You Might Want To Rethink Using Canned Chicken For A Casserole

Canned chicken is a prized kitchen ally that's cherished for its convenience. It's right up there with instant noodles and frozen veggies — delicious manifestations of a lazy night dinner. When it comes to making something like a casserole, however, the texture of canned chicken renders it unfit, and you may want to skip it altogether.

To make it safer for storage and prolong its shelf life, canned chicken undergoes sterilization; yet, this same process has its downsides. While reducing the risk of spoilage, the canning process alters the chicken's protein and leaves it softer and sometimes even mushy. This mealy texture is why you should avoid using canned meat in buffalo chicken dip and go with something like cooked chicken breast instead.

Eventually, the mushy texture of canned chicken gets lost in the sea of casserole components: The thick sauce, tender peas and carrots, and chewy pasta. Its overly soft texture lacks appeal and offers no character in the casserole. It's also possible that while the chicken cooks with the rest of the ingredients, it loses all of the water it previously held from canning, diluting the casserole enough to leave it slightly more watery. Rather, go for cooked, shredded chicken thighs when making casseroles since they can better endure slow cooking and end up tender but relatively firmer.

These textural faults may make you feel like you've hit a snag with this kitchen essential but, trust us, there are numerous ways to elevate canned chicken and hide its flaws. For example, you can complement it with pecans and cranberries for an instant texture upgrade. Or serve it with crunchy veggies like carrots, celery, or a leafy green to turn canned chicken into a handheld salad. There's even a way to transform the chicken's texture into something completely different, and that's by frying it into crispy patties. The change from mealy to a golden and crispy texture means you might not recognize the canned chicken anymore, but you'll most definitely love it.

On top of that, this chicken can sometimes come across as bland, and its flat taste begs for some seasoning to realize its flavors. Salting is the simplest way to improve the taste of bland canned chicken, but if you're looking to spruce things up, you can mix in spices like chili powder or fresh herbs to introduce a clean, crisp element to the long-soaked canned meat. Ultimately, canned chicken may not be our first choice for casseroles, but it can still find a place in a texture-rich and flavorful diet.