Buying protein at the grocery store in 2026 can be terrifying. You never know how high beef prices will be or what will even be available. But, chicken is always there as an affordable protein that’s readily available any time of year. Not to mention, you can usually stretch a whole roast chicken into multiple meals. The recipes below remind you the versatility of chicken for dinner to help make shopping at a low-cost, easy. No more breaking the bank just to enjoy the taste of something delicious.
8 Affordable Chicken Dinner Recipes
Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
You can’t go wrong with a roasting chicken that’s big enough to feed the whole family. Juicy and succulent, this recipe prepares the chicken with fresh garlic, onion, lemon, and bunches of herbs. Throw in tender potatoes and carrots for a traditional dinner.
Creamy Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Skillet
A one pan skillet recipe means that you can prepare everything in one go. Think of this as a deconstructed enchilada with a savory mix of chicken, green chile peppers, and enchilada sauce all under layers tortillas, cheese, avocado, and slices of lime.
Vietnamese-Style Chicken Wings
When chicken wings are restaurants are too expensive for eating out, making them at home offers a solution. Marinating these wings in lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass means a crispy product. Try serving your them with a Thai pepper dipping sauce.
Martha Stewart-Inspired Keto Chicken Roll Ups
Keto on a budget. Martha Stewart was our inspiration for these diet-friendly Chicken Roll Ups. Spinach and mozzarella pillow inside chicken breasts wrapped in pieces of prosciutto. Each sits in a lemon artichoke cream sauce that’s made with herbed Boursin cheese.
Farm Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Crafting a filling soup leaves you with leftovers to supplement your meals the whole week long. Rather than stick to your usual chicken noodle, try a chicken and wild rice soup that packs the bowl full of veggies. You’ll even make your own broth from scratch so you’re sure to use the entirety of your roasted chicken.
Chicken Fajita Skillet
The best part about fajitas is being able to dress them up however you please. Let us take the ropes to help you create a scrumptious pan full of fajita chicken with peppers and onions. Then, let your imagination run wild with your topping such as pico, lime wedges, sour cream, avocado, queso fresco, and much more.
Martha Stewart-Inspired Chicken Pot Pie
As the year of 2026 increases price points, absolve your stress with a comfort meal. Our Martha Stewart-Inspired Chicken Pot Pie is the best of both worlds as it’s affordable to make and nostalgic too. A crispy crust breaks open to reveal a warm filling of chicken, peas, carrots, and onion.
Chicken and Waffles
Craving breakfast for dinner? Chicken and Waffles is the answer. Learn how to make Southern fried chicken strips that use buttermilk, chili powder, paprika, and a seasoned flour for a decedent taste. The honey butter sauce mends the bridge between these two worlds of savory and sweet.
Story by Kylie Thomas
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