Kitchn Love Letters

I’m a Registered Dietitian and This Is the One Canned Good I Stock in My Pantry at All Times

Lauren Manaker
Lauren Manaker
Lauren Manaker is an award-winning registered dietitian, book author, and freelance writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. She has an abnormal love for sparkling water and enjoys digging into the latest healthy food trends.
updated Jan 4, 2023
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Chicken is often (and rightfully!) lauded as a quick solution to busy weeknight meals. With little more than a pack of chicken breasts, you can make BBQ ranch chicken bites, lemon pepper chicken, honey-garlic chicken, or a myriad of other quick 30-minute dinners. But, sometimes, even 30 minutes is too much. Honestly, even 20-minute recipes can be about 18 minutes too long when my family and I need a balanced meal ASAP.

And that’s where my pantry comes in.

Credit: Lauren Manaker

My pantry is always stocked with cans of Wild Planet Organic Roasted Chicken Breast. Sure, it took me a minute to wrap my head around the idea of canned, cooked chicken … and then a few more minutes to even try it. But once I opened the can and swapped it into some of my go-to chicken dishes, I was sold. 

Wild Planet Organic Roasted Chicken Breast is pre-cooked and canned organic chicken with a pinch of salt added — that’s it. No fillers, stabilizers, added liquid, or flavorings. It’s just like a piece of freshly cooked chicken breast with a pinch of sea salt, and it’s ready to go whenever you need it.

Since cracking open the first can, I’ve made a variety of dishes that taste just as good as they would if I used fresh chicken, and take far less time in the kitchen. Like what, you ask? Sandwiches, snack boards, casseroles, and more! A high-quality protein with zero cooking involved makes meal planning instantly easier.

Credit: Lauren Manaker

One of my favorite ways to use this canned stuff? In chicken salad. I love that I don’t need to pick off pieces of meat from a bone-in rotisserie chicken. Instead, I just open a can, transfer the chicken to a bowl, break it up with a fork, and mix it with some dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and a bit of Primal Kitchen mayo for a super-simple and satisfying lunch in sandwich or snack-board form.

Wild Plant’s canned chicken breast is also an excellent topper for salads and can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner, depending on the mix-ins. For easy no-cook meals, I start with a bed of lettuce and add a can of chicken, along with other veggies, chopped nuts, and a homemade salad dressing. And on nights I do have the 20 minutes to spare, I’ll make an easy casserole that calls for chicken and swap out the raw choice for this canned version. It cuts the cooking time in half! 

Have you tried this canned chicken? Tell us about it in the comments!