50 Budget Friendly Dinner Ideas

Have you been looking for budget friendly dinner ideas? I have compiled a list of 50 dinner ideas on a budget! These dinner ideas will not break the bank and will change things up for dinner. I have included lots of low carb and keto approved meals. Plus lots of kid friendly meals!

Dinner time doesn’t have to be a mystery anymore. Here are 2 months worth of meals for you family. I have made several of these meals already and my family has loved them!

It is nice to have some new meals instead of the same old meals every week!

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Click the picture to get the recipe!

1. 3 ingredient tacos!

These tacos will be a hit at your house any day of the week and it only takes 3 ingredients! They are yummy and budget friendly. This is my favorite budget friendly dinner idea!

2. Easy, Cheesy 5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Bake

This is one of their most popular recipes and is also from Two Healthy Kitchens. It only requires 5 ingredients and is a filling cheap yummy meal.

3. Easy, Inexpensive Taco Soup that Kids LOVE!

Taco soup is one of our families favorite dinner ideas. Even my kids love it! This recipe is from Little Sprouts Learning.

4. Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Soup With Butternut Squash & Quinoa

I love my slow cooker so any recipe that lets me use it, I love! I have never used Quinoa but it’s healthy.

5. Soy Marinated Chicken Skewers

I love chicken skewers! My favorite is Hawaiian Chicken kebobs but I will be trying these soon!

6. Baked Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Your kids will love these chicken tenders! These are easy and budget friendly!

7. WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE {GLUTEN-FREE}

This meal is healthy and budget friendly. It contains 0 Freestyle points!

8. Chicken Marinades in a bag

I love marinading chicken and I usually freeze them. This makes prep time so much faster and leaves meals in the freezer for when I am busy. Here are 7 chicken marinades in a bag!

9. Best Ever Chicken Bake Recipe

This is a low carb, paleo, keto, whatever you want to call it recipe. She has also included step-by-step directions and video to help you make it.

10. One Pan Chicken & Rice

This recipe is easy and yummy. I love when I can put everything in one pan and save on dishes!

11. Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

This meal is on my list for this week! My kids LOVE it!

12. Beefy Chili Cheese Mac

This looks so goooooood! I can’t wait to try this meal! My kids will even eat this! Which will save time and money. This is a yummy budget friendly dinner idea!

13. Spaghetti & Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic budget friendly dinner. My kids love spaghetti and meatballs and it is always on my meal planning list. It is a cheap meal that my kids will actually eat!

14. Skinny 5 Ingredient Chicken Parmesan Lasagna

This lasagna is only 350 calories and 9 SmartPoints. Lasagna is my family’s favorite meal but the way I cook it, it is full of calories. I will have to try this next time.

15. Healthy White Bean Turkey Chili

This chili is healthy and budget friendly. Turkey is a very lean meat and cooking with it saves a ton of calories.

16. Oven Baked Honey BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Try these next time that you want chicken drumsticks without firing up the grill! I love sweet BBQ but I grew up in Kansas so I was raised that way lol! So, I love honey BBQ and I put it on everything!

17. 5 Ingredient One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage

This is one of my favorite meals. Plus it saves dishes and money! I love one pot meals and pasta. This budget friendly dinner only contains 5 ingredients!

18. Three-Cheese Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut squash is a versatile ingredient and is cheap when in season. This is a great use for this vegetable.

19. Easy Broccoli Cheese Quiche

This meal also only contains 5 ingredients! This meal is easy and budget friendly.

20. Easy Healthy Cheap Frittata

Frittatas are a very budget friendly meal and can be easy and delicious. Here is a great recipe on how to make one!

21. Mexican Tortilla Casserole

This is an easy to prepare meal and is great to prepare ahead of time and freeze!

22. BEEF STROGANOFF BOATS

It’s the perfect recipe for busy, on-the-go individuals because the prep and cooking times are minimal. Plus the end results are delicious!

23. Easy Italian Ground Beef, Onions, & Peas

This is a recession proof recipe that will become a classic in your family. It is a budget friendly dinner and super easy to make.

24. Asian Shrimp Fried Cabbage Recipe

This recipe is so much healthier than traditional fried rice. Plus is only has a couple ingredients so it is very budget friendly. You could also use something besides shrimp to make is more budget friendly.

25. 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken

My family LOVES hispanic food and we will be trying this! This is a simple, delicious, and budget friendly dinner idea!

26. PALEO SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

This easy sloppy joe casserole is a great budget friendly dinner idea. It is a new spin on a classic recipe.

27. Crockpot Broccoli and Sausage Macaroni Casserole

This casserole is easy and simple and only has a couple ingredients but HUGE flavor!

28. Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms

This recipe is healthy, easy, and budget friendly. It only has a couple ingredients and yet has a ton of flavor!

29. 3 Meals from 1 pot of beans

This is 3 recipes in one. I frequently make 2lbs of beans in the slow-cooker or Instantpot and then freeze them for different recipes. This post contains 3 different recipes for that one pot of beans.

30. Old Fashioned Goulash

Old fashioned goulash is a classic budget friendly dinner. It is good and the whole family will eat it. It’s a bonus that it is a cheap meal idea!

31. Best No Mayo Tuna Patty Recipe

This recipe is easy, budget friendly, and tasty. It only takes 15 minutes to make!

32. Quick, Easy, & Affordable Canned Salmon Soup

This recipe has a couple simple ingredients and is low on cost!

33. Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup is delicious and full of flavor.

34. 5 Minute Keto Tamale Pie

Not only is this recipe budget friendly, it is super fast to make! Make it in only 5 minutes! This will quickly become your new favorite budget friendly dinner!

35. Afghan Kidney Bean Curry

This dish is full of flavor and very budget friendly. If you are looking for a new recipe to try, here it is!

36. Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soak)

I love making pinto bean in my InstantPot. I use them to make refrained beans to do with street tacos. They are very versatile and a cheap food that is very filling.

37. Smoky Chicken Leg Quarters

You could make this recipe with any piece of chicken really. My family doesn’t care for dark meat so we always use chicken breasts which cost more but tastes better to us. This recipe is delicious and budget friendly! It is super easy and you can easily make it ahead!

38. Homemade Hamburger Helper-Roni (Gluten Free)

You can also make this a little cheaper by not using gluten free noodles if you want to! This is super simple and easy to make.

39. Pasta with Chicken and Pesto (Gluten Free)

This recipe calls for gluten free pasta but you don’t have to use gluten free if you don’t want. This is a quick, tasty, and budget friendly all in one dinner!

40. Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (Gluten Free)

Another gluten free recipe but don’t let that scare you away. You don’t have to use gluten free unless you want to. This is worth trying either way!

41. Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE homemade chicken pot pie. It is the ultimate comfort food! This recipe is budget friendly and so much easier since it uses a puff pastry for the crust.

42. One-Pot Vegan Jumbala

If you love jumble, this recipe is one to try whether you are vegan or not!

43. Pressure Cooker Creamy Baked Ziti

I love baked ziti and anytime I can use my InstantPot is a go-to recipe for me!

44. Mongolian Beef

This is an easy budget friendly recipe that isn’t the run-of-the-mill pasta. If you are looking for something new and different, this one is for you!

45. Paleo Asian Meatloaf

I love meatloaf and I can’t wait to try this version. It is a cool twist on a classic comfort food.

46. Pressure Cooker Tuna Noodle Casserole

This recipe makes tuna noodle casserole even easier!

47. Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

I love baked ziti and this is a classic version of the recipe. It’s an easy to follow and budget friendly recipe.

48. One Skillet Cheeseburger Helper

This is a delicious homemade dish that will taste so much better than the box!

49. One Skillet Cajun Chicken Pasta

Give your chicken a little kick with this budget friendly pasta dish!

50. Low Carb Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

This is a great new take on chicken nuggets!

Now I am off to compile my meal plan with all these yummy, budget friendly dinner ideas! Let me know which are your favorites!

Don’t forget to grab your meal planning printable sheet!