Canned Chicken substitute

Best substitute

Shredded rotisserie chicken

Use 2 cups shredded for every 12.5 oz can

Best for Chicken salad

Different texture

The best swap is shredded rotisserie chicken: one 12.5 ounce can drains down to roughly 10 ounces, which is about 2 cups of shredded meat, or the meat from about half a small rotisserie chicken. Poached and shredded chicken breast works identically if you have 20 minutes, and canned tuna is a straight structural swap in salads, dips and casseroles if you do not mind the flavor change. Whatever you use, remember the can's job is partly salt: canned chicken is packed in brine, so fresh chicken needs about half a teaspoon of salt per two cups to taste the same.

Other canned chicken substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Poached and shredded chicken breast
Close match
Use 8 oz raw boneless breast for every 12.5 oz can
The closest match in look and mildness.
What changes
Simmer breasts in barely bubbling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes to 160F, rest, then shred with two forks. The result is cleaner-tasting and firmer than canned, with none of the softness that comes from pressure cooking inside a can, and you control the salt exactly.
Best for
Chicken salad, Sandwich fillings, Baby-mild casseroles, Chicken and dumplings
One pound of raw boneless breast yields about 3 cups shredded. Salt the poaching water at about a tablespoon per quart, or the meat tastes flat next to what the recipe expects.
3Canned tuna in water
Different taste
Use the same amount by can size
The most honest pantry-for-pantry swap and the one most people actually reach for.
What changes
Structurally it is a perfect match: same flake, same moisture, same behavior in mayonnaise. Flavor is obviously not: the dish becomes assertively fishy, so it works beautifully for a tuna-salad-style sandwich or a tuna noodle casserole and badly for buffalo chicken dip or chicken enchiladas.
Best for
Cold salads with mayonnaise, Noodle casseroles, Melts, Patties
Drain well and it behaves exactly like canned chicken in binding and texture. If you want to soften the fishiness, add a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of Dijon.
4Leftover roast or grilled chicken, chopped
Different texture
Use 2 cups chopped for every 12.5 oz can
Whatever chicken is in the fridge works, and it usually improves the dish.
What changes
Expect firmer, drier meat than canned, because roasting drives off moisture while canning locks it in, so add a tablespoon or two of broth, mayonnaise or dressing per cup to compensate or a casserole can come out dry.
Best for
Casseroles, Soups, Chicken salad, Wraps, Fried rice
Grilled chicken brings char that reads as smoke, which is a bonus in barbecue chicken dishes and a distraction in creamy ones.
5Canned or pouched salmon
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
Another shelf-stable option with the same flake and moisture.
What changes
Noticeably richer and oilier than canned chicken and clearly salmon-flavored, so it suits creamy pasta bakes, patties and dips with dill or lemon, and does not suit anything expecting a neutral protein.
Best for
Patties and croquettes, Creamy pasta bakes, Dips
Canned salmon often includes soft bones and skin, which are edible but which some people find off-putting; pick them out if the dish is uncooked, like a cold salad.
6Chickpeas or jackfruit (meat-free)
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 can chickpeas or 1 can young green jackfruit for every can of chicken
Mashed chickpeas hold mayonnaise-based salads together well and taste nutty and mild rather than meaty.
What changes
Young green jackfruit in brine, drained and shredded, is much closer in texture because it pulls into strands, but it is faintly sweet and tangy, so a barbecue or buffalo sauce covers it far better than a plain creamy dressing does.
Best for
Vegetarian chicken salad, Vegetarian buffalo dip, Barbecue-style sandwiches
Rinse jackfruit thoroughly and squeeze it dry, then sear it briefly, or the brine flavor carries through. Use green jackfruit in brine or water, never the sweet ripe kind in syrup.

What is Canned Chicken?

Canned Chicken is Canned chicken, sold as chunk chicken or canned chicken breast and called tinned chicken outside the United States, is fully cooked shredded or chunked chicken packed in salted water and shelf-stable straight from the pantry.

Cooking tips

Know the real yield before you shop: a 12.5 ounce can drains to roughly 10 ounces of meat, which measures out to about 2 cups lightly packed. A 5 ounce can gives about three quarters of a cup. Recipes that say one can are usually assuming the larger size.
Canned chicken is packed in salted water, so it contributes salt as well as protein. When you swap in unsalted cooked chicken, add about half a teaspoon of salt per 2 cups and taste again once any mayonnaise or cheese is in, or the dish will taste oddly flat and nobody will know why.
Do not skip draining and pressing. Canned chicken carries a surprising amount of liquid, and recipes are written for the drained weight. If you swap in freshly poached chicken, let it drain and cool for five minutes too, otherwise a hot-and-wet addition will thin a mayonnaise dressing into soup.
The soft, almost shreddy texture of canned chicken is a feature in dips and spreads, where you want it to melt into the mixture. To fake it with fresh chicken, shred it while still warm and go over it a few times with a fork, or pulse it two or three times in a food processor. Do not over-pulse or you get pate.
If the tinny note is the reason you are substituting, rinsing canned chicken in a colander under cold water for 15 seconds and pressing it dry removes most of it, along with roughly a third of the sodium.

Frequently asked questions

How much fresh chicken equals one can of canned chicken?

About 8 ounces of raw boneless chicken breast, or 2 cups of already-cooked shredded chicken, per standard 12.5 ounce can. Working backwards, one pound of raw boneless breast yields roughly 3 cups cooked, and a 2 pound rotisserie chicken yields about 4 cups picked meat, so half a rotisserie bird is close to one can.

Can I just leave the canned chicken out of the recipe?

In a dip or a casserole, yes, and it usually still works: buffalo chicken dip without the chicken is a perfectly good spicy cheese dip, and a creamy casserole becomes a vegetable bake. Add extra beans, mushrooms or cauliflower to fill the volume the chicken occupied, or the filling-to-sauce ratio goes sloppy. In a chicken salad sandwich the chicken is the dish, so you need some kind of stand-in.

Is canned chicken already cooked?

Yes, fully. It is cooked inside the sealed can under pressure, which is why it is so soft and why it needs no further cooking. Any substitute you use must also be cooked before it goes into a no-bake recipe like chicken salad or a cold dip.

Can I use rotisserie chicken in a recipe written for canned chicken?

Yes, and it is the upgrade most people are looking for. Two things to adjust: rotisserie meat is drier, so add a tablespoon of mayonnaise or broth per cup if the mixture seems stiff, and it is already seasoned, sometimes heavily, so cut back on any added salt and taste before you commit.

Does canned chicken work for camping and no-fridge cooking, and what else would?

That is exactly what it is best at, since it is shelf-stable and needs no cooking. If you are out of it, the equally shelf-stable options are canned tuna, canned or pouched salmon, and shelf-stable chicken pouches. Chickpeas cover it for a meat-free option. Anything fresh defeats the purpose.

Related substitutes

More meat & protein substitutes

Canned Chicken substitute

Other canned chicken substitutes

2Poached and shredded chicken breast

3Canned tuna in water

4Leftover roast or grilled chicken, chopped

5Canned or pouched salmon

6Chickpeas or jackfruit (meat-free)