The past year has been difficult, that’s no secret, so many people have been doing their best to save money. One area people cut corners on to try and save money is with their food shopping, but eating on a budget doesn’t have to be boring. Chicken is one of, if not the, most versatile meats, so here are our picks for budget chicken recipes.
Chicken Curry – The Perfect Midweek Treat
The perfect family recipe, the chicken curry is simple enough to prepare and enjoy throughout the week and perfect for the full family. Using coconut milk for a rich and creamy flavour and simply adjust the amount of curry powder to your liking.
What you’ll need
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1kg of chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- 1 diced large brown onion
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 400g coconut cream
- 2 cups of rice
Method
- Cut chicken into thirds. Heat oil in a pan at medium heat, brown chicken and remove from pan.
- Saute onion and garlic until onion is soft.
- Add curry powder and cook for a further minute. Add sugar, tomato paste and coconut cream.
- Return chicken to the pan.
- Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked.
- Serve with rice.
Six simple steps and now the whole family can enjoy a stunning chicken curry from this budget recipe
Swiss Chicken – Effortlessly Easy and Delicious
This super-easy, budget chicken recipe is perfect for those wanting an easy meal that still tastes brilliant. Perfect for the whole family too, swiss chicken is bound to become a regular staple in your house.
What You’ll Need
- 4 Chicken Breast, cut lengthways
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- ¾ cup of dry white wine
- 8 slices of ham
- 1 tbsp French mustard
- 3 thinly sliced spring onions
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 8 slices of swiss cheese
- ½ cup of cream
Method
- Season flour with salt and pepper then coat the chicken.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until each side is golden brown.
- Add wine and bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken and place on a heatproof plate, top with a slice of ham and slice of swiss cheese.
- Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes.
- Boil the remaining mixture in the frying pan until reduced by half.
- Decrease heat, add mustard, cream and onions and cook for 3 minutes. Place chicken on a plate and spoon over sauce to serve.
- Serve with sides of your choice.
Just like that you now have a wonderful meal the whole family can enjoy, not only was it cheap but easy too.
Chicken Alfredo – The Complete Hunger Fix
This chicken alfredo is not only deliciously rich and creamy but is a great cheap family meal. If you have many mouths to feed, chicken alfredo will do the trick, this dish absolutely proves that sometimes, simple is best.
What you’ll need
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
- 300g of fettuccine or tagliatelle
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 200ml of double cream
- ½ a nutmeg, grated
- 100g of parmesan
- Parsley, chopped to serve
Method
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs for around 10 minutes or until golden brown, remove from heat halfway through
- Remove and shred the chicken
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook for one minute less than the packet’s instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, add butter to the frying pan on medium and scrape around, add in the cream and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, add the chicken back to the pan.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove from the pot and transfer straight to the frying pan
- Sprinkle some of the parmesan and mix.
- Once mixed plate up and enjoy
Now you have not only a wonderfully rich, tasty and money-friendly chicken recipe, but three recipes to enjoy!
Don’t forget to view our full meat range for more inspiration as well as other premade kits for other delicious meals.
