The Cheapest Cuts Of Meat To Buy Organic & How To Make Them Taste Great

Here, we asked registered dietitians and food bloggers for their recs on the cheapest quality cuts and how to prep them to make them taste great:

"My biggest tip is to buy the whole animal. Labor always gets added to the price tag. Bringing home the whole chicken is by far the cheapest way to go," says mbg Collective member Phoebe Lapine, whose blog Feed Me Phoebe is a great resource for nourishing budget-friendly meals. Bonus: A roast chicken couldn't be easier to prepare—and you'll have leftovers for days. Simply rub it with some oil and your favorite spices and pop that baby in the oven for a few hours on the weekend. Try Lapine's Magic Faux-Tisserie Chicken with smoked paprika, garlic, and chili powder.

You can keep it simple and bake them in a skillet with some salt, pepper, and thyme. Or take things up a notch: Remove the skin and bones, cut the thighs into chunks, and marinate in yogurt, hummus, or tahini with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice and then grill, suggests mbg Collective member Jessica Cording, R.D.

If you're a fan of lamb, Lapine recommends organic ground lamb, which is much cheaper than popular lamb chops. Plus, it's a nice variation from ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Ground lamb is also less gamey than a chop and pairs well with spices like cumin and fennel. What to do with it? Try Lapine's Grain-Free Moroccan Lamb Meatballs. She pairs them with a romesco spaghetti sauce, but they'd also be great with a tangy yogurt sauce.

This cut of meat will need some preparation in order to make it tasty as it can be tougher. "In this case, marinating is your best friend," says Bouchard. "A simple marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs will help tenderize the beef and give it a flavor boost. Marinate it overnight and use the beef in your favorite kebab recipe on the grill."

Pork shoulder, also called pork butt, is usually a pretty large and tough cut of meat—meaning, you might not think to grab it for a quick weeknight meal. But it's amazing for weekend meal prep as its meat transforms into something completely delicious, juicy, and tender with a few hours in the slow cooker. Cheaper per pound than pork chops, organic pork shoulder is the ideal cut for making pulled pork if you're craving some healthy bbq fare. In more of a Mexican mood? Go for Lapine's Pork Posole Soup. 

Want the flavor of steak without the price tag? Lapine recommends opting for boneless or bone-in short ribs (which aren't actually ribs; they're just cut into strips)—they're fattier than some of these other cuts, making them one of the most flavorful cheap cuts around. This cut is particularly tasty when braised, but you can simply season and fry up in a cast-iron skillet (just like a regular steak) if you're short on time.