5 Budget-Friendly Dinners You Can Cook in Under 20 Minutes

 

Introduction

Life gets busy and eating out can quickly drain your wallet. But cooking a delicious, home-cooked meal doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. In this post, we’ll share 5 budget-friendly dinners you can cook in under 20 minutes—no fancy ingredients required!

---

1. One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken with Veggies

Ingredients:
– 2 chicken breasts, sliced
– 1 lemon (juice + zest)
– 2 cups mixed frozen veggies
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add chicken slices, season with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and cook 4–5 minutes per side.
3. Add frozen veggies and lemon juice, stir well, and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon.

---

2. Quick Beef Taco Salad

Ingredients:
– 250 g ground beef
– 1 tsp taco seasoning
– 4 cups shredded lettuce
– 1 tomato, diced
– ¼ cup shredded cheddar
– Tortilla chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in a pan, drain excess fat.
2. Add taco seasoning and a splash of water, cook 2 minutes.
3. In a bowl, layer lettuce, seasoned beef, tomato, cheese, and crushed tortilla chips if desired.

---

3. Veggie Stir-Fry Noodles

Ingredients:
– 150 g instant ramen noodles (discard seasoning)
– 2 cups mixed fresh or frozen veggies
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp sesame oil (or olive oil)

Instructions:

1. Cook noodles according to package, drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat oil, add veggies, stir-fry 3–4 minutes.
3. Add noodles and soy sauce, toss until heated through.

---

4. Creamy Tomato Tortellini

Ingredients:
– 250 g cheese tortellini
– 1 cup marinara sauce
– 2 tbsp cream cheese or Greek yogurt
– Fresh basil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook tortellini per package instructions, drain.
2. Return to pot, stir in marinara and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Garnish with basil and serve.

---

5. Egg Fried Rice with Peas & Carrots

Ingredients:
– 2 cups cooked rice (preferably chilled)
– 2 eggs, beaten
– ½ cup frozen peas & carrots
– 1 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp oil

Instructions:

1. 1. 1. Heat oil in a wok or pan, scramble eggs, then set aside.
      2. Add rice, peas & carrots, stir-fry 3 minutes.
      3. Return eggs to pan, add soy sauce, mix well and serve.