Canned Chicken Recipes are great alternatives to roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken when making quick meals any night of the week. So often, easy meals call for leftover chicken, but what if you don’t have any?
That’s where canned chicken comes in. In as few as 20 minutes and with a few simple ingredients, dinner can be prepped and in the oven (if not on the table!)
Whether your house is filled with kids or it’s just yourself, sometimes busy days call for an easy recipe that’s still satisfying and filling. Explore the below list of canned chicken recipes for the perfect meal tonight.
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What is canned chicken?
Canned chicken is exactly what it sounds like. Similar to canned tuna, canned chicken breast is fully-cooked chicken that’s ready to eat right out of the can. Like any canned good, it lasts a long time, like years!
The best thing about canned chicken is that it’s a pantry staple. Keep a few cans in your cabinet for an easy recipe when you’re in a crunch for time. Some of the below recipes can be ready in as little as 20 minutes.
Appetizers and Snacks With Canned Chicken
For when your friends show up unexpectedly, and you’re short on food, or the kids are cranky and hungry. Whip up one of these canned chicken appetizers in as little as 15 minutes.
Bacon Cheddar Chicken Salad Dip
A great appetizer for any gathering. From the Super Bowl to the Oscars, even Christmas Eve. With pre-cooked canned chicken and shredded cheddar, make this dish come together in no time.
It might be hard to choose between this buffalo chicken dip and the above bacon cheddar chicken salad dip. This dip calls for three types of cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing. Swap out the cooked chicken for canned chicken and serve with your favorite crackers or bread or veggie such as bell pepper.
Ranch seems to be a theme in this post. So, make these small and cute, and they're a perfect appetizer. Make these ranch chicken roll-ups larger, and they’re a solid meal. Serve them with a side of soup, or just eat two!
These stuffed banana peppers are perfect for snacking. Just swap out the Italian sausage in this recipe for canned chicken. This recipe is a fan favorite in our home. They're so good, just make a huge batch of them and eat them for dinner!
When you want something hearty but don't want to spend hours making it. These BBQ chicken rollups are perfect. They remind me of BBQ chicken pizza. And who doesn't love BBQ chicken pizza? These rollups are way easier to make. Just canned chicken, BBQ sauce, and shredded cheese rolled up in pizza crust dough.
Two staples in any household must be chicken and pasta. That’s in my humble opinion. With canned chicken breast and a few other ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, canned chicken pasta recipes come together quickly.
Chicken Alfredo Bake
This chicken Alfredo bake is delicious and super easy to make using canned chicken. It’s easily made either on the stove-top or in your oven. This is a one-pot meal that will leave your family asking for more.
This canned chicken noodle casserole is creamy, flavorful, and filling. It's one of my go-to easy pasta recipes and takes me right back to my childhood. Will it you?
This BBQ chicken bacon pasta is a flavor-packed dish that's easy to make. It's ready in under 30 minutes and can be made using canned chicken. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or when you're short on time. It's packed with flavor and sure to be a hit with the whole family.
This chicken-baked ziti is a quick and easy recipe that's perfect for a busy weeknight. This dish is flavorful, comforting, and sure to be a hit with whoever you put it in front. You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by swapping out the ziti for a gluten-free option.
There are so many canned chicken recipes with rice that are quick, easy, and delicious. You can make a variety of dishes using canned just canned chicken, rice, and whatever is left in your pantry.
Easy Mexican Rice with Chicken
This Mexican rice dish is so easy to make. It's a one-pot meal that's packed with flavor. It's made even easier when you use a package of taco seasoning. Our go-to is Knorr.
This broccoli, rice, cheese, and chicken casserole is a classic comfort food dish. It's a great casserole to be made ahead of time and reheated when you're ready to eat.
When you’re feeling under the weather or just need a comforting bowl of soup, chili, or chowder, these recipes will hit the spot. They’re easy to make and can be on the table in no time.
Creamy Chicken Soup
Nothing says comfort like chicken noodle soup. But it’s not the fastest thing to make. One way to speed up the process is by using canned chicken instead of taking the time to make it from scratch.
This chicken taco soup, inspired by traditional chicken tortilla soup, is hearty and soul-warming. Serve it as a side dish on a cold winter day or as the main to your meal with a hearty crust of bread or a side of tortilla chips. And don't forget a dollop of sour cream!
There is nothing like a piping hot bowl of chicken dumpling soup to warm you up on a cold winter day. Try this recipe that will stick to your ribs when the weather turns chilly.
What makes this chili 5 cans? One can of red beans, one can of pinto beans, one can of diced tomatoes. Substitute the beef in this recipe for canned chicken for a healthier version.
Make this condensed cream of chicken soup for those busy weeknights. You can use this recipe for many of the other canned chicken recipes in this list. Talk about homemade!
With Napa cabbage, slivers of almonds, and ramen noodles, the crunch of this salad is incredibly satisfying. Especially if you’re big on texture like I am.
Whether a rice casserole or a pasta casserole, they’re great go-to dishes for any busy household. Below are a few of our favorite creamiest dishes we’ve come across.
Creamy Chicken Crescent Casserole
This is a fan favorite on our team. It’s the perfect mix of chicken, cream, and pastry dough. It's perfect for when you need to feed a crowd or want leftovers for the week.
Some of the most delicious canned chicken recipes we love are Mexican-inspired. Below are just a few of the flavorful dishes we found.
Canned Chicken Quesadilla
If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, try making canned chicken quesadillas. This dish is made by layering quesadilla-style tortillas with canned chicken, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Try these Mexi-Chicken Avocado Cups. They’re perfect for any party or get-together. They're also incredibly healthy with the added benefit of healthy fats from avocados.
This enchilada casserole is a great way to use up any canned chicken you have. It's also a good dish to make ahead and freeze for those busy weeknights.
This is a canned chicken recipe that's perfect for anyone who loves Taco Bell. It features all the flavors of a loaded potato griller, with the added bonus of chicken.
Just like mom used to make. A can of mushroom soup is what brings this dish to life. Use any type of cheese you want to add your own spin to a no-fail flavorful lunch or dinner.Â
Delicious canned chicken recipes are just for the carb eaters. On a keto or low-carb diet? Canned chicken was made for lunch and dinner recipes.
Chicken Crust Pizza
Whether you’re on the keto diet, gluten-free, or looking to up your protein intake, a chicken crust pizza is the way to go. Making this pizza crust with canned chicken makes it extra easy. Load it up with your favorite topping, and it’s a quick and easy weeknight meal.
These keto canned chicken nuggets are a great way to get your fast-food fix without all the carbs. You may not even miss your favorite fast food joint!
This low-carb chicken salad is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. It’s also great for meal prep. Meal prepping this dish will make your life so much easier during the week.
We could go on and on about canned chicken recipes, but we hope these few have helped spark some creativity and reduce your cooking time. And if you’re still looking for more chicken recipes, check out our list of 32 Summer Chicken Recipes or 23 Chicken Tenderloin Recipes.
Try one of these recipes tonight, and let us know how it went in the comments below!
I keep canned chicken recipes for the lazy days when I am not in the mood to process the meat. Coming across this recipe list recently has been very useful to me. Tried out the soup so far which was so smooth and yummy, will definitely try more!
There are so many recipes that I found out here with canned chicken! I was worried about all the canned chicken which I bought rather impulsively. Thank God I came across the dish. I just started exploring the recipes, there are so many more to try out yet! Canned chicken recipes are simply my favorite. Can not wait to try out more.
Thank God I had canned chicken in the house because every recipe that I came across on the list are very hard to resist. Especially for a person like me who loves chicken so much.
I keep canned chicken recipes for the lazy days when I am not in the mood to process the meat. Coming across this recipe list recently has been very useful to me. Tried out the soup so far which was so smooth and yummy, will definitely try more!
There are so many recipes that I found out here with canned chicken! I was worried about all the canned chicken which I bought rather impulsively. Thank God I came across the dish. I just started exploring the recipes, there are so many more to try out yet! Canned chicken recipes are simply my favorite. Can not wait to try out more.
Great recipe list. Easy and came out great the first time. I think my wife will choose more recipes for me to make it again. Thank you.
Thank God I had canned chicken in the house because every recipe that I came across on the list are very hard to resist. Especially for a person like me who loves chicken so much.