Cheap Air Fryer Meals for a Week: 7-Day Plan + Shopping List

The cheapest way to eat well isn't a single clever recipe — it's a plan. When the same ingredients appear across several meals, you buy fewer things, use up what you buy and stop throwing away half-used packs.

This seven-day plan uses the air fryer for most of the cooking and supermarket own-brand basics throughout. We haven't given prices because they change constantly and vary between shops; the plan is designed so you can compare and choose the best value each week.

The shopping list

This covers dinners for two to four people across the week. Adjust quantities to your household.

• Chicken thighs, bone-in (a large value pack)
• Pork sausages (one pack)
• Frozen fish fingers
• Eggs (a box of 6 or 12)
• Potatoes (a large bag) and onions
• Frozen mixed veg, peas and peppers
• Tinned baked beans, chickpeas and chopped tomatoes
• Long-grain rice and tortilla wraps
• Cheddar, curry paste or powder, and basic spices

The seven dinners

Each meal builds on what's already in the fridge or cupboard.

1. Monday — Paprika chicken thighs with potato wedges and peas. Cook extra thighs for Tuesday.
2. Tuesday — Chicken wraps: shred Monday's leftover chicken, reheat in the air fryer until steaming hot and serve in wraps with grated cheese and air-fried peppers.
3. Wednesday — Sausage and veg tray bake: sausage chunks, potato, onion and peppers at 190°C for 18–22 minutes.
4. Thursday — Jacket potatoes with baked beans and cheese (microwave first, then crisp in the air fryer to save time).
5. Friday — Fish fingers, homemade chips and peas.
6. Saturday — Egg-fried rice: cook rice on the hob, crisp frozen veg in the air fryer, then stir-fry together with beaten egg and soy sauce.
7. Sunday — Crispy chickpea and veg curry: air-fry chickpeas and frozen cauliflower until golden, then simmer in curry sauce made from tinned tomatoes and paste; serve with rice.

Prep that saves time and money

On Sunday or Monday, cut a big batch of potatoes into wedges and chips and keep them in cold water in the fridge for up to a couple of days. Cook a double portion of rice on Saturday only if you'll eat it the next day — cooked rice should be cooled within an hour, kept in the fridge and eaten within 24 hours.

Freeze half the chicken thighs or sausages on the day you buy them if you won't cook them before the use-by date.

Tip: Write the plan on the fridge. Knowing what's for dinner stops the 6pm takeaway decision, which is often the most expensive meal of the week.

Keeping the cost down

Small choices add up over a week:

• Compare the price per kilo on shelf labels, not the pack price.
• Choose own-brand and 'value' ranges for basics like tinned tomatoes, beans, rice and frozen veg.
• Buy loose vegetables if you only need a few.
• Swap expensive proteins for eggs, beans and lentils on a couple of nights.
• Check the reduced section and freeze anything you won't use straight away.

Working out what a meal costs

To estimate the cost of a meal, add up the proportion of each pack you use. If a 1 kg bag of rice costs a certain amount and you use 300 g, that's 30% of the pack price. Do the same for each ingredient and divide by the number of portions.

For the energy cost, multiply your air fryer's power rating in kilowatts by the cooking time in hours and your electricity unit rate. Most of the cost of a meal is usually the food rather than the energy, so shopping smarter tends to save more than switching appliances.

Leftovers and food safety

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within two hours and eat within two days. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Label anything you freeze with the date and contents.

General information only. Check product labels and manufacturer instructions before you start.