Red Lentil Dal
Everyday Red Lentil Dal
Everyday with Spiced OileasyCleanup score 3 of 5
Cheap eats
184 recipes that come to about $2 a serving or less, worked out from each recipe's own ingredient list and U.S. average grocery prices. Cheapest first.
Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. A recipe shows a figure only when we can price at least 85% of its ingredients by weight; salt, spices and anything we can't match aren't in the total.
35 recipes in Dinner, page 1 of 2
Recipes
About $0.55 a serving (estimate)
Black Bean Burgers
Smoky Black Bean Burgers
Smoky SkilleteasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.95 a serving (estimate)
Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese with Crispy Topping
Baked with Crumb ToppingmediumCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.10 a serving (estimate)
Fried Rice
Vegetable and Egg Fried Rice
Vegetable and EggeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.20 a serving (estimate)
Potato Soup
Silky Potato Leek Soup
Potato LeekeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.25 a serving (estimate)
Jerk-Inspired Chicken
Oven-Roasted Jerk-Inspired Chicken
Oven-RoastedmediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.30 a serving (estimate)
Mac and Cheese
Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Creamy StovetopeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.35 a serving (estimate)
Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage
Roasted with SageeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.35 a serving (estimate)
Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Black Pepper Pasta)
ClassicmediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.35 a serving (estimate)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
CreamyeasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.35 a serving (estimate)
Sesame Noodles
Cold Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Carrot
Cold with Crunchy VegetableseasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.40 a serving (estimate)
Tomato Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
CreamyeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.55 a serving (estimate)
Falafel
Air-Fryer Falafel Patties
Air FryermediumCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.55 a serving (estimate)
Chili
Hearty Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili
Three-Bean VegetarianeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.55 a serving (estimate)
Spaghetti Carbonara
Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
ClassicmediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.65 a serving (estimate)
Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Barbecue Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks
GrilledmediumCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.65 a serving (estimate)
Chicken Piccata
Lemon Caper Chicken Piccata
ClassicmediumCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.65 a serving (estimate)
Homemade Pizza
Homemade Margherita Pizza
MargheritamediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $1.70 a serving (estimate)
Chicken Teriyaki
Skillet Chicken Teriyaki
SkilleteasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $1.75 a serving (estimate)
Jambalaya
Cajun-Style Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Chicken & Sausage (Cajun)mediumCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.75 a serving (estimate)
Minestrone
Classic Vegetable Minestrone
Classic VegetableeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.75 a serving (estimate)
Falafel
Crispy Pan-Fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Pan-FriedmediumCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.75 a serving (estimate)
Lentil Soup
Lemony Vegetable Lentil Soup
Lemony VegetableeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.80 a serving (estimate)
Pork Tenderloin
Honey Garlic Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Honey GarliceasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.80 a serving (estimate)
How we work it out
Every measured ingredient is weighed the way our nutrition estimate weighs it, then priced with an official U.S. average: the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average price for the month where BLS publishes that food (flour, eggs, milk, butter, chicken, ground beef...), and otherwise the USDA Economic Research Service's Purchase to Plate national average price for 2017-18, raised to September 2026 with the BLS Consumer Price Index for that food group. Bone-in cuts are priced with the bone. Tap water is free.
No store's prices and no affiliate prices. You'll pay for whole packages, and store brands, sales, stores and regions all change the real cost, so treat each figure as a ballpark for comparing recipes.
On search and category pages, pick a Cost per serving filter to find these anywhere.