I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Cheap Chicken Recipes that include soup recipes, crock pot recipes, lunch recipes and dinner recipes. A good chicken dinner doesn't have to break your wallet.
If you have been following my blog for a while, you will have noticed that I have love affair with chicken! I have far more chicken recipes on my blog than any other ingredient.
So, why chicken?
There are so many reasons to love chicken. Let me count the ways....
Navigate This Post
- Why I Love Chicken
- Tips for Working with Chicken
- Best Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cheap Chicken Recipe
- Southern Inspired Chicken Recipes
- 30 Minute Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Recipes for Lunch
- Chicken Appetizers
- Asian-Flavored Chicken Recipes
- Stuffed Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Soup Recipes
- Chicken Recipes with Pasta
- Chicken Recipes from Around the World
- One Pan Chicken Recipes
Why I Love Chicken
- Chicken is the most affordable meat found locally.
- Cheap chicken recipes are always in demand in my family and so many other families I know.
- Chicken can be cooked a hundred different ways from Sunday. It can be baked, fried, roasted, stir fried, sauteed and grilled.
- It's also very easy to cook with chicken with minimal fuss.
- Leftover chicken can be frozen and used all week.
- Chicken is available all year round from any grocery stores and delis.
Tips for Working With Chicken
- The first thing I always check is the "Sell by" or "Use by" date. It should be no less than 2 days away.
- I freeze chicken in individual bags, so it's easier to thaw and cook it.
- I always make sure I use different chopping boards for my ingredients. Chicken and raw meat get their own chopping board.
- At the supermarket, I always pick chicken as the last item on my shopping list because I want to make sure that it stays chilled as much as possible.
- Also, I place the chicken in the bottom of the cart, instead of inside the cart. This way, I avoid any cross-contamination.
- I always thaw my chicken in the refrigerator instead of the countertop. This way, there is less of a chance for any bacteria to multiply, and I don't spread raw juice on my kitchen counter tops.
- Once I have thawed a chicken, I never re-thaw it. It changes the taste of the chicken and also makes it more "rubbery".
Best Chicken Dinner Recipes
You know the popular saying! "Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner". That's what these recipes symbolize. These chicken dinner recipes are the best chicken recipes that are fan approved!
Which one of these winners will you make for dinner tonight?
Chicken Potato Bake
This is a super easy chicken recipe that takes almost no effort to make and yet, it tastes like you spent all day making it.
First, I bake the potatoes and spices. Then, I throw in the chicken and cheese to finish the recipe.
That's it! See how easy this recipe is to make?
Chicken Pot Pie
This chicken recipe is in the top 5 recipes in my home. We make it once a week because it's easy to make, it has veggies in it, and it is very hearty.
This chicken pot pie has been a family and fan favorite for a long time. You will love it because you don't have to spend hours preparing it and your family will love it because it tastes so very delicious.
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
Have you cooked chicken with beer? I used honey beer when cooking chicken? It really brings out the flavors of the chicken, making it moist and tender.
The crockpot does most of the work and it doesn't even break a sweat making it!
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This Italian classic is very easy to make. I put all the ingredients in the slow cooker which takes me only 10 minutes. The slow cooker will cook it to perfection in 6 hours.
So, if you start it at lunch time, by dinner time, you will have an amazing chicken cacciatore recipe ready to feed your family.
Jalapeno Artichoke Chicken Bake
Make chicken with a little spice! Jalapeno spices up an otherwise dull boneless, skinless chicken giving it distinct flavor.
There is cheese, sour cream, mayo and so many other delicious goodies.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
This recipe comes to us from the very talented Gay Globe Trotter. He made this recipe in one pan and just look how crispy that skin looks!
He cooked them in a olive oil, cilantro, and lime sauce that gives the chicken a wonderful flavor!
Slow Cooker Cheap Chicken Recipes
If you want really moist chicken, the best way to cook it is to let the slow cooker do the cooking. There is something about the slow cooking process and the steam formed inside that cooks the chicken so well!
The flavors get into every nook and cranny of the chicken to flavor it from the inside out. No part of the chicken will be dull or flavorless. Let it cook while you take a nap!
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Cooking the whole chicken can be intimidating, I know. But, I have found a super easy way cook it in the slow cooker and not worry about paying through the teeth for it. I have tips and tricks on how to get the crispy skin and prevent it from going dry.
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Shredded chicken or pulled chicken is the perfect ingredient for a open-your-jaws-wide type of sandwich. This pulled chicken recipe is made in the slow cooker with buffalo sauce which gets inside the chicken and gives it a flavor kick!
Top it with a celery salad and a sinful amount of cheese.
Crock Pot Guinness Chicken Stew
I have found that beer does WONDERS to chicken when you put both of them together! The chicken is so moist that it practically melts in your mouth. This stew is not just for St. Patrick's Day. Make it all year round and let the crock pot make the perfect meal for you!
Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
Here is a Hawaiian take on chicken. The pineapple soaks into the chicken which is a good thing because the chicken tastes like you are sitting on a beach in Kauai!
Serve it with a light wild rice blend or eat it by itself.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Chicken and rice is a popular theme in this cheap chicken recipe collection. I think people just love the heartiness of these two ingredients together. So, I put both into the slow cooker, along with the spices.
While it is cooking, I get so much work done. I can post a recipe, do the laundry, pay the bills, and even run a few errands. What will you get done while this meal is cooking in the slow cooker?
Spiced Lemon Crockpot Chicken Recipe
Add lemon and oranges to chicken in a crockpot and wait for the magical aromas to waft through your kitchen! This spiced lemon chicken recipe is by Recipes From Pantry and takes about 3.5 hours to cook.
Cheap Chicken Recipes Inspired by the South
The south shows us how to REALLY cook a chicken. No other part of the nation can do a fried chicken recipe like the south! These 4 chicken recipes are so delicious because they are steeped in southern tradition
Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuits
Chicken and biscuits is one of the best comfort foods ever made. Every time I eat chicken and biscuits, if feels like my soul has been rejuvenated! The best part about this chicken recipe is that it takes very little effort. The slow cooker does most of the work!
The Naked Colonel's Original Fried Chicken
This fried chicken recipe is made by the Good Hearted Women who did something amazing with chicken. She soaked it in Buttermilk and the results are the best comfort food fried chicken!
Easy Southern Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
"I can’t imagine a more perfect food than Southern Fried Chicken", says Grits and Pinecones! We couldn't agree more, right?! She oven-fries her chicken and gives you tips on how to get it crispy.
The Best KFC Fried Chicken Recipe
Talk about a money saver recipe! Baby Savers has figured out how to copycat the KFC fried chicken recipe. She shows us how to make it at home without breaking a sweat!
30 Minute Cheap Chicken Recipes
When you have only 30 minutes before you have to put dinner on the table, these chicken recipes will come to your rescue. They are quick, nutritious meals that will save you money and time!
Chicken and Cashew Lettuce Wraps
Chicken, cashews, celery and scallions in a brown soy sauce. All this served on lettuce, makes this a quick and healthy dinner recipe. You can serve this chicken and cashew combo on pita bread or on flatbread too.
5 Ingredient Tangy Chicken
Mango salsa and corn added to cooked chicken? Yes, it turned out to be so good. The recipe inspiration came to me on one of those days when I was so tired, I couldn't bring myself to make the meal I had planned.
So, I put together this dish quickly and served it with rice! Now, I serve 5-ingredient tangy chicken frequently and its always a huge hit.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Instant pot chicken and rice is a huge time-saver recipe. Hostess at Heart shows us that all you need is 10 minute of prep time and 15 minutes of cook time. In 25 minutes, the chicken and rice are ready to be devoured.
Chicken Gyro Instant Pot Sweet Potato
This whole meal is cooked in the instant pot. Sustainable Cook shows you how to stack the instant pot in order to cook the chicken and sweet potato together. Include fresh veggies when you are ready to serve and you have a quick, nutritious meal for your family.
Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken Burgers
Burgers are always the best dinner option when you don't have time. Fire up the grill for these super easy burger recipe by Earth, Food and Fire. He shows you how to make a tender and juicy grilled chicken burger.
Cheap Chicken Recipes For Lunch
Have leftover chicken from last night's dinner? Or, if you want a light lunch idea that is healthy and nutritious. Here are some of my favorite cheap chicken recipes for lunch.
Bacon Blue Cheese Wraps
Pre-cooked chicken from grocery stores is affordable, so, I buy it for the week I know I am going to be busy. Chicken with bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese put into a wrap can be a hearty, nutritious lunch meal.
Best part is that it didn't break your wallet. Put it in school lunches or brown bag it for work.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Take your regular grilled cheese and turn it up a few notches! This grilled cheese sandwich is a family favorite and its all because of the chicken in it.
Make this for summer lunches for the kids or bookmark it for when they are going back to school.
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
LifeCurrents has an amazing tangy and sweet chicken salad recipe for us. It's a very versatile salad that can be eaten by itself, put into a pita or in a sandwich roll.
Grilled Naan Chicken Salad Wraps
The Organic Kitchen shows us that cheap chicken recipes can be very colorful too. These chicken salad wraps are super easy to make and ready in 20 minutes.
Rustic Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
The beauty of this recipe by Blessed Beyond Crazy is that it can be eaten at lunch or as a side dish. The recipe is rustic, cheap, and nutritious. What else can we ask for, right?
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Eating healthier doesn't have to be expensive, as Celebrated Sweets shows us. Her cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe is made with healthy ingredients that are easy on our wallet.
Fiesta Chicken
This is a light, quick fiesta chicken recipe with a little tang. It's good by itself or put it into a pita bread. It also works as a dinner side dish, so go ahead and make a big bowl of it today.
Cheap Chicken Recipes - Appetizers
Chicken appetizers are a great way to serve your guests at your next dinner party. They are finger-licking good recipes that are made easily. Next time you are looking for chicken appetizers, here are some very creative recipes for you to try!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders are so easy to make at home. To make them with less oil, Little Sunny Kitchen shows you how to make them in the air fryer.
Chicken Nuggets
Have you tried making chicken nuggets at home? Whole New Mom has the perfect recipe for chicken nuggets that are perfect for school lunches and snacks.
Chicken Satay
Making chicken satay even when you don't have a grill couldn't be easier. Dishes Delight walks us step-by-step on how to oven bake these chicken satay recipe.
Easy Asian Flavored Cheap Chicken Recipes
Chicken flavored with ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and all kinds of Asian seasonings are perfect lip-smacking delicious flavor of chicken. These Asian flavored recipes can take chicken from meh to WOW!
Slow Cooker Thai Spicy Peanut Chicken
This is my all time favorite Asian flavored chicken recipe. Add a little spice to the chicken, throw in some peanuts, bell peppers and the recipe is great for the whole family.
Best part is that you just have throw the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do the cooking. While its cooking, you can attend to other things like catching up on your favorite TV shows.
Authentic Pho Ga
Delightful Plate shows us how to make a mouthwatering authentic pho recipe using chicken and easy spices. This pho recipe is soul warming and will make you want to travel to Vietnam immediately.
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Why order out for expensive chicken teriyaki, when you can easily make it at home? It couldn't be simpler to make chicken teriyaki at home. Bowl Me Over simplifies the whole process and serves it up in a delicious rice bowl!
Thai Green Chicken Thigh Curry
Look at that delicious red color on the chicken! Whole New Mom uses a delicious Thai green curry to marinade the chicken and then roast it to the perfect chicken meal.
Stuffed Cheap Chicken Recipes
Whether it's stuffing chicken breasts or chicken thighs, one thing is for sure. Stuffed chicken looks like a fancy meal you get at a Michelin Star restaurant, but it didn't cost you 2 paychecks!
Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Want to get your family to eat broccoli without letting them know that they are eating broccoli? Courtney's Sweets mixes broccoli with cheese and stuffs it inside chicken thighs! Your family will never know it. It will be our little secret...
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Basil and Bubbly takes stuffed chicken in the direction of Greek cuisine with these spinach stuffed chicken. She uses feta cheese, spinach and cream cheese to stuff chicken breasts before oven baking them.
Keto Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Chicken wrapped in bacon is like getting all the presents you asked Santa to give you! This bacon wrapped stuffed chicken is the brain child of Moore Or Less and she also has a video where she walks you through the whole process.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup for the body, chicken soup for the soul! These chicken soup recipes are recipes that Grandma would bring over when you were sick. Each of these recipes can be easily made with ingredients we have in our pantry.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon in chicken is made with a ton of lemon and fresh herbs. Girl Heart Food put chicken in this soup, along with carrots to give us a hearty, wholesome soup recipe.
General Tso's Chicken Soup
Everything you love about General Tso's chicken is inside this very creative recipe by Soup Addict. She put eggs and chicken in her soup which are very budget-friendly ingredients.
Shredded Chicken Dumplings Soup
Chicken, potato, carrots, and eggs are in this dumpling soup. Cheap chicken recipes don't get better than this soup. Brooklyn Farm Girl understands how we like our soup! Cheap and delicious!
White Chicken Chili
The best part of this white chicken chili is that it can be eaten all year round. So, whenever our bank account is a little low, make this hearty chicken chili recipe by Pinch and Swirl.
It's hearty and filling and our bank account will not feel the pinch!
Cheap Chicken Recipes with Pasta
Here some of the best chicken and pasta recipes because they are easy, cheap and crowd-pleasing. Chicken and pasta are a hearty dinner combination which no one can resist!
Crockpot Creamy Chicken
This crock pot creamy cayenne chicken is not only fun to say, it's also fun to make and eat. I served it over a bed of penne pasta, but it goes well with any pasta shape.
Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
I made pesto using broccoli and basil because my family hates broccoli. I have to find creative ways of incorporating it in our meals. This time, I made the pesto and mixed in chicken and pasta.
The whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. Its perfect dinner for any night of the week.
Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe
Chef Not Required should be thanked for coming up with this pasta recipe. Her chicken, bacon, pasta baked in a casserole dish is a very affordable dinner recipe that can be made on those super busy weeknights.
Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli
Looking for a cheap chicken recipe that is fast and easy? Plating Pixels threw chicken, spaghetti, broccoli, lemon into a pan and cooked it up in a jiffy! 30 minutes later, he brought this perfect pan of chicken recipe to life!
Pressure Cooker Dump and Start Creamy Chicken Pasta
I have seen how well a pressure cooker can cook a chicken. Not only does it cook well, but it cooks it super fast. This pressure cooker creamy chicken pasta is from Val's Kitchen. She put together a cheap, quick chicken dinner using items that were her refrigerator.
Baked Caprese Chicken Recipe
No one can resist a chicken slathered with melted cheese! Finding Zest knows that and so she put together this hearty dinner recipe. The caprese chicken is easy to prepare in the oven. Then, she served it over a heaping plate of spaghetti!
Cheap Chicken Recipes From Around The World
Thankfully, people all over the world love chicken just as much as we do. They have taken the chicken and put their own twist to it. From exotic spices to unique cooking methods, be transported to these places when you make these delectable international chicken recipes.
Chicken Cacciatore
Here is a twist on the Italian chicken cacciatore recipe. I made cacciatore meatballs out of it and put them in a rich tomato sauce. Then, I served them with penne pasta! Sounds so good, right?
Bruschetta Chicken
Its nice to see bruschetta breaking out of the appetizer bracket and becoming a dinner staple. The Bettered Blonde cooked chicken Italian style and made it look so colorful and easy.
Zucchini Spanish Chicken Bowl
Chicken with a Spanish twist and served in a rice bowl! This creative recipe idea is from Mashed Mom who makes zucchini and chicken look so appetizing.
Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Lemons
I could sit and stare at this image all day long! The chicken is cooked with Moroccan spices and served with couscous. This exotic, vibrant Moroccan chicken recipe is made by Super Golden Bakes.
Easy Chicken Schnitzel
A German twist on chicken is exactly what a boring day needs. This chicken schnitzel recipe breaks the same-old-same-old chicken recipe. This is an Austrian-German inspired chicken recipe by Masala Herb.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada
Mexican Chicken Enchiladas are incredibly popular in my home, so, this recipe by Savoring The Good is a must make. The sour cream and cheese in this cheap chicken recipe brings all the ingredients together in the perfect flavor harmony.
Grilled Moroccan Chicken
This is a different Moroccan chicken recipe, and oh so delicious! Savory Bites marinated chicken and veggies. Then, she skewered and grilled them to the perfect orange hue!
Baked Chicken Chimichanga
Chimichangas are quick and easy to make at home using just a few ingredients. We Are Not Martha baked these chimichangas in the oven and topped them with sour cream. Best part is that they are freezer-friendly!
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Indian Flavored Butter Chicken recipes have an unfair image. People tend to think that a lot of exotic spices and chef training is required to make it. I made this Indian butter chicken using only FIVE easy ingredients.
No chef training required, just let the slow cooker do the work.
Slow Cooker Chicken Schwarma
Chicken Schwarma is a Middle Eastern staple and very easy to make at home. A Clean Bake shows us how to make the perfect chicken schwarma in the slow cooker with affordable ingredients!
One Pan Cheap Chicken Recipes
These cheap chicken recipes have one thing in common. They are made in one container. If you want casserole dish recipes, skillet recipes, sheet pan chicken recipes or cast iron recipes, they are here for your making!
Which container do you prefer? Me? I am a fan of the skillet chicken!
Chicken Cordon Bleu
If you only have 25 minutes to put dinner on the table, what do you do? Sure, you could go the order-in route, but, will it be nearly as good as this chicken cordon bleu? Absolutely not!
This Swiss classic is so easy to make and even easier to clean up after!
Baked Breaded Chicken
Breaded chicken oven baked on a sheet pan and then baked for just under 30 minutes. That's all it takes to make this breaded chicken. It's another quick chicken dinner recipe to make on one of those super hectic days!
Baked Enchilada Chicken
Not only is this chicken enchilada made in one pan, its also made with just 5 ingredients! Meg's Everyday Indulgence shows us how to make this enchilada in 30 minutes.
Chicken Alfredo Casserole
This Chicken Alfredo Casserole by Keto Cooking Christian is a low carb, keto chicken recipe. She made a delicious family meal that is just simply irresistible.
There are mushrooms, spinach, and so much more nutrition in this chicken.
Easy Chicken Legs Recipe
This is a recipe a busy parent should have in their bookmarks! Fearless Dining has a veggie and chicken legs recipe that she cooked in the skillet, all in under 30 minutes!
Colorful, gluten-free, and delicious!
Sheet Pan Chicken Teriyaki
Its so easy to make chicken teriyaki in a cassserole dish. Carmy made this delicious chicken recipe is going to be on dinner tables everywhere tonight! She also shows us how to make meal prep out of it.
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs
This cast iron skillet chicken thighs that need only 5 ingredients and take under an hour to make! That sounds like a delicious meal doesn't it? Bliss Healthy Coaching made a video for this recipe, so we should have no excuse to not make it tonight.
Skillet Tomato Chicken Breasts
Bathe chicken in a delicious tomato sauce and you have the perfect, quick dinner recipe. Bunny's Warm Oven can really make a delicious chicken meal in a skillet with very little effort.
Mushroom Artichoke Chicken
Artichokes add a tang to the chicken and mushroom add texture to this cheap chicken recipe made in the casserole dish. This very creative recipe is the brain child of Stylish Cravings!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Why have plain old broccoli and rice casserole? Moneywise Moms adds chicken to her casserole and makes it a more hearty recipe. The recipe is done in 40 minutes.
Crispy Chicken Thighs
If you have a family member who has gluten allergies, this chicken recipe will be perfect for them. Its a hearty meal by Mama Knows Gluten-Free that she made with fresh veggies and chicken thighs.
Italian Chicken, Mushrooms and Zucchini Skillet
Italian food is a staple in the tri-state area. We especially love our Italian chicken recipes. So, when I saw this recipe by Good Life Eats, I knew it had to go on the list of cheap chicken recipes.
This whole recipe takes 45 minutes to make, which is perfect for a weeknight dinner!
So, how many chicken recipes did you bookmark from this list? I have a feeling that you bookmarked them all!
Enjoy!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Such a delicious collection of recipes! Everything looks super comforting...and totally making me hungry right now!! Thanks so very much for including my lemon chicken orzo soup 🙂