Recipe Roundup

35 Budget Meals That Taste Like a Million Bucks

Everything’s more expensive these days, which is why you need this list of filling, flavorful meals that don’t cost an arm and a leg. These satisfying dinners (and lunches and breakfasts) all clock in under $5 a serving.
Photo of Chickpea Salad Pasta on a plate with a fork.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Did you try to plan budget meals but find yourself cringing during your last visit to the grocery store? Could you have sworn it was easier to not blow through your grocery cash a year ago? No, it’s not the extra bag of pretzels you threw into your cart at checkout. Groceries are more expensive right now, thanks to a little thing called inflation. According to the Consumer Price Index’s most recent data, grocery prices were up 7.9% year over year as of February 2022. This increase shows no sign of stopping, with the USDA predicting an additional 3% to 4% increase by the end of the year.

What can you do? Go ahead and keep those pretzels—and try incorporating more budget-friendly recipes into your dinner (and lunch, and breakfast) rotation. To make it a bit easier, we calculated the price per serving of some of the most popular recipes on Epicurious to find a slew of great budget meals you can make for under $5 a serving. These tried-and-true recipes let you save at the register without skimping on flavor.

  • Photo and Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    3/35

    Grilled Coconut Shrimp With Shishito Peppers

    If you think certain items—like succulent coconut shrimp and shishito peppers—are off the menu when you're trying to eat affordably, think again. The cost per serving on this dish is still under $4.50.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    4/35

    Lentil-Smothered Greens on Fried Bread

    “Stuff on toast” is a tale as old as time. This story is all about quick-cooking red split lentils meeting their perfect match with hearty spiced greens.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    5/35

    Grilled Whole Cauliflower With Miso Mayo

    Whole roasted cauliflower, basted in spicy butter sauce, is sure to impress with its bed of lemony miso mayo. The best part? It’s only $3.33 per serving.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    6/35

    Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

    Stuffed shells may sound like a project, but this version cuts down on the labor by turning it into a one-pan, stovetop-only version with mushrooms and spinach. It’s a fancy-feeling meal for under $4.50 per serving.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    11/35

    Chicken Piccata

    The old-school Italian classic is as satisfying as it is simple. You can’t go wrong with lightly dredged chicken breast in a luscious lemon-butter sauce.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    12/35

    Papas con Rajas y Crema Ácida

    This versatile dish can be served as a side or a main. Just combine roasted poblano chiles, cubed boiled potatoes, onions, and crema, and grab some tortillas for that carb-on-carb action.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    15/35

    Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce

    These pan-seared beauties cut down on the cost by using just egg for the binding, while also by giving canned salmon center stage.

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  • Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo
    16/35

    Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice) 

    Breakfast on a budget doesn’t have to mean throwing a granola bar into your bag and calling it a day. This garlicky Filipino classic is a great way to start your morning.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    17/35

    Apple-Cheddar Dutch Baby

    This Dutch baby is dressed to impress—covered in baked apples and cheddar cheese. At $2.20 per serving, it’s an affordable way to gussy up brunch or dinner.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    18/35

    Chicken and Rice Meatballs With Hummus

    These chicken meatballs get extra flavors from scallions, garlic, ginger, and hawaij, a Yemeni spice mixture. The cost? About $4.30 a plate.

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  • Photo by Kristin Teig
    19/35

    Melted Broccoli Pasta With Capers and Anchovies

    Chances are good you have a box of whole wheat pasta hiding somewhere in the back of the pantry. This recipe was made for those forgotten noodles. Broccoli, capers, and anchovies are a great match for the wholesome pasta.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    20/35

    Spanish Frittata With Herby Yogurt and Greens

    The addition of potatoes turns this herby frittata into a filling meal. But it doesn't end there. Go ahead and fill this frittata with two cups of any leftover cooked vegetables you have in the fridge. This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for those times when you're just not ready to go to the store again.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    21/35

    Salmon Burgers with Red Pepper Mayo

    Burger night at home doesn’t have to be a budget-buster—and it doesn’t have to involve beef. These salmon burgers rely on canned salmon—an affordable pantry staple—and roasted red pepper mayo to keep cost low without compromising flavor. Thinking about dessert? Check out our pastry chef's guide to low-cost baking.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    22/35

    Charred-Peach Panzanella With Pickled Pepper Vinaigrette

    Bursting with juicy peaches and tomatoes, this summer salad becomes budget-dinner-worthy thanks to crisped bacon and bread charred in the rendered fat.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    23/35

    3-Ingredient Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wings

    When you’re looking to cut down your grocery bill, three-ingredient crowd favorites are a no-brainer. These three-ingredient wings require little more than chicken, hot sauce, and butter—plus a few staples (oil, salt, and pepper) that are likely already in your pantry.

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  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    24/35

    Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme

    When shopping on a budget, you might think that a restaurant-worthy fish dinner isn’t an option. The secret here is the simple prep—little more than lemon, thyme, and olive oil—that allows salmon to shine for $3.15 per serving.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    25/35

    Grilled Chicken With Lemon and Thyme

    Grilled chicken doesn’t need to be a production—or a budget buster. The key to great flavor here is that the chicken is marinated after grilling, not before.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    26/35

    Saucy Beans and Artichoke Hearts With Feta

    The bigger the beans the better in this saucy Greek-inspired dish. Sop up that tomatoey sauce with some crusty bread and call it a meal on the cheap. ($3.16 per person is hard to beat!)

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    27/35

    Grilled Whole Eggplant With Harissa Vinaigrette

    The secret to this smoky, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant is cooking it in the dying embers of a charcoal grill (or charred on the grates of your grill). The other secret is that it’s under $2 per serving.

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  • Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
    28/35

    Quick Potato Gnocchi

    Back away from the potato ricer. These gnocchi rely on instant potatoes to cut down the time and cost. Dinner is on the table in 15 minutes—and for $3.20 per serving.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    31/35

    Salad Pasta

    Sure, pasta with a side salad makes for a well balanced dinner, but how about pasta in a salad? This budget meal is a salad’s worth of greens folded into pasta.

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  • Photo by Chris Terry
    32/35

    Butter Beans, Paprika, and Piquillo Peppers

    Saucy butter beans swimming in caramelized red onions and piquillo peppers. What more could you ask for when it comes to a $3.17-per-serving meal? Consider making a big batch to have around for easy lunches.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    35/35

    Big Green Lentil Salad

    Satisfy your need for greens for a little more than $3 per serving with this hearty salad featuring green lentils, peppery baby arugula, basil, and creamy avocado. Like many great budget meals, this makes a terrific lunch or dinner. Looking for more budget-friendly recipes and cooking tips? Check out The Smart Cook, our section focused on making the most of every dollar in the kitchen.

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Sarah Freeman is a food and drink writer based in Chicago. As a former editor of Zagat, Eater, and October, she’s used to people asking her where to go for dinner and which beer they should be drinking right now. When she’s not exploring new restaurants, she can be found... Read more
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