10 Tips to Save on Chicken and Other Meats

Eat Less Chicken?

NOTE:  Most of these tips also work for other meats when they are rising in prices.

Are you getting sticker shock at the chicken counter of your favorite grocery store?  Have you noticed the price of chicken entrees increasing in price at restaurants ? It's happening. The price of chicken feed is higher due to the 2012 drought, pushing up prices on chicken.  What can you do?

1.  Eat other meats more often. That won't necessarily save your money since pork and beef prices may be rising soon also.  Yes, the drought again.  Compare the price of a meal made with each of these types of meat to see which are less expensive.  Serve the more expensive meats less often in your menu rotation.

2.  Buy chicken now and freeze it before the price goes higher.  You can also cook some chicken in larger quantities and then freeze it. There is a fair amount of water in chicken that comes out during cooking.  Also if you take out the bones and only freeze the meat, it will save room in your freezer.

3.  Make more recipes that use strips or pieces of cooked chicken and reduce the amount you use by 10% or more.  That includes stir fry, Tex-Mex, soup, salads, wraps, pot pies and casseroles.  Serve chicken kebabs with more vegetables on those skewers.  Keep the chicken strips in the freezer for quicker meal prep.

4.  Make more vegetarian meals.  A good way to start is to observe "Meatless Mondays."  You might be surprised at how tasty vegetarian meals can be.

5.  Consider the total cost of a meal when comparing menus.  You might be able to afford the chicken if you use less costly ingredients for the rest of the meal.

6.  Make serving portions close to the size of a deck of cards.  That's what's recommended for most adults and children need less.  If you usually serve a half chicken breast atop a salad, serve this smaller amount, but separate it into strips or pieces.  It will seem like plenty (and it is) and will be easier to eat.

7.  Serve smaller portions of chicken with filling carbs, like dumplings, rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, starchy vegetables, etc.  Even better, include some protein rich legumes like peanuts, peas, beans, and tofu at the same meal.

8.  Consider breading the meat to make it seem like more.  You can dip chicken pieces in milk or egg wash and then bread crumbs.  You can even double dip the pieces if you let them dry a bit before repeating the process.  Either pan fry the chicken or even better bake it.  You can use crushed crispy rice cereal in with the bread crumbs to get a crunch similar to more costly Panko breadcrumbs.

9.  Eat out less often.  Chicken you make at home will cost a lot less! Keep a few ready-to-go meals in the freezer that you can just zap in the microwave.  Make your own "fast food" by making double of a meal and just freezing the extra one. 

10.  Experiment with interesting recipes from other cuisines.  Chicken is enjoyed in many places of the world.  You may find a new favorite that uses less chicken in proportion to vegetables.

You can use most of these ideas to save money on other meats when their prices get high. And of course any time you see a great sale, put some in the freezer! Also you might find it's worth it to join a warehouse club, like Costco or Sam's Club, to buy chicken in large packages at a lower cost per pound.

What are your favorite ways to make chicken?  We have chicken in stir-fry at least once a week for a healthy tasty meal.  When you cut the pieces of chicken to bite size, they look like a lot more in the dish overall.  I use frozen cooked chicken strips for this and cut the pieces into bite-size as I throw it all together.  We love it!

Click on any of the labels below this post for recipes using chicken and some inexpensive recipes to lower your grocery bill.