Easy Meals You Can Make with Canned Chicken
Canned chicken is one of the most useful things in your cupboard. Here's what to do with it.
Canned chicken shows up in food pantry bags all the time. It's shelf-stable, already cooked, and ready to use the moment you open the can. But a lot of people aren't sure what to do with it beyond eating it plain or putting it on crackers.
The truth is, canned chicken works in almost any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. You just drain it, break it up with a fork, and add it to whatever you're making. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it.
Chicken Salad Wrap
This is the easiest place to start. Drain a can of chicken and mix it with a little mayo or mustard if you have it. Add diced onion or celery for crunch. Wrap it in a tortilla or eat it on bread. It takes about five minutes and doesn't require any cooking at all.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
A can of chicken, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of black beans, and some water or broth. That's the base of a soup that feeds a family and tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did. Crush up some tortilla chips or crackers on top if you have them.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Mix canned chicken with cooked rice and a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup. Spread it in a baking dish, top with crushed crackers if you want, and bake until it's bubbling. This is a comfort food meal that uses things most pantries distribute regularly.
Loaded Chicken Noodle Soup
Start with a can of chicken noodle soup from the cupboard, then add canned chicken to make it a real meal instead of just a snack. You can also toss in frozen mixed vegetables or canned carrots. It goes from a light bowl of soup to something filling enough for dinner.
Chicken and Bean Quesadillas
Spread mashed beans and shredded canned chicken on a tortilla, add cheese if you have it, fold it in half, and cook it in a skillet until the outside is crispy. These are fast, filling, and kids tend to like them.
Chicken and Rice with Mushroom Gravy
Cook rice, heat canned chicken in a skillet, and pour cream of mushroom soup (mixed with a little water) over everything. It makes its own gravy as it heats. This is one of those meals that feels like a proper home-cooked dinner with almost no effort.
Tips for cooking with canned chicken
Always drain it first. The liquid in the can doesn't add much flavor and can make your dish watery.
Break it up with a fork. Canned chicken comes in chunks. Breaking it into smaller pieces helps it blend into whatever you're cooking.
Add it last. Since it's already cooked, you just need to heat it through. Adding it too early can make it mushy.
Season if you can. A little salt, pepper, or garlic powder goes a long way. But the recipes work without any seasoning too.
What to make next
If you have canned chicken and aren't sure what else you have to go with it, try our ingredient search. Check off what's in your kitchen and we'll show you exactly which meals you can make right now.