8 Canned Chicken Brands With The Highest Quality Ingredients

Canned meat may not sound very appetizing, but more and more people are realizing that there are tons of delicious meals that call for it. Canned chicken is especially loved for its ability to act as a shortcut in the kitchen.

While the very idea of canned chicken may make people think of the various myths surrounding the product, the fact remains that there are plenty of high-quality brands to choose from when stocking up. Sure, some brands don't do chicken justice, but others offer tender white and dark meat, perfect for adding to salads, soups, and more.

Sourcing from sustainable farms, reducing the amount of added salt and other preservatives, and using minimal processing are just some ways that brands ensure their canned chicken only includes the highest-quality ingredients. No matter what kind of recipe is on the menu, these canned chicken varieties will add plenty of protein and ample flavor, without all of the extra work that normally comes along when dealing with fresh chicken.

The simple packaging of Valley Fresh Canned Chicken may not look like much, but that minimalist look reflects what's inside. Valley Fresh is known for using the highest-quality chicken to bring natural flavors to the table. Simple additives such as rosemary, broth, and sea salt are all included to improve the chicken's flavor. The chicken chunks are also canned using minimal processing, meaning shoppers can depend on the brand to deliver chicken with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or MSGs.

Similar to many canned chicken brands, Valley Fresh organic chicken breast comes 98% fat-free and has 25 grams of protein in every serving. Although some reviews say the chicken is too salty, it's ideal for recipes that don't call for salt, as the other flavors will balance out the salt in the chicken. Plus, home chefs can choose between various options, from organic chicken to a mix of dark and white meat chunks. They're all made with the same, all-natural chicken that Valley Fresh prides itself on.

Canned chicken from Keystone is another option lauded for its real chicken flavor. Reviews on Amazon keep Keystone chicken highly rated, with the biggest complaints related to shipping and not the chicken itself. On that front, plenty of people have praised its great taste and say it's easy to use for chicken sandwiches and chili. Keystone canned chicken comes in slightly larger containers than other brands — each can holds 28 ounces of chicken, rather than the more standard 5-ounce or 12-ounce cans. This makes it easier to add high-quality chicken to larger meals than just a sandwich or two.

Plus, Keystone doesn't use any added water. In fact, the brand's cans of chicken only include meat and sea salt. Like many other brands on this list, Keystone doesn't rely on preservatives or artificial ingredients to make its chicken tasty. Keystone's all-natural chicken is a high-quality choice for anyone trying to make chicken dinner a little easier.

Sweet Sue's Chunk White Chicken in Water is owned by Bumble Bee, so its use of high-quality ingredients shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. Sweet Sue might best be known for its odd foray into canning whole chickens, but the brand's canned chunk chicken is a much more appetizing offer. According to reviews, Sweet Sue's canned chicken isn't very salty and doesn't come with much flavor. That's not ideal for meals like salads and sandwiches, but for stews, chili, and other recipes that are already chock-full of flavor, Sweet Sue's pre-cooked chicken is the perfect protein-based addition.

Along with the quality assurances from Bumble Bee, including a plan to reduce the overall sodium in all of its products, Sweet Sue's canned chicken has a single-source canning process, something that not many other brands boast. According to the manufacturer, Sweet Sue's various canned goods use quality chickens, all farmed, raised, and canned in Augusta, GA. There's no mystery when it comes to the quality of Sweet Sue's canned chicken.

Kroger is well-known for its high-quality ingredients, despite that being a bit of a surprise from a grocery store brand. Regardless, the canned Kroger Premium Chicken Breast really satisfies our criteria when it comes to using the highest-quality ingredients. For starters, Kroger's canned chicken includes absolutely no artificial ingredients and is minimally processed. The chicken is stored in some salt water with no other ingredients. This makes it a great can to add to more complex recipes since there's no need to account for pre-added seasonings.

Each serving of the Kroger natural premium chicken breast chunk in water contains 13 grams of protein, too, which is a decent amount for a 5-ounce can. There are a few different varieties of Kroger canned chicken available to choose from. Whether a recipe wants you to include standard, all-natural chicken breast or pre-shredded chicken, shoppers can rely on Kroger's canned chicken as a source of quality meat and protein.

Sam's Club offers more than just bulk savings to its customers. The store's in-house brand, Member's Mark, is an affordable alternative to hundreds of name-brand grocery counterparts. Member's Mark's Premium Natural Chunk Chicken Breast is just one example of this — it's achieved a rating of 4.7 stars and garnered reviews that praise it for being tasty and not dry. Sam's Club claims that it only selects premium chicken for their cans, and the fact that the brand minimally processes its chicken suggests that this is true.

Like many other high-quality canned chicken brands, Member's Mark doesn't include preservatives or MSG. The chicken is also 98% fat-free which is great for those who want to cut out as much fat as possible from their diets. In fact, all the can includes is water, some salt, and chicken, so there are no mysteries about where the flavor comes from: it's all-natural. Member's Mark canned chicken has even been certified by the American Heart Association and that's likely due to it having no preservatives and a low amount of salt.

Considering it has Valley Fresh under its belt, you'd think Hormel wouldn't really need another brand to be able to deliver tasty, high-quality canned chicken. Hormel offers a few varieties of its canned chicken, including chicken breast and a mix of dark and white meat. However, the company's no-salt-added chicken breast deserves the most attention.

One of the few brands to offer a no-salt canned chicken option, Hormel's Premium Chicken Breast is perfect for those with low-sodium or otherwise restricted diets. It still has 240 milligrams of salt, but compare that to Kroger's 400 milligrams per serving or Valley Fresh's whopping 600 milligrams per serving. This quality canned chicken doesn't rely on salt, bringing only about a third of the salt of other canned chicken varieties to the table.

Not adding salt does make the chicken a bit less flavorful, but thanks to Hormel's use of high-quality ingredients, it's still tasty. It should be noted that because of the lowered salt content, this premium chicken is kept shelf-stable with preservatives, though they amount to less than 2% of each can's content.

Knowing where our food comes from is an important factor to consider when searching for the highest-quality ingredients. Canned chicken is no different, and that's where Lehman's has an advantage over the competition. Lehman's All Natural Canned Chicken is made in Ohio's Amish Country, where the brand sells all sorts of Amish goods, from rocking chairs to belts to food.

As can be expected, the chicken from Lehman's is all-natural. That also means no phosphates added. In fact, Lehman's doesn't even add water to its canned chicken. Instead, the company advises buyers to let the chicken soak up its natural juices after opening to get the most flavorful bites. The only downside to this high-quality canned chicken is the price. It's much more expensive than standard grocery store brands, but given the quality, it may be worth every penny. The pre-cooked chicken comes partially shredded, rather than in chunks, making it ideal for noodle dishes and chicken pot pie!

One of the highest-rated organic canned chicken brands, Wild Planet Organic Roasted Chicken Breast with Rib Meat has been a top choice for canned chicken enthusiasts for years. The roasted chicken contains 32 grams of protein per can and offers chunky morsels of chicken perfect for salads and sandwiches. The flavor of Wild Planet's canned chicken is a bit mild, but this is because the brand uses almost no additives. The high-quality chicken is canned without water, relying on natural juices and sea salt for flavor.

Along with being consistently high-rated and skipping out on preservatives, shoppers can place a reasonable amount of trust in the overall quality of Wild Planet's chicken. The brand is committed to having eco-friendly practices. Their chickens are raised on a 100% USDA-certified vegetarian diet without antibiotics. These practices not only help keep the chickens in a safe and ethical environment for most of their lives, but they also ensure that Wild Planet's canned chicken includes high-quality meat that hasn't been tainted by unwanted chemicals.