Cooking dinners for two isn't always easy. Find some tips, tricks, and some recipes for inspiration on a budget.

20+ Cheap Dinners for Two and Cooking on a Budget

Dinners for two isn’t always easy, so I’ve rounded up over 25 posts from blogs all over the web with dinners made with two servings.

Cooking for an entire family has challenges when no one can agree on what they want. But cooking for two has its own set of challenges, and many recipes aren’t written for only two servings. Unless you plan to eat a lot of leftovers, it leaves you with way too much food.

Why would you need to cook for two? There are so many scenarios when you would want a meal for two: date night with your significant other, having a best friend over for dinner, you’re a couple with no children to cook for, you need easy weeknight dinners because some won’t be home, etc.

Yes, you can try to cut a recipe in half, but that doesn’t always work very well, either. You either end up with recipes that don’t come out as you expect or, even worse, you have odd amounts of ingredients or leftover ingredients that you don’t know what to use on.

For this reason, I collaborated with other bloggers to put together a list of recipes that are perfect meals to cook for two. Find an easy recipe on this list of cheap meals that will help you quickly get food to the dinner table.

Originally Published On: September 18, 2018

Last Updated On: February 10, 2023

Simple Ingredients

Start by purchasing some easy and simple ingredients for basic meals. Here’s my list of cheap ingredients or bulk ingredients that you can separate to make cheap dinners:

  • Chicken Breasts – buy in bulk and separate before freezing
  • Ground Beef
  • Black Beans
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Tilapia/Swai/Salmon or other frozen fish
  • Rice
  • Fresh Vegetables
  • Refried Beans
  • Bread
  • Peanut Butter
  • Butter
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Pasta Noodles
  • Sour Cream
  • Ketchup
  • Olive Oil

Grocery Store Tips

I always recommend making a grocery list before you go shopping. Having a list is a great way to make sure you aren’t purchasing foods you don’t need but also getting everything you do need. When you have to run back to the store for a forgotten ingredient, there’s a good chance you will “find” other things you need thus spending a lot of money again.

Look for things that are on sale. Sometimes you can find cheaper cuts of meat to work with or meat that needs to get in the freezer right away. Check sales ads for your local grocery store to see if they have any good deals, especially when you’re on a tight budget. For example, Publix often has a lot of buy-one-get-one sales.

Buy in bulk if you can. Yes, it sometimes costs more upfront, but if you compare costs it usually is an easy way to save money in the long run. Of course, only do this for things that you know you’ll use before they go bad. For example, we eat a lot of chicken in our house. We buy the large 10-lb package of chicken breast and separate it when we get home into individual mason jars. Those go in the freezer and we pull out what we need two days ahead and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.

Cooking Tips

The best part of cooking for yourself is making a favorite meal just how you want it. You have the option to add or subtract anything. Tyler won’t eat anything that has any bit of green bell pepper so I don’t add those. I won’t touch a cucumber or mushrooms, even though I will eat meals with cream of mushroom soup in them.

Make sure you also have some appliances that make cooking for two easier. We use our air fryer almost daily. It’s perfect for making small amounts of food. And there are so many things you can cook in the air fryer. The great thing about the air fryer is that it cooks quicker and doesn’t use as much energy.

We also use the slow cooker often for easy meals that are ready to eat when we are. I get something started early in the morning and we can eat when we get home from school and work.

Chicken covered with salsa, corn, and black beans in a slow cooker on a wooden surface

Food Storage

Even if you are cooking easy dinners made for only two people, there’s a chance you’ll have leftovers. Get some good containers to save the food. So many leftovers make a great lunch the following day.

Personally, we use a lot of glass storage containers. I don’t like putting hot food in plastic and don’t like reheating it in plastic, either. Having glass dishes means I can reheat the food right in the container if I bring it to work the next day.

Recipes for Simple Meals

Poultry Dinners

Lemon-Garlic chicken from the instant pot pressure cooker topped with a slice of lemon next to mashed potatoes on a white and grey marbled plate with a stainless steel fork on top of a white and grey napkin on a wooden surface
Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken
The Instant Pot pressure cooker makes meals easy. Try combining the bold flavors of lemon and garlic with chicken for a delicious dinner.
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Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
I could eat this easy and healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast every day! It’s tender, tastes fantastic, and is a healthy meal by itself.
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Baked BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe with Honey! - DeliCrunch
Baked BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe with Honey! – DeliCrunch
Baked bbq chicken wings recipe with honey is one of the easy and quick bbq chicken recipes that is baked in the oven and no marinade needed.
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Best Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe -- Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free
Best Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe — Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free
Easy Best Greek Grilled Chicken Recipes, delicious grilled chicken breasts, low carb, Keto, paleo and gluten free.
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Healthy Asian Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (PF Chang’s Copycat)
Healthy Asian Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (PF Chang’s Copycat)
Do you love the Asian lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s as much as I do? Then you have to try these delicious, easy, and healthy Asian Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps. Garnish with some chopped green onion and a drizzle of store bought Yum Yum sauce for an extra yummy and super beautiful fresh dinner.
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Instant Pot Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Gravy - Savory Tooth
Instant Pot Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Gravy – Savory Tooth
A healthy Instant Pot chicken dinner served with a creamy mushroom gravy. Easy, simple, and delicious. Reminds me of cream of mushroom soup!
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Easy and Beautiful Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two
Easy and Beautiful Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two
Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two is done in just one hour start to finish. Juicy turkey breast, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, roasted veggies.
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Ritz Cracker Chicken
Ritz Cracker Chicken
Buttery, crunchy chicken that is baked not fried. This easy recipe has only 5 ingredients, and tastes way better than Shake and Bake!
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Lemon Chicken and Couscous Recipe - Wanna Bite
Lemon Chicken and Couscous Recipe – Wanna Bite
This Lemon Chicken and Couscous Recipe takes just over 30 minutes to make and is absolutely delicious! Couscous and chicken play so well together! Delish!
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Thai Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Sticky Rice
Thai Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Sticky Rice
These Thai Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the most flavorful juicy, succulent shrimp you’ll ever make, served with Thai coconut sticky rice for the best shrimp ever
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Tortilla Pizza: All the Pizza Flavor with Way Less Carbs!
Tortilla Pizza: All the Pizza Flavor with Way Less Carbs!
This delicious tortizza has all of the flavor of your favorite restaurant pizza, but without all of the extra carbs. Pick a low carb barbecue sauce for even fewer carbs. Toppings can be easily customized depending on preference. Try pepperoni and cheese or roasted vegetables and goat cheese. Enj…
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Creamy Cajun Pasta Recipe with Chicken [EASY] - Masala Herb
Creamy Cajun Pasta Recipe with Chicken [EASY] – Masala Herb
Comforting creamy cajun pasta recipe based on as simple alfredo pasta sauce and enriched with a quick homemade cajun seasoning. Can’t get enough of this easy to prepare Pasta sauce with fresh cocktail tomatoes and chicken. Serving suggestions & learn how to make this awesome creamy Cajun pasta recip…
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Pork and Beef Dinners

Baked Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Baked Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Baked Honey Mustard Pork Chops with broccoli, potatoes and carrots, a super delicious meal for two. Super simple to make, with a fantastic honey mustard sauce, this recipe is sheer bliss.
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Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry - Savory Tooth
Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry – Savory Tooth
This low carb, keto friendly stir fry has ground beef and shredded cabbage cooked with a slightly spicy sauce. With just 7 ingredients, it only takes 30 minutes to prep and cook.
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Quesadilla Burger
Quesadilla Burger
Quesadilla Burger: Juicy burger topped with spicy jalapeno and creamy avocado ,stuffed inside a crispy quesadilla. Quesadilla + Burger = The Ultimate Mashup I love biting into a thick and juicy hamburger with fresh fixings. Top it off with a flavorful sauce and I’m a happy girl. You can make almost…
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Meatloaf Pizza aka Meatza
Meatloaf Pizza aka Meatza
Meatloaf Pizza aka Meatza: Flavor meatloaf ‘crust’ with all your favorite toppings. Your 2 favorite foods, in one great bite! So everyone’s all like… Check out my gluten free, vegan cauliflower pizza crust. And I’m over her like oh hey I just made a crust out of MEAT! If you think this is a gre…
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Southwest Steak Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
Southwest Steak Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
Make yourself a healthy and delicious Southwest steak salad with spicy avocado dressing. It’s the perfect way to eat a well rounded low carb meal.
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Filet Mignon With Asparagus & Hollandaise Sauce | Dude That Cookz
Filet Mignon With Asparagus & Hollandaise Sauce | Dude That Cookz
This Filet Mignon With Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce recipe is not only perfect for special occasions or just when you want to treat yourself.
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Seafood Dinners for Two

Fried swai fish on a bed of cooked orzo pasta in a skillet with a glass of water, towel, and serving dishes on a grey surface
Swai Fish with Orzo
Frozen fish is perfect to keep for a quick meal. Pair swai fish with orzo in a coconut cream sauce for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa
Pan-Seared Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple Salsa
Need an easy & healthy fish recipe? Try this pan-seared mahi-mahi (a neutral-tasting white fish) topped with fresh pineapple salsa. Serve it with your favorite sides for a quick weeknight meal in less than 30 minutes.
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15 min Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe
15 min Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe
15 min Shrimp chow mein nutritious weeknight meal. Comfort food easily prepared and so delicious! Prepare this one-pot meal for dinner after a long day at work. Learn how to prepare & and stir-fry shrimp chow mein (prawns) efficiently + effortlessly. With useful step by step recipe inc short video t…
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Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
This Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe is one of those pescatarian recipes that everyone will love! Keto, paleo, gluten free, and nut free, it is one of the main meals that you can add to your weekly meal plan.
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Meatless Recipes

Homemade Pizza Bagels covered with layers of sauce and cheese on a slate serving tray on a dark wooden surface
Homemade Pizza Bagels
Ordering pizza can get costly, so I found a way to make my own personal pizza bagels whenever I want it for lunch or dinner or a late-night snack.
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Egg Salad Sandwich on a brown piece of paper with a glass of water and white bowl of salad on a wooden surface
Egg Salad Sandwich
An egg salad sandwich is the perfect easy lunch. You can make it ahead of time and enjoy the creamy sandwich when you're ready.
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Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich wedges on a round white plate with sliced bread and cheese behind all on a white surface
Classic Grilled Cheese
There are so many ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich, but this is my favorite. It’s a classic grilled cheese, no frills, no extras.
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27 thoughts on “20+ Cheap Dinners for Two and Cooking on a Budget”

  1. Spicy Tuna Sushi Stack with Wonton Crisps and Lemon Chicken and Couscous are totally things I would try! We are pretty lucky here, there’s a local store that does meat cuts designed for two people, so we do that four to five meals out of the week and then just have to come up with sides, usually salad!

  2. It can sometimes be so difficult to cook for two. This roundup is so very helpful for those nights where everyone is not home.

  3. Just been looking for new meal ideas. I like the sound of the Vegan Pinto Bean Tacos – just yummy and ideal for a delicious dinner x

  4. Oh my, that’s a gorgeous recipe collection! Everything looks delicious and I think there is something for everyone! I need to try them! Thanks for sharing!

  5. This is my type of reading. I’m an empty nester and most recipes make enough food for a family, I need smaller portions.

  6. That tortilla pizza is calling my name! I love this round-up. It has so many great ideas for dinners for two that my hubby and I would adore. Thanks.

  7. great round-up! I will save this page for later. I cook from time to time and always try to make it special. (we do eat homemade meals mostly, but it’s my partner who makes it most of the time)

  8. This is a great resource for cooking for two – and on a budget! It’s just my husband and I – so this is beyond helpful. The thanksgiving sheet pan recipe looks like the first I’d like to try.

  9. These all look very good. I’m planning to cook a nice meal this Valentine’s Day for my husband and I, and I think a few of these are perfect.

  10. It’s like you wrote this post for me and my husband. Wow, what an amazing and resourceful blog post! Cooking for two can be a challenge but with this list, anyone can whip up delicious and budget friendly meals in no time. Some of these look really yummy and I need to try right away. Thanks for the great work in putting together this list and providing so much value! I’m going to bookmark this for future reference as well.

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