Are you looking for budget-friendly meals that are perfect for a tight budget? These easy recipes for two on a budget are delicious recipes you can depend on! Budget meals don’t have to be unhealthy. Add these cheap healthy meals to your favorite recipes and enjoy a delicious meal without breaking the bank!
How to Save on Meals for Two
Most of the time, people who save on meals tend to eat fast or microwavable food that is just plain unhealthy. The good news is that you can still eat nutritious meals without spending much money. Here are the best tips to help you with your grocery budget:
- Plan Ahead: Make a weekly meal plan and stick to a grocery list when shopping in grocery stores. This will help you focus on buying things you only need and reduce excess ingredients that can result in food waste.
- Batch Cooking: Cook food in a big batch and divide them into smaller portions. This way, you save both time and money.
- Cheaper Cuts of Meat: Chicken meat is affordable and versatile, making it a great choice when on a budget. Choose from whole chicken, chicken tenders, chicken thighs, chicken leg quarters, and chicken breasts.
- Add Produce: Another great way to save is to add more vegetables and fresh fruits to your meals. Seasonal produce has fair and good prices.
- Cook at Home: There’s no doubt that cooking at home is easier on the wallet than eating out!
- Pantry Staples: Always have stock of rice (brown rice if that’s what you prefer), pasta, spices (Italian seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder are versatile), sauces (I always have soy sauce), and Parmesan cheese (for pasta). These kitchen staples make it easier to whip up simple meals for a no-hassle, easy weeknight dinner or lunch.
25 Easy Recipes for Two on a Budget
If you’re looking for cheap dinner ideas or easy meals for breakfast or lunch, check out my roundup list of simple recipes for two on a budget. These are also great for easy weeknight dinners if you have little time to prep and cook.
Discover a saucy and flavorful Chinese pasta recipe featuring ground beef and bell pepper – an easy and quick meal that delivers on flavor!
These chocolate lava cakes for two are the perfect romantic dessert that's an ultimate comfort food! They come together super fast. Top them with ice cream for a perfect way to end a dinner!
Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy is a nutritious, comforting, and flu-fighting twenty-minute recipe made with a vegetarian broth, noodles, mushrooms, and baby bok choy. One of the simple dinner recipes I love!
Ritz Cracker Chicken: Buttery, crunchy skinless chicken breasts that are baked, not fried. This easy recipe has only 5 simple ingredients, and tastes way better than Shake and Bake!
This juicy quesadilla burger features spicy jalapeno and creamy avocado, stuffed inside a crispy tortilla. This copycat recipe is the ultimate mashup.
When your fridge is almost empty, but you want a tasty chicken dinner for just the two of you, try this Cream of Mushroom Chicken recipe! This comes together in under 30 minutes and won’t break the bank!
Both of you will fall in love with this garlicky shrimp fried rice, which features a whole head of garlic with perfectly seasoned rice and lots of plump, peeled shrimp. Perfect for seafood lovers!
Black pepper chicken for two is both cheap and healthy. Stir-fried chicken breast coated in a savoury black pepper sauce with onions and bell peppers. The low-cost ingredients make this recipe a great addition to your list of cheap meal plans.
Puerto Rican Picadillo, a classic Latin ground meat dish, is a fantastic great meal for weeknights. It features ground beef simmered with veggies and spices and is made in just 30 minutes.
No more guessing what’s for dinner with chicken when you can make Balsamic Chicken With Tomatoes using canned tomatoes! This skillet chicken dinner for two is ready in under an hour from prep to plate.
Roasted Chicken Quarters with maple syrup and roasted vegetables baked in the same large pan is easy yet full of flavor. Use chicken legs, thighs, or quarters for a hearty, comforting chicken for two.
This cream soup packs a lot of veggies, plus porcini mushrooms and my favorite source of healthy fats, avocado. It’s very easy to make, super tasty and can be served with different extras like nuts, olives and even with your favorite cheeses.
Make this egg and avocado sandwich for a delicious restaurant-style breakfast at home! It’s healthy, easy, and delicious. The combination of sliced avocado and hard boiled egg is what makes this sandwich pop, giving it a unique flavor and a creamy texture.
These Sweet Potato Tacos are a great healthy and budget friendly meal for two! They're made with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and tangy avocado salsa on corn tortillas.
This Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl is healthy and inexpensive! It's made with canned chickpeas served over quinoa with Kalamata olives, veggies, and a lemon tahini sauce.
Tuna tomato pasta is delicious, healthy, and one of the easiest ways to make pasta for two. It only takes 20 minutes to make and with just a few inexpensive ingredients (like a can of tuna).
Italian Greens And Beans Recipe - Budget-Friendly, Vegan, & Straight From Tuscany
This authentic Italian greens and beans dish uses in-season greens and you can use dehydrated white beans at a fraction of the cost of canned beans.
Prepare this Gigi Hadid’s spicy vodka pasta for two in just 20 minutes. It makes a delicious and budget-friendly vegetarian dinner with a superb flavor!
Use up all your refrigerator bits and bobs of veggies and meats to make this delectable Chicken Fried Rice, budget-friendly and tasty!
This Sheet Pan Salmon recipe is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner and can be doubled for crowds! Full of protein and omega 3’s plus added nutrients from the vegetables! Plus, sheet pans recipes make cooking and cleanup easier.
Whether you’re looking for quick lunches or easy dinner ideas, these recipes for two on a budget will get you through!
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