Updated on December 22nd, 2023
Canned chicken is always a great option to cook with, whether you’re trying to use up your stock of canned goods or need to get a quick meal on the table quickly. Because canned chicken is already cooked, you can drain it and toss it into pasta, soups, casseroles, dips, and many other delicious recipes for an instant chicken-based protein boost.
In this article, we’ll teach you how best to work canned chicken into several recipes and several helpful tips that will help you achieve tasty results every time.
Cooking with Canned Chicken in Recipes
Several different desirable recipes to which canned chicken would typically make an excellent addition. Below are some such recipes, as well as descriptions of how to make them with canned chicken:
Spicy Chicken Dips
As you may already be able to guess, canned chicken makes for a wonderful ingredient in chicken-based recipes, and a spicy chicken dip is no exception. You can easily make a creamy chicken dip using spicy tomatoes in your slow cooker.
Follow these steps below to make a spicy chicken dip using canned chicken:
- Drain a 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and a 12.5-ounce can of chicken.
- In a slow cooker, combine these two ingredients with an 8-ounce container of cream cheese and two 10.5-ounce cans of cream chicken soup.
- After cooking the dip on low for a few minutes, you can serve the hot-dip alongside celery or carrot sticks and tortilla chips.
Keep in mind that if you use water or milk to thin out the cream of chicken soup, your dip will be too thin. You can also squeeze in a vinegary variant of hot sauce into your dip until it gets as spicy as you prefer. This will give your dip a traditional buffalo flavor.
Barbecue Chicken Sandwich
In less than 5 minutes, you can make a hot, tasty chicken-based filling in the microwave using your canned chicken. To do this, follow these easy steps:
- Microwave ¼ cup of diced onions in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds if you would prefer that your filling mixture has a little crunch.
- Afterward, add a 10-ounce can of drained chicken, ½ teaspoon of dry oregano, and 1 cup of barbecue sauce. The resulting filling should ideally be microwaved for 90 seconds.
- Place the filling between two slider buns and top your sandwich with some shredded lettuce if you prefer. If you want a regular chicken sandwich, you can also cut out the onions and shredded lettuce.
This barbecue chicken sandwich recipe makes four slider-sized sandwiches. It’s one you can enjoy as a quick meal with your loved ones.
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Another recipe option to try with canned chicken is delicious chicken soup with celery, carrots, and noodles. To cook this recipe, follow these easy steps:
- Spray the bottom of a saucepan with cooking spray and heat it on medium.
- Three diced celery stalks, 1 cup of chopped baby carrots, and two 10-ounce chicken cans that have gotten their liquids drained off should all be added into the saucepan.
- Cook this mixture in the saucepan for 5 minutes.
- Afterward, bring the mixture to a boil using 8 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water.
- Add a 12-ounce package of egg noodles and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
- Make sure to season the soup using salt and pepper right after tasting it.
This recipe yields delicious results, so feel free to use your canned chicken this way if you prefer.
Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole
Follow the steps described below if you choose to use up your canned chicken in a broccoli chicken rice casserole:
- The first step to making this recipe is to combine 4 cups of cooked rice and two cans of drained chicken.
- In the meantime, adjust your oven‘s temperature to 350°F and let it preheat, then combine the mixed rice and canned chicken in a bowl with a 10.5-ounce can of cream of mushroom soup as well as a 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken soup.
- You should then add one cup of milk, ¼ cup of melted butter, 1 pound of frozen broccoli, one chopped onion, and 1 pound of shredded cheddar cheese to the contents of the bowl.
- Bake this mixture for around 30 to 35 minutes after spreading it in a buttered casserole dish.
- Serve the resulting casserole with roasted veggies or a fresh garden salad to complete the meal.
This is a delicious casserole recipe to try with your canned chicken; we guarantee that you and your guests will love the results.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
To make a healthy pantry dinner, one option to consider is combining canned chicken, beans, and tomatoes.
Follow these steps to make this recipe:
- The ingredients you’ll need are one 15-ounce canned corn, two 14.5-ounce chicken broth cans, one 10-ounce chicken can, one 15-ounce black bean can, and one 10-ounce can containing diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- All the cans containing these ingredients should be drained and poured into a big pot on the burner.
- Afterward, cook the soup on a medium-high heat level until it begins to boil gently.
- Serve and enjoy your soup afterward.
Some sides to try with this recipe’s delicious results are tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese, and you’ll have a mouthwatering and filling meal on your plate.
Conclusion
When attempting to cook with the canned chicken in your pantry, you’ll find a plethora of meal options and recipes to choose from, with each option promising very mouthwatering results. So, feel free to experiment with as many recipes as you please.
This article’s tips and recipe suggestions are a good place to start. It’s also good to always remember that you’re better off adhering to the right cooking instructions, especially if you plan to end up with a delicious meal on your plate.