Easy Recipes For Beginners

by Kelly - Budget Bytes
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When you’re first learning how to cook, finding a good recipe can be overwhelming. Instead of spending hours wading through the vast sea of online recipes for something that is delicious, EASY, and doesn’t require obscure ingredients, just come back to this list. We did the legwork and rounded up over 25 of our best, reader-favorite, easy recipes that are perfect for beginners. So you can stop searching and go straight to the kitchen to get your cook on! 

DINNER RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

A dinner recipe your whole house will enjoy eating may seem daunting for a beginner. However, these recipes will not only feed the crowd and be ready in just a few steps, but they’ll also have everyone begging for more.

Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans

Sheet pan roasted kielbasa potatoes and green beans with a spatula
Sheet pan meals don't get any easier or more delicious than this Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans dinner.
4.89 from 52 votes
$9.47 recipe / $2.37 serving Get the Recipe

Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans – Filling, tasty, and as easy as it gets, with only SIX simple ingredients, and very little hands on time. What more you could want from a dinner recipe! 🙌

Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner

Make an entire dinner for two at one time with this fast and easy Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner. Perfect for meal prep! BudgetBytes.com
Make an entire dinner for two at one time with this fast and easy Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner. Perfect for meal prep! 
4.89 from 72 votes
$6.27 recipe / $3.14 serving Get the Recipe

Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner – This really has to be one of the fastest and easiest dinners EVER! Vegetable sides along with the loaves to make a whole dinner in one swoop. This Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner is seriously so easy and customizable, you’ll be making it your own in no time!

Easy French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza is the perfect budget-friendly fast and easy weeknight dinner. Customize the toppings to fit your taste buds or what you have on hand! Budgetbytes.com
French Bread Pizza is the perfect budget-friendly fast and easy weeknight dinner. Customize the toppings to fit your taste buds or what you have on hand! 
4.25 from 12 votes
$2.45 recipe / $0.61 each (cheese pizza) Get the Recipe

Easy French Bread Pizza – One of our favorite reasons for making French Bread Pizza is because it’s a great way to use up the leftovers in your fridge. You can top pizzas with just about anything, so dive into your refrigerator and find some creative pizza toppings! 

Sloppy Joes

A sloppy joe on a plate with potato chips.
This sloppy joes recipe is a weeknight dinner classic with juicy ground beef and a tangy homemade sauce. They're kid approved!
4.60 from 15 votes
$10.20 recipe / $2.04 serving Get the Recipe

Sloppy Joes – Homemade Sloppy Joes are quick, easy, full of flavor, AND freezer friendly. 🙌 Plus, we’ve got some tips for you in the recipe, like replacing half the beef with lentils, to make them even more budget-friendly, since the price of ground beef isn’t getting lower anytime soon.

VEGETARIAN RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

Are you new to trying vegetarian meals? Worried they may not fill you up? Be ready to stuff yourself with these veggie-packed recipes! What’s even better, many of these recipes use frozen rather than fresh vegetables because they don’t go bad quickly and are cheaper!

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

These super fast Curried Chickpeas with spinach are packed with flavor and nutrients, vegan, gluten-free, and filling! Plus they freeze great! BudgetBytes.com
These super fast Curried Chickpeas with spinach are packed with flavor and nutrients, vegan, gluten-free, and filling! Plus they freeze great!
4.73 from 149 votes
$4.68 recipe / $1.17 serving Get the Recipe

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach – This is how food should be. Uncomplicated, fast, and super tasty. The simple tomato sauce is kicked up a few notches with curry powder (hot or mild, your choice) and would probably be good poured over just about anything.

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Peanut Lime Dressing being poured onto a bowl of Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with homemade peanut lime dressing is the perfect meal prep for summer! No reheating necessary.
4.89 from 99 votes
$5.30 recipe / $1.33 serving Get the Recipe

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad – No need to reheat, it’s light but filling, and the flavors are oh so fresh. This delicious salad is topped off with a homemade tangy, sweet, and creamy Peanut Lime Dressing to make everything finger-licking good.

Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas

Close up of a plate full of creamy white bean and spinach quesadillas with a dish of red salsa
Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these insanely delicious Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas make an awesomely fast weeknight dinner. 
4.93 from 97 votes
$3.99 recipe / $1.00 per quesadilla Get the Recipe

Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas – The incredible ease and low cost of these Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas might make them the best quesadilla on our website. They literally only take about 20 minutes and are so freaking good. 

Cheesy Pinto Beans

Overhead view of a bowl of cheesy pinto beans over rice.
Cheesy Pinto Beans are a quick and satisfying meal made with simple pantry staple ingredients, like canned beans.
4.90 from 64 votes
$2.96 recipe / $0.74 serving Get the Recipe

Cheesy Pinto Beans – We love exploring really simple ways to transform pantry staples, like canned beans, into a filling and satisfying meal. When served over rice, you’ve got an easy and satisfying meal for pennies.

EASY PASTA RECIPES

Mom’s spaghetti just got an upgrade. These easy pasta recipes are not only budget-friendly, but they taste incredible, too! Add a couple of these to your dinner menu this week.

The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce

This rich and subtle pasta sauce is incredibly easy, which has earned it the title of The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce in my house! BudgetBytes.com
This rich and subtle pasta sauce is incredibly easy, which has earned it the title of The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce in my house!
4.91 from 32 votes
$4.35 recipe / $1.09 serving Get the Recipe

The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce – This sauce is incredibly easy and uses only a few ingredients, yet has a wonderfully rich and hearty flavor. It’s perfect for a simple spaghetti night, or with to serve with our Roasted Eggplant with Meat Sauce recipe.

Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Close up overhead view of a bowl of pasta with bacon and peas.
Pasta with Bacon and Peas is a quick, satisfying, and inexpensive meal that you can make with ingredients that you can keep on hand.
5 from 2 votes
Get the Recipe

Pasta With Bacon And Peas – This simple dish is a perfect combo of pantry and leftover ingredients! It starts with our favorite quick meal template (pasta + Parmesan + greens), and then we add a little bacon for a simple and delicious meal.

Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli

Close up of a fork twirling some Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli on a black plate
Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli is a quick and easy all-in-one bowl dinner recipe with a rich, buttery, salty, and sweet sauce.
4.70 from 49 votes
$6.55 recipe / $1.63 serving Get the Recipe

Garlic Noodles With Beef And Broccoli –  These noodles are super rich, buttery, salty-sweet, and an umami filled dream. They’re usually served as a side dish, but we’ve turned them into a full meal.

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Overhead view of a bowl full of creamy tomato and spinach pasta, a black fork in the side
Easier than a box meal, this creamy tomato and spinach pasta is also more flavorful and delicious. 100% real ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights! 
4.82 from 430 votes
$3.72 recipe / $0.93 serving Get the Recipe

Creamy Tomato And Spinach Pasta – Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta are perfect after a long day. They require only a few ingredients, cook up super fast, and leave you feeling full and happy!

Spicy Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Kale

Overhead view of a shallow bowl full of Spicy Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Kale
Spicy Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Kale is a fast, easy, and filling weeknight dinner that will always satisfy. Plus, leftovers reheat beautifully!
4.88 from 25 votes
$7.74 recipe / $1.94 serving Get the Recipe

Spicy Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage And Kale – If you’re a Budget Bytes veteran, you probably have memorized this formula for fast weeknight dinners (pasta + parmesan + vegetable). But for all our new friends, this one will change your dinner game!

EASY SOUP RECIPES

Soup recipes are perfect for beginners because they’re easy, the leftovers are great, and they’re super budget-friendly! So ditch that canned soup and make a big pot of one of these easy soups to feed you for the rest of the week.

Easy Minestrone Soup

Overhead view of a bowl of vegetarian minestrone with a spoon in the middle
This easy Minestrone Soup recipe is a hearty, budget-friendly meal full of vegetables and perfect for meal prep or weeknight dinners.
4.86 from 28 votes
$5.96 recipe / $0.99 serving Get the Recipe

Easy Minestrone Soup – This Vegetarian Minestrone ticks all of our Budget Bytes boxes: easy, inexpensive, flexible, and meal prep friendly!

Easy Dumpling Soup

A close up view of dumpling soup in a white bowl topped with white sesame seeds and chili crisp.
Easy Dumpling Soup is the perfect quick dinner because it’s endlessly versatile, insanely budget-friendly, and can be made in 15 minutes.
4.96 from 23 votes
$2.98 RECIPE / $1.49 SERVING Get the Recipe

Easy Dumpling Soup – A quick-and-simple homemade lunch or an effortless dinner that’s still wholesome, comforting, and budget-friendly. Dressing up mostly store-bought ingredients, in order to scratch that “itch” for when ordering out isn’t on the menu.

Coconut Curry Ramen

Close up overhead view of a bowl of coconut curry ramen
You only need 5 simple ingredients and about 10 minutes to make this Coconut Curry Ramen, a vibrant bowl full of bold colors and flavors. 
5 from 24 votes
$1.34 recipe / $1.34 serving Get the Recipe

Coconut Curry Ramen – You only need five simple ingredients and about ten minutes to make this bowl of delicious noodles. Plus, there’s no chopping required, so this coconut curry ramen is a really great choice for anyone just starting out.

Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup

A bowl of Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup with two pieces of toasted bread and a black spoon in the middle.
This incredibly easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup takes only eight simple ingredients to deliver a bowl full of rich, bold flavor.
4.76 from 153 votes
$2.49 recipe / $0.62 serving Get the Recipe

Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup – This easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup only takes eight simple ingredients, is crazy flavorful, and will give you all those warm cozy vibes!

Tomato Herb Soup

Tomato herb soup in a mug on a plate with grilled cheese
Use basic pantry staples to create this quick and easy Tomato Herb Soup. It's thick, rich, flavorful, and perfect for grilled cheese dipping!
4.77 from 52 votes
$2.62 recipe / $0.52 serving Get the Recipe

Tomato Herb Soup – A deliciously tangy, herb-infused sauce became the great beginning to a super fast, easy, and delicious homemade Tomato Herb Soup.

BOWL MEALS FOR BEGINNERS

Layered with flavors that combine in every bite, bowl meals are another way to get more comfortable in the kitchen. They are simple, fast, and affordable. Try these easy bowl meals and soon you’ll be on your way to creating your own with ingredients you already have on hand!

BBQ Beef and Beans

Overhead view of a bowl full of BBQ Beef and Beans, served with rice and topped with cheddar and green onion. A bowl of green onion on the side.
Serve these sweet, tangy, and savory BBQ Beef and Beans with rice and cheese for a simple and comforting weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
4.88 from 31 votes
$7.68 recipe / $1.92 serving Get the Recipe

BBQ Beef And Beans – These BBQ Beef and Beans are like the love child of baked beans and beef chili. They’re hearty and flavorful, they meal prep well, and can be as no-fuss or as “from scratch” as you want them to be.

Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls

Close up overhead shot of a poor man's burrito bowl with melted cheese
These easy no-frills burrito bowls are super fast and affordable. They're the perfect satisfying weeknight meal for times when money is tight!
4.83 from 64 votes
$7.07 recipe / $1.18 serving Get the Recipe

Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls – A big bowl of rice, black beans, salsa, and cheese. It’s only a few ingredients, it’s super inexpensive, but somehow still so filling and so delicious!

Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls

Creamy potatoes make the perfect base for a pile of colorful and flavorful toppings in these Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls. Perfect for meal prep! BudgetBytes.com
Creamy potatoes make the perfect base for a pile of colorful and flavorful toppings in these Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls. Perfect for meal prep! 
4.72 from 28 votes
$6.73 recipe / $1.68 serving Get the Recipe

Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls – Use leftover homemade mashed potatoes or ready-made store-bought mashed potatoes to make this recipe a cinch! Then load ’em up with all your favorite fixins for a quick and easy meal.

Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl

Overhead view of a Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl with a black fork in the side
This Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl is the perfect light, fresh, and filling lunch for summer. It also meal preps well, so pack a few to take to work for lunch! 
4.91 from 22 votes
$1.21 each Get the Recipe

Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl – Like a deconstructed California roll, this crab bowl is light and fresh, but still filling enough to serve as a whole meal (for us, at least).

EASY TAKE OUT FAKE OUT RECIPES

When your calendar is slammed, opening that food delivery app and ordering in is tempting. But wait! It’s just not worth it. These dupes will save you money, and we promise they’re even better than free delivery.

Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls

Plate of Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry
Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls use my favorite “formula” for keeping weeknight dinners simple and effortless. Customize the formula to make your own! 
4.75 from 20 votes
$10.20 recipe / $2.55 serving Get the Recipe

Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls – It’s really more of a “formula” than a recipe. Just stir fry a protein (even if it’s not chicken), add a sauce (either homemade or bottled), spoon it over rice or another starch, and add a simple steamed vegetable. Done and DONE. 

Turkey Taco Salad

overhead view of turkey taco salad drizzled with creamy avocado dressing
This Turkey Taco Salad is an easy, light, and fresh dinner that's flexible enough to feed all your family members, no matter how picky!
4.82 from 11 votes
$11.29 recipe / $2.82 serving Get the Recipe

Turkey Taco Salad – This salad comes together quickly, gives all the flavors we need, and is still super filling. Oh, and did we mention how flexible it is? We also included tons of ideas for substitutions and add-ins.

Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

Sweet, salty, rich, and crunchy, these Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles hit all the bases. It’s fast, easy comfort food for busy nights! BudgetBytes.com
Sweet, salty, rich, and crunchy, these Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles hit all the bases. It’s fast, easy comfort food for busy nights! 
4.82 from 194 votes
$3.75 recipe / $1.25 serving Get the Recipe

Pork And Peanut Dragon Noodles – Sweet, salty, sticky, crunchy, and all the noooooodles! These Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles are like comfort food x 100. You’ll never go back to take out. Ever.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Sliced teriyaki chicken on a bed of rice next to steamed broccoli.
This Easy Teriyaki Chicken is perfect for quick weeknight dinners, and has the most delicious salty, sweet, and savory flavor!
4.67 from 27 votes
$6.34 recipe / $1.27 serving Get the Recipe

Easy Teriyaki Chicken – The simple marinade turns into a gorgeous light glaze that adds just the right amount of salty, sweet, and savory flavor to juicy chicken thighs for a simple yet satisfying dinner. The leftovers are pretty good for lunch the next day, too.

Pick a recipe and just get started! The more you cook, the more comfortable you’ll become in the kitchen. Let us know what recipe was your favorite!

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  1. Surfer so good I think I can work with your recipe because I’m on a strict budget on food. I love it

  2. Good Afternoon from NJ!

    Question for you all,
    Are any of these recipes published?
    If so where can I purchase it?
    Technology and I do not get along and my internet and cellphone service is not that good when I am at home.

    1. Good Morning from Tennessee! We have a couple of things that may be of great interest to you! You can find a link to purchase Beth’s cookbook “Budget Bytes” on the website’s Shop page (scroll down to the bottom of the page).
      https://www.budgetbytes.com/shop/
      https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583335307?asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1W82BC8TY6G84&linkCode=sl1&tag=budgetbytesshop-20&linkId=440bfcf62ed8ff6c00e64bca945b971c&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

      We also have 12 meal plans available for purchase via Shopify. They each include 4 weeks of dinner recipes, and shopping lists, and grant you access to our private Facebook meal plan group. Sign up for our newsletter to get the first week of the meal plan of your choice for free! The complete meal plans are $12 each, but new customers can use the code “NEW20” to get $2 off their first purchase!
      https://shop.budgetbytes.com/collections/meal-plans
      https://www.budgetbytes.com/free-meal-plan/

      I hope that helps!~ Marion :)