Canned chicken is among the least used products in the kitchen relative to its usefulness. The reason is usually that people are unsure what it actually is.
What is the product?
Canned chicken is cooked chicken, generally shredded.
It goes into the tin, liquid is added and it is heat-treated sealed.
The liquid is usually water and salt; some products use stock.
The heat treatment runs at 116 to 121 degrees and kills all microorganisms.
That is what lets the product keep for years without refrigeration.
The contents are usually breast meat or a breast and thigh mixture.
Breast meat is leaner and paler; thigh meat is more flavourful and moister.
The label generally states which, and that determines the choice.
What is the nutrition profile?
A hundred grams of canned chicken carries 120 to 150 calories.
Protein 20 to 25 grams.
Fat 3 to 7 grams, higher in products containing thigh meat.
Carbohydrate close to zero.
Salt 0.8 to 1.4 grams, with clear differences between products.
The protein density is good; 16 to 18 grams per hundred calories.
That puts it in the same group as smoked turkey.
Heat treatment reduces some B vitamins, but the protein quality is unaffected.
Draining and rinsing reduces the salt by 25 to 35 percent.
| Product (100 g) | Calories | Protein | Fat | Prep time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canned chicken | 120-150 | 20-25 g | 3-7 g | 0 minutes |
| Fresh chicken breast | 165 | 31 g | 3.6 g | 15-25 minutes |
| Poached chicken | 150 | 27 g | 3.5 g | 25-40 minutes |
| Smoked turkey | 105-130 | 20-23 g | 2-4 g | 0 minutes |
| Canned tuna | 110-130 | 22-25 g | 1-8 g | 0 minutes |
When does it beat fresh chicken?
It has the advantage in three situations.
The first is texture. Shredded meat is ideal for salads, sandwiches and fillings.
Cooking fresh chicken and pulling it apart gives the same result, but takes twenty minutes.
The second is time. It requires no preparation; the tin opens and it is used.
The third is storage. It needs no refrigeration; it sits in a cupboard as a ready protein source for emergencies.
Its disadvantages are equally clear.
The texture is softer than fresh chicken; it does not suit grilling or frying.
The flavour is more neutral: unseasoned and lightly salted.
The protein content is slightly lower than fresh chicken; the water content is higher.
It is not a substitute but a different ingredient.
What should be done with the liquid?
This point is frequently skipped.
The liquid contains water and gelatine released from the meat during cooking.
It is salty but flavourful, with the character of a stock.
It can be drained away, but using it makes more sense.
It can go into soups, sauces or the water for rice.
In that case no further salt should be added to the recipe.
For cold uses such as salads the liquid should be drained, or the salad turns watery.
After draining the product can be patted lightly with paper towel.
Where salt reduction is wanted, it should be drained and rinsed in cold water; that removes much of the salt though it reduces the flavour somewhat too.
What are the twelve uses?
The texture of the product suits particular applications.
The first is chicken salad, with yoghurt or mayonnaise, gherkins and parsley.
The second is a sandwich filling, with lettuce and tomato.
The third is a toasted sandwich, with cheese.
The fourth is a pasta sauce, added to a cream sauce at the last stage.
The fifth is soup, adding protein to a ready-made one.
The sixth is rice, stirred through once cooked.
The seventh is on a salad, adding protein to leaves.
The eighth is as an addition to grain-based dishes.
The ninth is a filling for börek and gözleme, with cheese and parsley.
The tenth is a wrap filling.
The eleventh is baked pasta and gratins.
The twelfth is a breakfast omelette, stirred into the eggs.
What those uses share is that the product is not cooked, only warmed or used cold.
How should it be chosen?
There are four criteria.
The first is meat content. The label states a drained weight; it should be 65 to 75 percent of the total.
A lower ratio means a lot of liquid in the tin.
The second is salt. Below 1 gram per hundred grams is good; above 1.4 is high.
The third is the ingredients list. Chicken, water and salt; three components suffice.
Products containing starch, phosphates and flavourings are more processed.
The fourth is the type of meat. Breast is leaner, thigh more flavourful.
Mixed products offer a balanced middle route.
A tin that is dented, swollen or rusted should not be bought.
What about storage and safety?
Sealed tins are kept somewhere cool and dry; no refrigeration is needed.
The shelf life is two to five years.
Once opened the product behaves like any fresh food.
It should not be left in the tin; it belongs in glass or food-grade plastic.
It keeps three to four days in the fridge.
It can be frozen, keeping two months, though the texture softens further.
Freezing in portions is practical; only what is needed gets thawed.
The date should be written on the container.
Signs of spoilage: a sour smell, a slimy surface and greying colour.
Swelling in a sealed tin is the most serious sign; such a tin must never be opened.
Canned chicken is worth keeping in a regular kitchen stock, as a ready protein source both for emergencies and for days with little time to prepare.
