The Chicken-Buying Trick That Spares Your Wallet And Gives You More Meat

If you feel like buying groceries has become an overwhelming experience in recent years, you're not alone. As prices continue to creep up, we're all looking for ways to stretch our grocery budgets. Chicken is a go-to protein for most families, it's versatility alone makes it a no-brainer for the grocery list. And while we all love a conveniently boneless, skinless chicken breast, we're here to tell you that you're throwing money away by buying pre-portioned chicken cuts. To save money and get more meat, start buying your chickens whole.

Before you start to worry about your knife skills when it comes to butchering a chicken, fear not; you don't have to portion it. Just roast it whole and use the meat to create a range of recipes. This way, you'll be making the most of the entire bird instead of paying a premium for individual cuts like breasts, thighs, or wings.

In a quick price comparison at Kroger, Heritage Farm brand boneless skinless chicken breasts came in at $4.59 per pound, chicken thighs at $1.79 per pound. A whole chicken from the same brand, however, was just $1.49 per pound (prices vary by region), making it a budget-friendly option for shoppers willing to break down or roast the bird themselves. The only cheaper option was bone-in chicken drumsticks, which we know don't have a lot of meat on them (they are great for wing night — but not for feeding a hungry family). Buying that whole chicken gets you the breasts and thighs at a lower price per pound, plus the additional meat you can pull off the chicken. You can even use this chicken shredding hack for delicious pulled chicken without any elbow grease.

Once you've pulled every last piece of meat off your whole roasted chicken, you can use the carcass to make stock. All you need to do is add the carcass to a stock pot with aromatics like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and any herbs you have on hand (a bay leaf makes a big difference), then season with salt and peppercorns. Cover it in water and let it simmer for a few hours, and you have plenty of stock to put in the freezer for future use. A 32-oz tetra pack of chicken stock can cost between $1.50 and $3.39 (or more if you go for organic brands), so you're saving even more money.

As for what to do with the shredded chicken — the options are vast; we've covered how you can stretch a Costco rotisserie chicken into a week's worth of meals. You can easily make coconut curry chicken noodle soup or stew, toss it in ranchero sauce for enchiladas, taco night, or burrito bowls. How about a weeknight chicken Alfredo bake that makes for amazing leftovers? And if you're expecting company, use it to make the ultimate chicken bacon ranch dip.