Quebec Cheap Dinner Recipes Under $9: $8.33 Stir-Fry

Key Facts

• Chicken Stir-Fry costs $8.33/serving in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• The full Chicken Stir-Fry basket costs $33.31. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Boneless skinless chicken breast is $15.24 at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Sesame oil is $4.79 at Maxi in this basket. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Soy sauce is $5.29 at Maxi in this basket. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Vegetable stir-fry mix is $7.99 at Metro. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)

Introduction: the cheapest featured Quebec dinner is Chicken Stir-Fry at $8.33 per serving

Chicken Stir-Fry is the cheapest featured recipe in this Quebec dinner-costing guide at $8.33 per serving. The full purchase basket costs $33.31 for four servings, with boneless skinless chicken breast, sesame oil, and soy sauce priced at Maxi, and vegetable stir-fry mix priced at Metro. If you are trying to plan cheap dinner recipes under $9 in Quebec, this recipe gives you a clear benchmark for what a balanced chicken-and-vegetable dinner costs in May 2026.

The most important practical point is that your cost is driven by the protein. Boneless skinless chicken breast at Maxi accounts for $15.24 of the $33.31 basket, or about 45.8% of the total recipe cost. The next-largest ingredient is the vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro for $7.99, followed by soy sauce at $5.29 and sesame oil at $4.79, both at Maxi. When you are building budget meals in Quebec, you should treat chicken and prepared vegetables as the two price anchors to compare first.

This article uses purchase-basket costing, meaning the listed ingredient prices reflect the actual priced grocery items in the dataset rather than estimating a few tablespoons from pantry inventory. That approach is useful when you are planning a grocery trip and want to know what you will pay at checkout. If you already have sesame oil or soy sauce at home, your immediate out-of-pocket cost for the dinner may be lower, but the standardized basket price is still the best apples-to-apples way to compare recipes.

Recipe 1: Chicken Stir-Fry — $8.33 per serving

Chicken Stir-Fry costs $33.31 for four servings, or $8.33 per serving, using Quebec prices from Maxi and Metro. The recipe is built around $15.24 boneless skinless chicken breast at Maxi, $7.99 vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro, $5.29 soy sauce at Maxi, and $4.79 sesame oil at Maxi. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This is the strongest budget recipe in the current Quebec dataset because it combines protein, vegetables, and sauce components in a single skillet-style meal. You can use the chicken breast as the main protein, the vegetable stir-fry mix for volume and texture, soy sauce for salt and umami, and sesame oil for flavour. With a five-minute prep time in the recipe data, this is also a practical weeknight dinner when you want a lower-cost option without building a long ingredient list.

For your grocery trip, the price signal is straightforward: buy most of the basket at Maxi, then use Metro for the vegetable stir-fry mix. Maxi is the cheapest listed store for the chicken breast, sesame oil, and soy sauce in this recipe basket, while Metro is the cheapest listed store for the vegetable mix. If you are already visiting one store, you can decide whether the extra stop is worth it, but the lowest-cost basket uses both banners.

Ingredients with Prices

The Chicken Stir-Fry basket totals $33.31, and every item below is a real Quebec ingredient price from May 2026. The ingredient split matters because you can see exactly where your money goes before you shop. Chicken breast is the largest line item, so any future price movement on chicken will affect the meal cost more than a change in sauce prices.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The percentages show why chicken is the key item to watch when you compare cheap dinner recipes. The chicken breast costs nearly as much as the sesame oil, soy sauce, and vegetable mix combined. If you want to keep your dinner under $9 per serving, you should start by checking the chicken price first, then confirm the vegetable mix price before you decide where to shop.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Maxi is the cheapest listed store for three of the four Chicken Stir-Fry ingredients, while Metro is the cheapest listed store for the vegetable stir-fry mix. Maxi offers boneless skinless chicken breast at $15.24, sesame oil at $4.79, and soy sauce at $5.29, while Metro offers vegetable stir-fry mix at $7.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

For you, the practical decision is whether to split the shop. If you are near both Maxi and Metro, the cheapest verified version of the recipe uses both stores. If you prefer a single-store trip, Maxi carries three of the four priced components in the lowest-cost basket, which makes it the dominant store for this particular dinner plan.

Recipe 2: Sesame-Soy Chicken Vegetable Skillet — $8.33 per serving

Sesame-Soy Chicken Vegetable Skillet uses the same verified Quebec ingredient basket and costs $33.31 for four servings, or $8.33 per serving. The priced components are $15.24 boneless skinless chicken breast at Maxi, $4.79 sesame oil at Maxi, $5.29 soy sauce at Maxi, and $7.99 vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This version is useful if you want the same low-cost grocery basket but a slightly different cooking approach. Instead of treating the dish as a classic stir-fry, you can cook the chicken first, add the vegetables, and finish with a soy-and-sesame glaze. The price does not change because the ingredient basket is identical, but the meal feels different on the plate.

For budget planning, this recipe shows why flexible meal names can help you avoid buying extra ingredients. You do not need a second sauce, a separate marinade, or additional vegetables to create a different dinner from the same basket. If you are planning several budget meals in Quebec, this kind of ingredient reuse is one of the most reliable ways to keep your total grocery spend predictable.

Ingredients with Prices

The ingredient prices remain the same because this recipe is costed from the same verified grocery basket. That consistency is helpful when you are comparing the cheapest recipes for a weekly dinner plan. You can use one basket to support more than one meal format without changing your checkout estimate.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The cost per serving is calculated by dividing the $33.31 total by four servings, which gives $8.33 when rounded to the nearest cent. You should use that number as your planning figure if you need a realistic dinner estimate before shopping. Because the ingredient prices are store-specific, your best route remains Maxi for chicken, sesame oil, and soy sauce, and Metro for the vegetable mix.

Where to Buy Cheapest

The cheapest verified store combination for this skillet dinner is Maxi plus Metro. Maxi provides three ingredients for a combined $25.32, while Metro provides the vegetable stir-fry mix at $7.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Maxi’s role in this basket is important because it covers the protein and two shelf-stable flavour items. That means you can potentially buy the sesame oil and soy sauce once and use them again in later meals, even though this article prices the full purchase basket for consistency. Metro’s $7.99 vegetable mix is the only non-Maxi item in the cheapest listed basket, so it is the item you should compare if your schedule only allows one store stop.

For your meal plan, the main takeaway is that the same $33.31 basket can produce a second dinner format without adding cost. If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $9 in Quebec, this matters because the lowest-cost recipes often depend on ingredient discipline. You save the most when you avoid adding extra sauces, garnishes, or specialty items that are not necessary to make the dinner work.

Recipe 3: Soy Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry Bowl — $8.33 per serving

Soy Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry Bowl costs $8.33 per serving using the same $33.31 Quebec ingredient basket from Maxi and Metro. The basket includes $15.24 boneless skinless chicken breast at Maxi, $5.29 soy sauce at Maxi, $4.79 sesame oil at Maxi, and $7.99 vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This third recipe is designed as a bowl-style dinner using the same priced ingredients, which keeps the cost identical while changing how you serve the meal. You cook the chicken and vegetables, season with soy sauce, finish with sesame oil, and portion the result into four servings. The bowl format is especially useful if you want leftovers for lunch because the recipe data already supports four servings.

The grocery lesson is that “cheapest recipes” are not always about finding entirely different ingredient lists. Often, the more useful strategy is to choose one low-cost basket and rotate the preparation style. If you are shopping in Quebec and watching your per-serving cost, you should focus first on verified ingredient prices, then decide how to season and serve the meal once the basket is already affordable.

Ingredients with Prices

The bowl version keeps the same four priced ingredients and the same $8.33 per-serving cost. That makes it easy for you to compare this dinner against takeout, ready-made meals, or more ingredient-heavy recipes. At $33.31 for four servings, the recipe gives you a clear benchmark for a chicken-based dinner made from grocery store ingredients.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

Because the recipe uses a compact ingredient list, every price is easy to verify and every substitution has a visible cost impact. If you choose a different protein, a second vegetable item, or another sauce, the $8.33 per-serving figure would no longer apply. For accurate budgeting, you should keep the ingredient list aligned with the priced basket.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Maxi and Metro remain the cheapest listed store combination for the bowl version. Maxi carries the boneless skinless chicken breast at $15.24, sesame oil at $4.79, and soy sauce at $5.29, while Metro carries the vegetable stir-fry mix at $7.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

For your route planning, this is a two-banner basket, not a single-banner basket. You can start at Maxi for the three-item subtotal of $25.32, then use Metro for the $7.99 vegetable mix if you want the lowest verified total. If you are balancing time against cost, Maxi is the more important stop because it covers the higher-value protein and the two sauce ingredients.

The bowl format also helps with portion control. Four servings at $8.33 each gives you a predictable dinner cost, which is useful if you are comparing home cooking with prepared foods. When you plan budget meals in Quebec, that per-serving number is often more useful than the full receipt total because it lets you compare meals of different sizes fairly.

Quebec Basket Index: real ingredient prices for the $33.31 stir-fry basket

The Quebec stir-fry basket index totals $33.31 across four verified ingredients, with Maxi supplying $25.32 of the basket and Metro supplying $7.99. Boneless skinless chicken breast at Maxi is the largest cost at $15.24, followed by vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro at $7.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

This basket index is the most useful table if you want to understand where the money goes. The Maxi subtotal is $25.32, calculated from $15.24 for chicken breast, $4.79 for sesame oil, and $5.29 for soy sauce. Adding Metro’s $7.99 vegetable stir-fry mix brings the full basket to $33.31, matching the recipe total in the pricing data.

For you, the store split matters because the cheapest basket is not located entirely at one banner. Maxi is the best listed source for the majority of the basket, but Metro is the best listed source for the vegetable component. If you are comparing IGA, Maxi, Metro, Super C, Metro Plus, Provigo, Walmart, and Wholesale Club in Quebec, this is the kind of item-level comparison that prevents you from assuming one store is cheapest for every ingredient.

Best verified ingredient buys for this Quebec dinner basket

The best verified buys in this Quebec dinner basket are the four ingredients with concrete May 2026 prices: chicken breast at Maxi for $15.24, sesame oil at Maxi for $4.79, soy sauce at Maxi for $5.29, and vegetable stir-fry mix at Metro for $7.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. These are the only product-level prices used to calculate the $8.33 per-serving dinner cost.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The table does not invent regular prices or savings percentages because those figures are not part of the provided May 2026 pricing extract. Instead, the live prices show the actionable numbers you need to build the dinner. For recipe costing, that is the more important figure: what you should expect to pay for the basket as priced.

The strongest value signal is not a claimed discount; it is the controlled total. You can prepare three different dinner formats from the same $33.31 ingredient basket, and each format remains at $8.33 per serving. If you want cheap dinner recipes under $9, the live basket price is the number that lets you decide whether the recipe fits your weekly grocery budget.

Price Comparison Table: all three recipes side by side

All three featured Quebec recipes cost $33.31 total and $8.33 per serving because they use the same verified four-item basket. Chicken Stir-Fry, Sesame-Soy Chicken Vegetable Skillet, and Soy Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry Bowl are different preparations of the same lowest-cost ingredient set from Maxi and Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

This side-by-side comparison helps you separate recipe variety from grocery cost. You can change the cooking method without changing the basket total, which is useful when you want more than one dinner idea but do not want to buy a long list of extra items. The cheapest store pattern remains consistent: Maxi is the main stop, and Metro supplies the vegetable stir-fry mix.

For your weekly plan, the most practical use of this table is deciding whether one $33.31 basket can support multiple meal ideas. You may cook it once as a stir-fry, then use the same flavour profile later as a skillet dinner or bowl-style meal. The cost remains anchored at $8.33 per serving because the ingredient prices remain anchored to the same Quebec basket.

How to shop this basket in Quebec without overspending

Your best low-cost shopping plan is to prioritize Maxi for chicken breast, sesame oil, and soy sauce, then use Metro for the vegetable stir-fry mix if you want the lowest verified basket. The Maxi items total $25.32, and the Metro vegetable mix adds $7.99, bringing the recipe to $33.31. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Start with the chicken breast because it is the largest cost driver. At $15.24, it represents nearly half of the full dinner basket, so this is the ingredient that deserves the most attention when you compare prices. If you are short on time, you should check the chicken first before spending effort comparing lower-cost sauce items.

Next, look at the shelf-stable ingredients. Sesame oil at $4.79 and soy sauce at $5.29 are priced as part of the basket, but they may also support future dinners if you do not use the entire bottle at once. That means your first checkout includes the full purchase price, while your later cooking may benefit from ingredients already in your pantry.

Finally, treat the vegetable stir-fry mix as the convenience item in the meal. At $7.99 at Metro, it is more expensive than either sauce ingredient but less expensive than the chicken. You are paying for speed and simplicity, which matters when the recipe has a five-minute prep time. If your goal is a realistic weeknight dinner rather than the lowest theoretical cost from scratch, the vegetable mix keeps the recipe easy to execute.

Why this matters for budget meals in Quebec

A $33.31 four-serving chicken dinner gives you a concrete benchmark for budget meals in Quebec in May 2026. At $8.33 per serving, the featured stir-fry basket sits below the common “cheap dinner recipes under $9” search threshold while still including chicken and vegetables. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

The value of a benchmark is that it helps you judge other meals quickly. If another chicken dinner requires more sauces, more vegetables, or a second protein, you can compare it against this $33.31 basket. If the total climbs above $36 for four servings, the cost per serving moves above $9, which changes whether the recipe still fits the “under $9” category.

You should also use this basket as a store-comparison reminder. Quebec grocery prices vary by banner and item, so the lowest-cost plan may involve more than one store. In this case, Maxi is strongest for the chicken and sauces, while Metro is strongest for the vegetable stir-fry mix. That is exactly why item-level comparison matters when you are trying to build the cheapest recipes from real local prices.

The broader lesson is simple: you do not need a long ingredient list to make a useful budget dinner. Four priced grocery items create three workable dinner formats in this guide. When you keep the ingredient list short, you make the grocery bill easier to predict, the cooking process easier to manage, and the per-serving cost easier to compare.