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19 Leftover Chicken Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head

19 Leftover Chicken Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head

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Including what you can make with leftover chicken

We all have leftover cooked chicken after a huge Sunday roast. There’s no need to throw it away! Use our delicious £1 a head easy leftover chicken recipes to use it all up!

This is a great way to save money and it fills up another day in your meal plan.

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.

£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.

Cheap Chicken Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head – These are great and cheap chicken recipes that are family-friendly and easy to make.

Cooking from scratch

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.

Laura Light showing the Spicentice packets

Spicentice are Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly, offer gluten-free spices and dairy-free.
If you’d like to try Spicentice yourself then make sure you use our link here with our code LASAVE20 to get 20% off every purchase.*

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

Free money saving printables

If you are trying to save your family money then come join our free Resource Vault. It’s packed full of money saving printables and meal plans that you can use over and over again.

Join our free Resource Vault here

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Easy chicken leftover recipes

Using your leftover chicken is a great way to give your family another healthy meal. It is really versatile and can be used in all kinds of pasta dishes, curries, soups, and salads.

All the leftover chicken recipes are easy dinners for when you are in a rush or need something to feed the family that doesn’t cost too much per head.

These chicken leftovers will really make your dinner extra special and they all come in at under £1 a head for four people.

Curries

Curries are a great way to use up all your extra chicken that you have leftover. You don’t have to make them spicy and they are great in the slow cooker as well.

Chicken Korma

This chicken korma recipe is based on four people sharing. We serve our chicken korma with homemade naan bread but you can have yours with rice or whatever you like!

Read how to make our Chicken Korma recipe.

To make the chicken korma paste you’ll need:
10g garlic cloves 10p
5g ground ginger 5p
2 onions 20p
10g tomato paste 10p
2g sugar 5p
200g chicken breast £1.27
2g cumin 5p
2g paprika 5p
2g turmeric 5p
2g coriander 5p
2g chilli powder or garam masala if you prefer 5p
150ml double cream or coconut milk 65p
300ml stock (optional) 10p
Total: £2.77 that’s 69p for four people.

Slow cooker leftover chicken curry

This is a great slow-cooking curry recipe that is great for leftovers. Chuck it all in and enjoy this easy midweek meal.

1 large onion 10p
3 tbsp mild curry paste 5p
400g can chopped tomatoes 42p
2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder 10p
1 dried ginger 5p
1 yellow pepper 50p
200g chicken breast £1.27
Total: £2.49 that’s 62p for four people.

Chicken Curry

You can make this curry with any meat you have that’s leftover 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)

Katsu Chicken 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.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala curry

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.

Read how to make our chicken tikka masala recipe here.

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.

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 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.

Firecracker Chicken

Rice at the top with 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 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 and rice

We love chicken and rice and it can be made in so many different ways!

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)

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. You can also have this with tortillas and salad if you prefer.

4 frozen chicken breasts £1.40,

3 garlic cloves 9p,

Small piece of ginger 2p,

Rind of lemon 3p,

5 tbsp lemon juice 9p,

2 tbsp cooking oil 3p,

1 tsp salt 2p,

4 potatoes 40p,

180g Rice 24p,

Total: £2.32 that’s 58p for four 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. 

Chicken Fried Rice

With very low spice and perfect for leftover roast chicken, this chicken fried rice recipe is really easy to make for a quick lunch or dinner.

1 tbsp sunflower oil 5p
3 eggs 42p
320g pack mixed stir-fry vegetable £1
1 tbsp mild curry powder 5p
140g frozen sweetcorn 24p
600g cooked rice 60p
200g chicken breast £1.27
2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce 10p
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 15p
2 tbsp ketchup 10p
Total: £3.98 that’s 99p per person for four people.

Chicken and pasta

Chicken and pasta go so well together and make great on the go dinner recipes as well.

Creamy 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.

Slow cooker chicken

These are the best slow cooker chicken recipes that taste amazing and come in at under a £1.

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.

Sweet and 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

Related Posts: 

Slow-Cooker Chicken Casserole

This is a really easy slow cooker casserole that you can put all in together. It takes about 6 – 9 hours to cook on a low heat.

1 tbsp butter 28p

½ tbsp olive oil 5p

100g frozen onion 25p

1 ½ tbsp flour 5p

250g chicken breasts £1.20

3 garlic cloves 10p

400g tin baby new potatoes 28p

2 sticks celery 50p

400g tin carrots 28p

250g tin mushrooms 15p

500ml chicken stock cubes 5p

Total: £3.19 that’s 79p for four people.

Slow Cooker Peach Chicken

This slow cooker recipe is great for those rush evenings. All of this can be prepped in the morning or the night before. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker pot (apart from the rice) and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. When you are ready to serve, cook the rice as per the packet instructions.

2 chicken breasts £1.20,

400g tin peaches 34p,

200g frozen peppers 40p,

1 red onion 28p,

2 tbsp brown sugar 5p,

4 tbsp soy sauce 7p,

1 tbsp ground ginger 5p,

250g rice 30p.

Total: £2.69 that’s 67p 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 MealsBudget Slimming World Recipes for Families

Love this post? Then why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it later. 

These are the best 13 leftover chicken recipes that come in at under £1 a head for four people. Perfect for keeping your food bill low by Laura at Savings 4 Savvy Mums

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