22 Budget Dinner Recipes That Taste Like a Million Bucks

Stick to your budget with ease while still enjoying a delicious meal.

If there's one thing I've learned over the years as a food writer and recipe developer, it's that budget-friendly recipes don't have a season—they're always popular. So breathe a sigh of relief as you browse through this collection of budget-friendly favorites to get you (and your family) through the month. These recipes are proof that just because a dish is light on the wallet doesn't mean it has to sacrifice on flavor.

If you're looking for more budget-friendly recipes that keep things affordable, check out our round-ups of summer grilling recipes, cheap and easy dinner recipes, and cheap meals for feeding a large family, too.

Spaghetti with Tuna and White Beans

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I Make for Pennies on the Dollar

"This is the quintessential affordable pantry dinner, made exclusively with staples I keep stocked at all times: pasta, canned tuna, and canned white beans. It’s delicious with just those simple ingredients, but I also love adding a few extra garnishes to make it even more satisfying." —Stephanie A Ganz, Recipe Developer

Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower*

Get Recipe: Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

"While beef and broccoli is not an especially difficult dish to make at home, steak isn’t the most affordable ingredient. This smart beef and broccoli recipe calls for ground beef—not only is it a more affordable cut of meat, but it also absorbs the sauce’s flavors as it cooks." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

5-Ingredient Pasta Bake

Get Recipe: The Budget-Friendly 5-Ingredient Pasta Bake My Family Asks Me For All the Time

"The ingredients—pasta, sauce, ground beef, cheese, and cottage cheese—were readily available at any grocery store and the bill was substantially lower than going to an Italian restaurant." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

One-Pot Spaghetti with Kale

Get Recipe: The Quick and Easy Dinner I Make for Pennies on the Dollar

"One aspect of this recipe that I love is how budget-friendly it is...for around $6 total I’ve got a big pot of pasta and veggies ready to go." —Robin Asbell, Recipe Developer

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Get Recipe: Homemade Hamburger Helper

"Add some vegetables to up the nutritional value. Add diced bell peppers or tomatoes along with the onion, or toss in handfuls of fresh spinach or frozen peas at the end." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Daal Palak (Lentil & Spinach Curry)

Get Recipe: Daal Palak (Lentil & Spinach Curry)

"Make sure to start cooking the daal in room temperature water, without salt. This allows the lentils to cook until soft without having any graininess." —Annika Panikker, Recipe Developer

Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood*

Get Recipe: Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

"If you don't have Parmesan cheese, use your favorite grated cheese instead (though it will taste less like the restaurant version)." —Sara Bir, Contributor

Black Bean Toasts

Get Recipe: The 15-Minute Cheap Meal I Make Week After Week

"A can of beans costs less than $1 and let's say the loaf of bread is around $5 and the cheese is $2. The rest of the ingredients are staples, so we won’t count them. That means that each serving of this black bean toast is less than $1.50. Add on another 50 cents or so for toppings and you’re at $2 per serving. See why this is such an awesome meal?" —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Hot Dog Stroganoff

Get Recipe: Hot Dog Stroganoff

"Serve with cooked egg noodles, elbow macaroni, or your favorite pasta." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

Get Recipe: Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

"By starting the process with a cold pan, the eggs will cook over slow and gradual heat, creating the softest scrambled eggs. It will also prevent them from browning. Overcooked eggs can taste coarse and rough, which makes it harder for them to absorb all the delicious tomato juices." —Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Get Recipe: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

"Feel free to swap the green cabbage for savoy cabbage. Avoid red cabbage since it takes too long to cook and will turn the dish an odd color." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Roasted Chickpeas and Artichokes with Lemon, Parsley, and Feta

Get Recipe: The Affordable One-Pan Meal I Make Once a Week

"For enough to serve four adults with leftovers—I can stretch it out and enjoy it for lunch the next day (win!)— the ingredients add up to less than $15. It has for all the years I’ve been making it." —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

Skillet Chicken and Rice

Get Recipe: Skillet Chicken and Rice

"The important tip for this recipe is to make sure to rinse your rice really well with cold water before adding it to the skillet. If you don’t rinse it well, the starch from the rice will make the dish gummy." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Get Recipe: Sesame Peanut Noodles

"My version of sesame peanut noodles comes together in just 20 minutes—perfect for a weeknight dinner—and requires minimal pantry ingredients. The sauce bursts with nutty, sweet, and salty flavor. It makes a great side dish, but you can also add any protein and serve it as a main course!" —Hannah Zimmerman, Recipe Developer

Creamy White Beans and Greens

Get Recipe: This 10-Minute Meal Warms Me up on Cold Nights

"You can use any canned white bean for this dish, but I prefer cannellini or butter beans as they tend to have a softer texture that works really well here. Make sure to drain the beans in a sieve set over a bowl as you’ll need the aquafaba." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Potato Leek Soup

Get Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

"No need for cream to make this soup creamy! Just blend the cooked soup with an immersion blender or standing blender until thick and smooth. Yukon gold potatoes will produce an especially creamy texture. If you would like your soup to be a little chunky, only purée half of it." —Elise Bauer, Founder

5-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinner

Get Recipe: This 5-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinner Might Be the Best Thing I’ve Ever Made

"I keep whole ginger in the freezer and grate just what I need for cooking. Frozen ginger is easier and safer to grate than fresh because the fibers don't get stuck on the blades. You don't need to peel the ginger and can grate it right over the wok." —Myo Quinn, Contributor

Mom's Ground Turkey and Peppers

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne*

Get Recipe: Mom's Ground Turkey and Peppers

"If you want to increase this ground turkey recipe to serve more people, you may want to remove the vegetables after they've cooked and set them aside as you cook the turkey meat, or cook the meat and the vegetables in two separate skillets." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Cheesy Baked Tacos

Get Recipe: Cheesy Baked Tacos

"This recipe makes six small tacos, perfect for a meal for two or three with sides. If you need more, it’s easy to make two pans at once so you have 12 tacos, feeding four to six people. Just swap the pans on the oven racks once or twice so they all brown evenly." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

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