Ten family dinners under $20 - plus the three tips you need to cook to a budget every time
It is possible to feed a family of four for under $20 if you base your dishes around these three shopping tips:
1. Choose budget-friendly proteins
Focus on what’s on special on any given week and buy in bulk if you can. Our favourite budget meat cuts include:
- Beef mince
- Gravy beef
- Chicken drumsticks
- Whole chicken
- Chicken wings
- Chicken thighs and breasts.
Plant proteins such as lentils and beans are a good and inexpensive source of protein too.
2. Bulk out with rice, legumes, grains or pasta
These are cheap, add volume, and carry flavour. Think pasta bakes, risotto or paella, and of course, rice with any curry.
You can even make a “budget” Bolognese by replacing half of the beef mince needed in your regular recipe with an equal amount of canned brown lentils. They will cook down and absorb the savoury beef flavours and tomato juices while simmering, giving you great texture and volume while secretly boosting fibre.
3. Eat more veggies - they’re cheap and healthy!
Per kilogram, vegetables are going to be the cheapest items on your shopping list. They deliver essential nutrients and fibre and make your dishes colourful and tasty. Eat them in season, which is when they’re cheapest.
Choosing to eat a vegetarian or vegan meal a few times a week will certainly save you money, as will upping the veggie content in any meal, such as a stir fry, where you can get away with using a little meat, and more vegetables.
Your Under $20 recipe list
These budget-friendly recipes can all feed four people, and most are quick enough to make on a weeknight.
Under $10
Vegan Sweet Potato Thai Green Curry
With sweet potato the star of the show, this meal is nutritious and very economical.
Red Lentil and Cauliflower Dahl
Plant protein shines in this warming, nutritious and budget-friendly dish.
Under $15
Barbecue Sweet Chilli Drumsticks
At $7.50 kg chicken drumsticks are a budget beater! Serve this with a side of rice and some salad or coleslaw and you’ll have a chicken-dinner-winner!
Quick Chicken Stir Fry
This quick and easy meal is a great alternative to expensive take away. To reduce the cost even further, reduce the chicken to 250g and add in two handfuls of broccoli florets.
Under $20
This Baked Puerto Rican Chicken is a great traybake using chicken drumsticks, potatoes and tomatoes.
Beef and Pumpkin Bolognese
This is a great way to add bulk and more veggies to your Bolognese.
Chicken and Leek Linguine Carbonara
This recipe is a great way to turn leftover roast or barbecued chicken into a delicious pasta dish for the family.
Spiced Carrot and Pumpkin soup
With carrots and a large butternut pumpkin doing the heavy lifting, this recipe is a satisfying budget winner.
Baked Mortadella Pappardelle with Three Cheeses
Pasta bakes like this one are a great way to feed a family economically.
Budget-friendly Beef Bowl
With the addition of chickpeas this recipe goes further and is a great way to use up any veggies you have in the fridge.
Pricing note: All ingredients have been priced at 9/9/2026. We have assumed your kitchen is already stocked with standard essentials like salt, pepper, dried herbs and olive oil.