A can of chicken may not be the first food that comes to mind when planning your meals, but it’s a life saver when you’re on a budget or simply don’t have a lot of time to hit the grocery store. And as an added bonus, it’s surprisingly DELICIOUS!
Benefits of Canned Chicken
- It’s convenient and easy to prepare requiring no cooking! This is especially nice in the summertime when you don’t want to turn the oven or stove on.
- It has a long shelf life so can be used as a back-up protein for many meals including sandwiches, casseroles, soups, and enchiladas.
- A can of chicken is much cheaper than fresh chicken, bringing your grocery bills way down.
- This time saver will lessen the amount of dishes you have to wash and time spent preparing raw meat.
- In the event of a power outage or apocalypse, you won’t have to worry about it spoiling. It’s a great pantry staple to have on hand JUST IN CASE, if you know what I’m mean.
One of the most popular ways to use canned chicken is in a classic chicken salad sandwich. The easy chicken salad can also be served with crackers or in a lettuce wrap. It’s such a versatile recipe that can be customized however you’d like!
Popular Additions For Chicken Salad
A chicken salad can be made sweet or savory with the ingredients of your choice including celery, pickles, cucumbers, salami, bacon bits, green onions, toasted pecans, slivered almonds, hot sauce, citrus juice, fresh herbs, grapes, raisins, dried cranberries, brown sugar, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Now that I’ve got you all excited about chicken salad, let’s get on to the recipe! The only key ingredients needed to make a yummy chicken salad include mayonnaise and the seasoning of your choice, from there, you can obviously do as you please. Here is great vintage recipe to get your started! Most of the time I simply measure with my heart when it comes to the seasoning.
Easy Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (12.5oz) can chunk chicken breast *read notes
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup diced celery
- seasoning to taste (I use salt, pepper, & garlic powder)
- soft sandwich bread or crackers
Instructions
- Thoroughly drain the can of chicken and mix it with mayonnaise and diced celery. Season to taste keeping in mind that the chicken already has salt included.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use or serve immediately with your favorite bread or crackers.
Notes
- I buy the Kirkland Brand of canned chicken from Costco which I believe is slightly larger than some of the other 10 ounce brands. You may need to adjust the amount of mayo depending on the brand you buy.
- Popular Seasoning Choices for chicken salad include salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, and cayenne.
- Want to upgrade your chicken salad? Here are some flavorful additions to try: pickles, cucumbers, salami, bacon bits, green onions, pecans, slivered almonds, walnuts, hot sauce, citrus juice, fresh herbs, grapes, raisins, dried cranberries, brown sugar, etc. Choose sweet OR savory and then go for it!
- Watching your carbs? Try this cold chicken salad in a lettuce wrap, with cucumber slices, or with bell peppers. Anything crunchy pairs well with it!
- You can also make this easy chicken salad with rotisserie or baked chicken. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken which usually isn't as good reheated anyway.
- A few fresh additions you may consider in your sandwich include fresh sliced tomatoes and lettuce.
- Looking for more Canned Chicken Recipes? Check out this List of 10 Easy Canned Chicken Dinner Ideas. Everything from casseroles and soups to cold wraps and enchiladas!
