Chicken thighs are a flexible cut and, gram for gram, are often cheaper than chicken breast. That is not guaranteed everywhere: prices, pack sizes and promotions move, and bone-in and boneless packs are not identical comparisons. Thighs do, though, work across very different cooking styles, from a slow traybake to a quick noodle dinner.
These five established recipes come from Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s Magazine and delicious. magazine. DinnerByDesign has compared their estimated Aldi ingredient value, price per serving and full-pack cost so you can see where the differences come from.
DinnerByDesign did not develop, reproduce or kitchen-test these recipes. The complete quantities, timings and method remain on each publisher’s page. Our contribution is the Aldi cost calculation, affordability comparison, substitutions, waste considerations and a view on which occasion each recipe may suit.
Why chicken thighs can suit cost-conscious cooking
At the Aldi prices checked, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs cost £2.99 per kilogram, compared with £7.22 per kilogram for the referenced fresh chicken breast fillets. Boneless thigh fillets were £7.32 per kilogram. These figures are specific to Aldi UK on 27 July 2026; this article does not compare other retailers.
Two recipes below use bone-in thighs and three use boneless fillets. That is each publisher’s choice, not something DinnerByDesign changed, and it helps explain part of the cost difference between the five.
1. Tesco Real Food: Easy chicken traybake
Serves: 4 · Publisher’s timing: 5 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooking
A single-tray combination of chicken thighs, potatoes, peppers, onion, courgette and Greek-style salad cheese. It is the longest-cooking option here, but most of that time is hands-off.
| Cost group | Estimated ingredient value |
|---|---|
| Chicken | £2.24 |
| Vegetables and fruit | £2.03 |
| Carbohydrate | £0.60 |
| Other ingredients | £0.74–£1.00 |
| Total ingredient value | £5.61–£5.87 |
| Estimated cost per serving | £1.40–£1.47 |
| Estimated full-pack cost | £10.60–£11.10 |
Which occasion suits it: Best for a low-effort oven dinner when hands-on time needs to stay short. Some courgette, salad cheese and a spare pepper should remain for a stir-fry, omelette, salad or scrambled eggs. Tesco also suggests white potatoes as a substitution.
Price uncertainty: The Greek-style salad cheese price was not available to verify, so it contributes to the range.
See the original Tesco Real Food recipe for quantities and method
2. Aldi: Chicken Provençal and vegetable stew
Serves: 4 · Publisher’s timing: 20 minutes preparation, 40 minutes cooking
A one-pot stew of chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, onion and tinned tomatoes. It has the lowest estimated ingredient value and checkout range in this comparison.
| Cost group | Estimated ingredient value |
|---|---|
| Chicken | £2.99 |
| Vegetables | £0.83 |
| Carbohydrate | £0.40 |
| Other ingredients | £0.17–£0.23 |
| Total ingredient value | £4.39–£4.45 |
| Estimated cost per serving | £1.10–£1.11 |
| Estimated full-pack cost | £8.10–£8.45 |
Which occasion suits it: Best for a colder evening using ingredients that store for a while. Spare onions and carrots keep well and can form the base of soup, another traybake or another stew.
Price uncertainty: Paprika was unverified and the chicken stock cube page showed no current price.
3. Aldi: One Pot at Home Chicken
Serves: 4 · Publisher’s timing: 15 minutes preparation, 35 minutes cooking
A boneless-thigh option with rice, vegetables and a broader seasoning list. Its estimated ingredient value is higher than the other four, while the one-pot format may still appeal when washing-up is the deciding factor.
| Cost group | Estimated ingredient value |
|---|---|
| Chicken | £4.39 |
| Vegetables | £1.02 |
| Carbohydrate | £0.73 |
| Other ingredients | £2.05–£2.27 |
| Total ingredient value | £8.19–£8.41 |
| Estimated cost per serving | £2.05–£2.10 |
| Estimated full-pack cost | £17.97–£19.32 |
Which occasion suits it: Best when a complete, well-seasoned dinner from familiar supermarket ingredients appeals. The remaining spices and stock pots keep well; fresh coriander is better used within a few days. The 80ml olive oil is included in ingredient value but its complete pack is excluded from checkout cost.
Price uncertainty: Paprika, oregano, dried chilli flakes and fresh coriander were unverified. Tomato purée and the chicken stock pot had no current price.
4. Sainsbury’s Magazine: Quick chicken and lentil curry
Serves: 4 · Publisher’s timing: 10 minutes preparation, 30 minutes total
The shortest stated total time in the group. Red lentils add substance alongside the chicken, and the curry powder keeps the seasoning list compact.
| Cost group | Estimated ingredient value |
|---|---|
| Chicken | £3.66 |
| Vegetables | £0.82–£1.00 |
| Carbohydrate | £0.65 |
| Other ingredients | £0.39–£0.46 |
| Total ingredient value | £5.52–£5.77 |
| Estimated cost per serving | £1.38–£1.44 |
| Estimated full-pack cost | £10.71–£11.36 |
Which occasion suits it: Best when time is short and a curry is wanted. Spare lentils keep for months, while the yoghurt and spinach can move into a marinade, another curry or pasta.
Price uncertainty: Fresh spinach and low-fat natural yoghurt were unverified, and the chicken stock cube page showed no current price.
See the original Sainsbury’s Magazine recipe for quantities and method
5. delicious. magazine: Quick chicken noodles
Serves: 4 · Publisher’s timing: 25 minutes hands-on time
A lighter, quicker-looking option using chicken, noodles and crisp vegetables. The recipe calls for four chicken thighs; the estimate assumes about 500g of boneless thigh fillets.
| Cost group | Estimated ingredient value |
|---|---|
| Chicken | £3.66 |
| Vegetables | £1.41–£1.91 |
| Carbohydrate | £0.57–£0.77 |
| Other ingredients | £0.18–£0.28 |
| Total ingredient value | £5.82–£6.62 |
| Estimated cost per serving | £1.46–£1.66 |
| Estimated full-pack cost | £9.91–£11.51 |
Which occasion suits it: Best for a warm-weather or quick evening when a salad-style dish appeals. Optional herbs, peanuts and spring onions are excluded. Fish sauce, sugar and unused rice noodles can carry into another dinner.
Price uncertainty: Cucumber, fresh chilli, dried rice noodles or vermicelli, fish sauce and caster sugar were unverified.
See the original delicious. magazine recipe for quantities and method
How the five recipes compare
- Lowest estimated ingredient value: Aldi’s Chicken Provençal and vegetable stew at £4.39–£4.45, or £1.10–£1.11 per serving.
- Lowest estimated full-pack cost: the same Aldi stew at £8.10–£8.45.
- Shortest stated total time: Sainsbury’s Magazine’s curry at 30 minutes. The noodle recipe lists 25 minutes hands-on time, which is not directly comparable with total time.
- Best for using cupboard ingredients: the Aldi stew has the shortest supporting ingredient list.
- Most obvious fresh-ingredient reuse: the Tesco traybake leaves courgette, pepper and salad cheese that can move into another dinner.
At the checked Aldi prices, bone-in chicken thighs were £2.99 per kilogram and boneless thigh fillets were £7.32 per kilogram. That gap helps explain why the stew estimates below the boneless-thigh options, although bone, skin and edible yield mean price per kilogram is not the whole answer.
What could not be priced exactly
Twelve items remained unverified: paprika, oregano, dried chilli flakes, fresh coriander, Greek-style salad cheese, fresh spinach, low-fat natural yoghurt, dried rice noodles or vermicelli, cucumber, fish sauce, caster sugar and fresh red chilli.
Three more were checked and confirmed unavailable with no price shown: chicken stock cubes, chicken stock pots and tomato purée. The ranges on this page cover all fifteen affected prices. Verified ingredients use the Aldi prices shown on the linked product pages.
Where Aldi displayed a promotion, including courgettes and mixed peppers, the regular non-promotional price was used. Cooking oil, salt and pepper are generally treated as cupboard ingredients. The exception is the 80ml olive oil in One Pot at Home Chicken, which is included in ingredient value but not as a complete pack at checkout. Optional serving ingredients are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
Are chicken thighs cheaper than chicken breasts?
Often, but not always. At the Aldi prices checked on 27 July 2026, bone-in thighs cost substantially less per kilogram than chicken breast fillets. Promotions, pack sizes and the amount of bone or skin can change the useful comparison.
Are bone-in chicken thighs cheaper than boneless thigh fillets?
They usually have a lower shelf price per kilogram. Boneless fillets may be easier to prepare and can suit quicker recipes, so the better choice depends on time, edible yield and the dish.
Did DinnerByDesign create or test these recipes?
No. Each recipe belongs to the named publisher. DinnerByDesign has not developed, reproduced or kitchen-tested the recipes; use the publisher’s page for quantities, timings and method.
Why are the Aldi cost estimates shown as ranges?
Twelve ingredients could not be verified with a current Aldi online price, while three more were confirmed unavailable with no price displayed. Low and high working values keep that uncertainty visible instead of presenting a false single figure.
What is the difference between ingredient value and full-pack cost?
Ingredient value estimates the share of each pack used in the recipe. Full-pack cost estimates what you might pay when buying the required packs from scratch, with the stated cupboard assumptions. Neither figure includes cooking energy.
Sources
- Tesco Real Food: Easy chicken traybake
- Aldi: Chicken Provençal and vegetable stew
- Aldi: One Pot at Home Chicken
- Sainsbury’s Magazine: Quick chicken and lentil curry
- delicious. magazine: Quick chicken noodles
- Aldi: Ashfields chicken thighs
- Aldi: Ashfields chicken thigh fillets
- Aldi: Ashfields chicken breast fillets
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick brown onions
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick British baking potatoes
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick carrots
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick mixed peppers
- Aldi: Four Seasons garden peas
- Aldi: Everyday Essentials chopped tomatoes
- Aldi: Worldwide Foods basmati rice
- Aldi: Solesta sunflower oil
- Aldi: Solesta olive oil
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick courgettes
- Aldi: Worldwide Foods red lentils
- Aldi: Ready, Set…Cook! medium curry powder
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick red onions
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick garlic
- Aldi: Everyday Essentials wonky lemons
- Aldi: Nature’s Pick limes
- Aldi: Bramwells peri-peri seasoning
- Aldi: Bramwells medium peri-peri sauce and marinade