32 Canned Chicken Recipes for Delicious Meals You'll Use Time and Again (2024)

Do you like to cook with canned chicken? I’ll be honest in telling you that I didn’t use to. I thought that the store bought canned chicken had a weird taste.

However, I learned to can my own chicken (using a recipe like this) and have since found that using canned chicken in a recipe can save a lot of time when preparing a meal.

So for those of you that like canned chicken, or like to can their own chicken, I’ve picked out a few recipes from the internet to help you use more of it.

Now, not all of the recipes call for canned chicken, but I picked recipes that you could easily sub canned chicken in for regular cooked chicken.

Canned Chicken Recipes

Here are the recipes I came up with:

1. Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Winter time is approaching and soups will slowly make their way back to our menu on a regular basis. They are easy and stretch for days with only having to cook one time.

However, this recipe is even better because it can even be made in a crock pot. So if you love chicken noodle soup and want an easy recipe, then toss in your canned chicken and you will have a super easy one here.

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2. Skillet Cheesy Chicken and Veggie Rice

This recipe is one of my favorite on this list because it is healthy, cheesy, and works for those with food allergies.

So if you have a problem with gluten, then you’ll love the fact that this recipe is actually riced broccoli and cauliflower, which makes for a delicious and gluten free meal.

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3. Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

This is another soup recipe that could easily save you time by tossing in canned chicken for the chicken part of the recipe.

Plus, it is also a unique recipe as many people aren’t accustomed to eating a lot of Greek foods. However, this delicious soup looks like a great place to start.

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4. White Chicken Poblano Chili

Do you love white chicken chili? If so, then you’ll really love this recipe because it is your basic white chicken chili with a little added spice.

So they add a poblano pepper to give this recipe a kick. But don’t forget, you can save even more time making it if you add your canned chicken to the recipe.

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5. Chicken Salad with Grapes

I had never heard of people actually using their canned chicken until I met my mother-in-law. Maybe that is why I’m so weird about canned chicken.

Anyway, she used canned chicken to make chicken salad. So when I saw this recipe for chicken salad with grapes, I thought that it would be a great recipe to use your canned chicken with in order to save time and still have great flavor.

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6. Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

If you haven’t guessed already, casseroles are a great way to utilize canned chicken. It has so many other flavors going on that people don’t realize that the chicken is canned.

So if you love chicken and spaghetti squash, then you’ll definitely want to try out this casserole. It could become a quick weeknight meal for you and your family to enjoy.

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7. Mayo Free Chicken Salad

Do you love chicken salad? Are you looking for a way to make it a little healthier? Well, then you’ll want to check out this recipe.

Not only is it a good way to utilize canned chicken, but it is also mayo free for a healthier chicken salad. Hopefully, you can enjoy your chicken salad a little more frequently now.

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8. Zesty Buffalo Chicken Salad

Well, this is another chicken salad recipe that would be great to utilize canned chicken with. But this recipe is for those who like spice.

So if you fall into that category, then you’ll want to try this buffalo chicken salad. It would be great with bread or on crackers. You could even put it over a bed of greens or veggies if you like.

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9. Chicken Baked Ziti

I love baked ziti, but I really love chicken baked ziti. The chicken is great as a good source of protein. Plus, I love all of the cheesy flavors as well.

But the next time you want to make this, don’t think you have to use only fresh chicken. In fact, you can toss canned chicken in there and it will be snappy to make and so delicious.

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10. Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

I love all of the flavors of this dish. You have pesto, chicken, and mushrooms all in one feeling and warming dish.

So the next time you desire comfort food, then open up a can of chicken and throw this recipe together quickly.

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11. Tuscan Chicken with Penne Pasta

If you are a big pasta person, then you’ll want to check out this particular dish. It has a delicious and very rich sauce.

But don’t let the dish fool you. The title says it should only take you around 20 minutes. Add canned chicken, and you might have it faster than that.

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12. Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love this recipe because it contains no pasta. In its place is cauliflower. Then you make this delicious cream sauce.

From there you add the shredded meat. That is why canned chicken would be a great addition to this recipe because any time you see shredded chicken is needed in a recipe, then you can easily just open a can and add it to the dish.

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13. Chicken, Cranberry, Pecan Salad Wrap

This is another delicious version of chicken salad. Obviously, you can add canned chicken in the place of freshly cooked chicken to the recipe.

Then you just wrap the mixture up, and you have a healthy and delicious meal in no time flat. That is my favorite kind of meal…healthy and fast.

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14. Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

This recipe looks like one that would be delicious on a cold winter’s day. It has a creamy chicken base with lots of delicious flavors.

Then they add the corn to the mix to give the soup a little more texture. As always, save time and add your canned chicken.

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15. Cheesy Chicken Corn and Quinoa Casserole

I’m having to learn how to cook and utilize quinoa these days since I’ve been diagnosed with a gluten allergy.

However, it is not easy to find ways to use it always that my family will enjoy. So when I saw this recipe I knew it would be great to slip in quinoa and canned chicken. It’s a win, win.

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16. Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This is another casserole that I love for busy weeknights. You can actually make this casserole ahead and cook them when you like.

Then you cover them with foil and pop them in the oven to bake or reheat when you are ready to enjoy. Since it is a casserole, canned chicken would be a great time-saving option for this recipe.

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17. Fettuccini with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Though I have a gluten allergy, I love pasta. I can’t help it, but I don’t get to enjoy it like I once did. Though after seeing this recipe, I think it would be a great recipe to try.

So you just prepare your fettuccini and add some canned chicken in the mix. Then you toss it in a very flavorful pepper sauce to boot. It looks so good!

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18. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

This is another great casserole that you could make ahead and enjoy on a busy weeknight with minimal effort.

Again, make prep work a little easier by adding canned chicken into all of the delicious flavors. You could have quite the winner on your hands.

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19. One Pan Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice

This is a tasty dish, I’m sure. It has many delicious flavors from the freshness of cilantro, the crispy lime flavoring, and then the chicken with rice and beans.

But you can definitely take a shortcut with canned chicken in this recipe as well. That way you can have a fresh meal on the table a little quicker.

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20. Quick Chicken Salad

I’m all about recipes that claim to be quick right out of the gate. I get it. I’m a busy mom. I have a career, a home to run, and a busy schedule.

So I need fast recipes that are also fresh, delicious, and barely processed. This recipe could fit into that category, I believe.

Try this canned chicken recipe