Twenty-five dollars sounds impossible until you see it laid out.
This plan feeds a family of four for an entire week of dinners using a single Walmart grocery haul built around store-brand staples and ingredients that work across multiple meals.
Nothing goes to waste, and every dinner is real food that actually fills people up.
The $25 Walmart Grocery List
Every item below is a Walmart Great Value or store-brand pick.
Stick to store-brand versions of everything to stay within the $25 target.
- Ground beef, 2 lbs
- Chicken leg quarters, 4 lbs
- Canned black beans, 2 cans
- Canned diced tomatoes, 3 cans
- Canned corn, 2 cans
- Chicken broth, one 32 oz carton
- Long grain white rice, 5 lb bag
- Spaghetti, 1 lb box
- Flour tortillas, 10-count pack
- Yellow onions, 3 lb bag
- Garlic, 1 bulb
- Russet potatoes, 5 lb bag
- Cabbage, 1 small head
- Eggs, 1 dozen
- Vegetable oil
- Butter, 1 lb
- Salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika
Great Value spice jars are under $1 each at Walmart if you need to restock anything before the week begins.
Every ingredient on this list shows up in at least two meals, so nothing gets wasted.
Monday: Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Leg Quarters with Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 4 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat the chicken leg quarters completely dry on both sides with paper towels.
This is what gives the skin a golden crispy finish instead of a soft pale one so do not skip it.
Mix the melted butter, minced garlic, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
Rub this mixture all over the chicken on both sides, pressing it into the skin and getting underneath it wherever you can.
Toss the cubed potatoes with the vegetable oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper until evenly coated.
Spread them across a large baking sheet in a single layer.
Nestle the seasoned chicken leg quarters skin-side up among the potatoes on the same pan.
Roast for 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken skin is deeply golden and crispy and the potatoes are golden at the edges and fully tender when you press a fork into them.
The chicken is done when the juices run completely clear when you cut into the thickest part near the bone.
Let everything rest for 5 minutes, then spoon any pan juices over the chicken before serving.
Tuesday: Black Bean and Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until fully browned with no pink left.
Drain the excess fat by tilting the pan and spooning it off.
Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper directly over the beef.
Stir well until every piece is coated.
Add the drained black beans, drained diced tomatoes, and water.
Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the filling thickens up.
Some of the beans will naturally start to break down at the edges as it cooks and that is exactly what you want.
It holds the filling together so nothing falls out of the tortilla.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over high heat for 30 seconds per side until lightly charred and soft.
Spoon the filling into each tortilla and top with shredded cabbage. Serve right away.
Wednesday: Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters, leftover from Monday or raw
- 1 carton chicken broth, 32 oz
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat the butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
If using leftover cooked chicken from Monday, shred the meat off the bone and set it aside for now.
If using raw leg quarters, add them whole to the pot.
Pour in the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Lift the leg quarters out, let them cool slightly, pull the meat off the bone, shred it into pieces, and return it all to the pot.
Add the diced potatoes, uncooked rice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Cook over medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both the rice and potatoes are fully tender.
The rice soaks up a good amount of broth as it cooks and the soup thickens naturally.
Taste and adjust the salt before serving. Serve hot.
Thursday: Skillet Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb spaghetti, broken in half
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, with all the liquid
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart as it browns, until fully cooked through.
Drain the excess fat.
Add the garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir until the meat is evenly coated.
Pour in both cans of diced tomatoes with all their liquid, the chicken broth, and the water.
Stir to combine and bring everything to a full boil over high heat.
Once boiling, add the broken spaghetti.
Press it down into the liquid and spread it out as evenly as you can.
Stir right away to stop the strands from clumping together.
Drop the heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes.
The pasta absorbs the liquid steadily and the sauce thickens around it as it cooks.
Keep stirring regularly because the spaghetti will stick and scorch at the bottom if you leave it alone.
When the pasta is fully tender and the sauce clings well to the noodles, it is done.
Add a splash of water if it gets too thick before the pasta finishes.
Let it cook uncovered for a couple more minutes if the sauce needs to tighten up. Serve hot.
Friday: Egg Fried Rice with Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice, leftover and cold
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup canned corn, drained
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
Cold leftover rice is important here.
Fresh rice has too much moisture and will steam and clump in the pan instead of frying properly.
If you only have freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray and let it cool and dry out for at least 30 minutes before using it.
Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Add the shredded cabbage and diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage has wilted and the onion has softened and picked up some color.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the drained corn and toss everything together.
Push the vegetables to the outer edges of the pan.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter to the center of the pan.
Add the cold rice to the center and press it down into the hot fat.
Let it sit without stirring for 1 to 2 minutes so the bottom gets slightly crispy.
Then stir the rice and vegetables together and toss well over the high heat.
Push the rice mixture to the edges again to clear a space in the center.
Pour the beaten eggs in.
Scramble them gently as they cook, and once they are mostly set, fold them into the rice.
Add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika, and toss everything well.
Taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot straight from the pan.
Saturday: Black Bean and Potato Hash
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, diced into small cubes
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cabbage for serving
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the diced potatoes in a single even layer.
Do not pile them up.
Season right away with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
Leave the potatoes completely alone for 4 to 5 minutes.
This is where the crispy crust builds, and moving them too early stops it from forming.
After 4 to 5 minutes, flip sections of the potatoes and cook the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes until equally golden.
Add the diced onion and stir it into the potatoes.
Cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the drained black beans and fold them gently into the mixture.
Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the beans are heated through.
Push the hash to the outer edges to clear a space in the center.
Crack the 4 eggs directly into that space.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the egg whites are fully set and the yolks are done to your liking.
Serve straight from the skillet with shredded cabbage on the side.
Sunday: One-Pot Tomato Rice with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters, remaining from the week
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with all the liquid
- 1 cup canned corn, drained
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken leg quarters on both sides with salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika.
Place them skin-side down in the hot pot and leave them alone for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin turns golden and releases from the pot on its own.
Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes.
Remove and set aside.
The chicken is not fully cooked yet and that is fine.
Add the diced onion to the same pot over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir well.
Pour in the canned tomatoes with all their liquid, the drained corn, chicken broth, and water.
Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
Add the uncooked rice and stir to spread it out evenly throughout the pot.
Nestle the seared chicken leg quarters back into the pot and press them down slightly so they sit partly in the liquid.
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes without lifting the lid until the rice has soaked up all the liquid and the chicken is fully cooked through.
Remove the lid and let everything rest for 5 minutes.
Pull the chicken apart at the joint to check that the meat near the bone has no pink left.
Serve straight from the pot.
A Few Smart Ingredient Swaps
Ground turkey can replace ground beef in the taco and spaghetti recipes at a similar price point.
It cooks and seasons the same way and most people cannot tell the difference once the spices are in.
Bone-in chicken thighs can replace chicken leg quarters across the whole week if they are more available or slightly cheaper at your Walmart.
Pinto beans or kidney beans swap directly for black beans in every recipe without changing the cooking method at all.
A bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix from the Walmart produce section is a great substitute for a whole head of cabbage and usually costs under a dollar.
Storage Tips
Every meal in this plan keeps well in airtight containers in the fridge for three to four days.
The chicken and rice soup and the skillet spaghetti both taste better the next day as the flavors settle and develop.
When reheating anything from this week add a small splash of water or broth before warming it up to bring back the moisture it lost during cooking.
The taco filling and tomato rice freeze well for up to two months in sealed containers or freezer bags.
Tips for Making This Week Work
Cook a large batch of white rice on Sunday before the week starts and keep it in the fridge.
Cold leftover rice is what makes Friday’s egg fried rice work properly and having it ready removes one task from a weeknight entirely.
Dice all your onions and mince your garlic at the start of the week and store them in sealed containers in the fridge.
This one step removes the most repetitive prep task from every single dinner.
When a recipe tells you not to stir something trust it and leave it alone.
The golden crust on the potatoes and chicken skin only forms when the food stays in contact with the hot surface long enough to brown.
Season every dish in layers throughout cooking rather than only at the very end.
Building seasoning at each stage creates a depth of flavor that a single pass at the finish line just cannot match.
After Monday’s dinner, pull all the usable meat off the chicken bones and store it in the fridge for Wednesday’s soup.
You will get more meat than you expect.