when you really want a takeaway. It’s really easy to cook. You pretty much throw in all the ingredients and leave it to simmer. This curry recipe does take about 30 minutes to cook but it is well worth the wait! This chicken and banana curry below is made for four people but you can scale it up with more chicken and add some frozen vegetables.
Read how to make this Chicken and Banana Curry recipe here.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil 5p
400g chicken breasts £2
100g frozen onion 20p
50g apple 50p
10g cloves of garlic 5p
2 tablespoons korma curry paste 7p
400ml chicken stock 5p
25g raisins 15p
25g chopped ready-to-eat apricots 20p
300g easy-cook long-grain brown rice 40p
1 tablespoon cornflour 5p
100g banana 14p
60g fat-free natural yogurt 10p
1 tablespoon dried coriander 4p
Total: £4 that’s £1 a head per four people.
Chicken Korma
This is a mild and creamy korma curry that is perfect for kids who hate spice.
Read how to make our Chicken Korma recipe here.
Put the slow cooker on and sear the chicken. Stir in the spices and cook for a few minutes. Then add the chicken stock. Leave to cook for 6 hours. Add the cream then serve.
2 garlic cloves 5p,
Ground ginger 2p,
100g onions 25p,
3 chicken breasts £1.20,
2 tbsp tomato purée 5p,
1 tsp ground cumin 2p,
1 tsp paprika 2p,
1 tsp turmeric 2p,
1 tsp ground coriander 2p,
½ tsp chilli powder 2p,
2 tsp sugar 5p,
300ml chicken stock 35p,
150ml double cream 62p,
Total: £2.69 that’s 67p a person.
Fakeaway chicken recipes
There’s no need to reach for the takeaway menu when you have these amazing chicken recipes. They taste just like the real thing but are a lot cheaper to make.
Southern Fried Chicken
This fried chicken recipe can rival any takeaway.
We use frozen chicken breasts as they are cheaper and you only need to use what you need. The breadcrumbs are made from the end of the loaf that’s normally thrown away.
This is a family favourite that the kids can’t get enough of and costs under £1 a head.
Read how to make the best fried chicken recipe here.
4 chicken breasts £1.40
150g breadcrumbs 65p
2 eggs 20p
4 tbsp plain flour 15p
4 tbsp milk 10p
2 tbsp low cal spray 10p
4 potatoes 40p
4 corn of cob 52p
Total: £3.52 that’s 88p for four people.
Chicken chow mein
We love Chicken Chow Mein but it costs so much to order so making our own saves so much money. This is a really easy recipe to make and only takes as long as the chicken takes to cook.
2 chicken breasts £1.20,
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice 5p,
2 tbsp oil 5p,
1 tsp chilli sauce 5p,
2 sets of egg noodles £1,
200g frozen peppers 40p,
4 spring onions 50p,
1 tbsp soy sauce 5p.
Total: £3.30 that’s 82p for 4 people.
Chicken Fajitas
Making your own fajitas is a great family treat! Make sure you marinate the chicken and peppers before you cook as it does make them taste amazing! Here’s how we cook our yummy fajitas.
Read how make our yummy fajitas here
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
200g frozen peppers 30p
200g frozen onion 16p
3 garlic cloves 9p
1 tbsp salt 2p
1 tsp sugar 5p
Tortillas £1
Total: £3.08 that’s 75p a person.
Baked Chilli Chicken
This baked chilli chicken recipe is a great Friday night dinner for the whole family. You can add as many different vegetables as you like. It only takes about 10 minutes to cook as you have very little to chop and fry.
25g flour 10p,
1 garlic clove 5p,
1 tsp chilli flakes 5p,
2 chicken breasts £1.20,
5 tbsp oil 5p,
stir fry vegetables 50p,
spring onions 85p,
10g rice wine vinegar 7p,
1 tsp ground ginger 5p,
2 tsp tomato puree 5p,
1 tbsp honey 7p.
Total: £2.99 that’s 74p a person for four people.
Sweet & Sour Chicken
We love this easy-to-make sweet and sour chicken recipe. All the ingredients are from your store cupboard.
Read how to make the best sweet and sour chicken recipe here.
2 frozen chicken breasts £1.16
1 can pineapple chunks in natural juice 50p
2 tbsp cornflour 2p
½ tsp dried chilli flakes 2p
2 tbsp dark soy sauce 5p
2 tbsp tomato puree 2p
50g frozen onion 8p
300g frozen peppers 43p
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 5p
Total: £2.33 that’s 58p per person
Tomato-Baked Chicken
This is great if you have toddlers in the house too. It’s healthy and will keep you all full up.
Frozen chicken wings 500g £1.65
400g Tin chopped tomatoes 32p
300g Tin potatoes 50p
285g Tin mushrooms 90p
Total: £3.37 that’s 84p a person.
Chicken Doner Kebabs
We make our own chicken doner kebab marinade which we smother all over our kebab meat. Our kebab marinade recipe is: 50g low-fat natural yogurt curry powder chilli powder dried coriander finely chopped chillis Optional spices are: smoked paprika garlic powder onion powder It is really easy to make chicken kebabs healthy. You do not need oil to keep the chicken, you can grill it instead with the rest of the vegetables or even roast them with a pinch of salt.
This chicken doner kebab recipe is really easy to make.
We use frozen chicken breasts but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer.
50g low-fat natural yogurt 7p
5g curry powder 10p
5g chilli powder 10p
10g lime or lemon juice 5p
10g dried chopped coriander 10p
10g red chilli 10p
300g chicken breasts £1.08
100g green salad 55p
4 pitta breads 25p
Total: £2.40 that’s 60p for four people.
Peri-Peri Chicken
This does take a bit of prep but is perfect for a weekend fakeaway. It takes about 30 minutes to cook and goes with wedges, rice and salad.
4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40
3 garlic cloves 9p
Small piece of ginger 2p
3tbsp of lemon 3p
5 tbsp lemon juice 9p
2 tbsp cooking oil 3p
1 tsp salt 2p
1 tin potatoes 40p
180g Rice 24p
Total: £2.32 that’s 58p a person for four people.
Related Posts:
- Store Cupboard Meals: 41 Store Cupboard Recipes to Try
- The Best Cheap Recipes For Families
- The Best Fakeaway Recipes For Under £1 a Head
Chicken Pilaf
This is a really easy dinner that can be made when you are in a rush. It takes about 20 minutes to cook, and that’s all down to the rice, so there is very little prep. Start by frying off the onions, garlic and chilli. Add the frozen vegetables then add the chicken. Put the rice and the 1 litre of stock into the pan as well and bring to the boil. If you have a lid, put it on and let it boil for 20 minutes or so. The rice should take up all the liquid.
1 tbsp oil 5p,
100g frozen onion 30p,
150g frozen vegetables 12p,
1 garlic 5p,
1 red chilli 5p,
250g rice 15p,
250g frozen chicken 63p,
Chicken stock 5p.
Total: £1.40 thats 28p for four people.
Chicken Kebabs
You can make these homemade chicken kebabs with chicken breast or chicken thighs. We prefer chicken breasts as you can cut them into chunks easily. If you are planning to use the pitta then you may want to finely chop the vegetables smaller. You can also make the marinade as spicy as you like. My children do not like spice but you can add chillis or flakes to the sauce for that extra kick.
300g frozen chicken breasts £1.08
100g red peppers 25p
100g green peppers 25p
425g tin pineapple 90p
Marinade:
5g turmeric 5p
5g mild curry powder 10p
5g smoked paprika 5p
5g tomato purée 7p
150g natural yogurt 20p
5g garlic clove 10p
Total: £3.05 that’s 76p per person. (4 people)
Peanut Chicken
This Peanut Chicken is really easy to make. It takes 10 minutes to make and can be put into the slow cooker and takes about 4 hours. Start by cutting the chicken into chucks and add it to the slow cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients and set our slow cooker to medium. When you are ready to serve, cook the rice in a pan for about 20 minutes or until the rice is soft.
3 JUST ESSENTIALS by Asda chicken breasts £1.90,
100g frozen onions 19p,
2 garlic cloves 5p,
200g frozen mixed peppers 40p,
200g frozen carrots 10p,
120g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Crunchy Peanut Butter 31p,
1 tbsp cornflour 5p,
2 tbsp lemon juice 2p,
2 tbsp soy sauce 5p,
1 tbsp curry powder 2p ,
1 tbsp chilli flakes 2p ,
400ml tin tomatoes 28p,
300g wholemeal rice 48p,
Total: £3.87 that’s 96p per person.
One-pot Chicken Pepper Bake
With little washing up involved, this one-pot chicken pepper bake is one of my personal favorites. It’s great for Sunday lunch or if the extended family comes round.
500kg frozen chicken thighs £2.75
300g Frozen peppers 50p
Tin of baby potatoes 32p
Total: £3.99 that’s 99p per person.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families.
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