If you’re like me, you might have raised your eyebrow a bit at the idea of canned chicken. But you might be surprised at just how versatile and useful this food really is.
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Costco Canned Chicken Pricing
Similar to canned tuna, this Kirkland Signature chunk chicken breast comes in 12 oz pull tab cans and can be used for a wide variety of recipes. you can find a six can package at your local Costco warehouse for $12.99, making each can about $2. According to national statistics, this is just slightly below the average per-ounce price of chicken in the US.
You can find this same pack of canned chicken on Costco.com for $15.49.
Where Does It Come From?
Confirmed by many sources online, Costco’s Kirkland Signature chicken is sourced from their own Costco-owned processing facility in Fremont, Nebraska. Costco purchases chicken from a variety of suppliers in that region, who supply all of the chicken sold under the Kirkland Signature label. You can read more about where Costco sources their meat in our post about it here.
Prior to 2022, this product was labeled and marketed as “premium chunk chicken breast.” Now, the word “premium” has been dropped from the labeling, causing customers to wonder why…
Unfortunately, judging by this Reddit thread, the jury is still out on exactly what changed about the quality of Kirkland Signature’s chicken to spark the label change. However, as far as we can tell, the chicken is still being sourced from the same place.
How Long Does It Last?
Before being opened, this canned chicken will last in your pantry for about three to five years. In fact, it’s even become popular as a “prep” food for that reason.
Once the can has been opened, the chicken should be consumed within three to five days. In fact, all meat products should be consumed within 5 days of being prepared or exposed to oxygen. Although these cans of chicken are shelf stable before being opened, your chicken must be stored in the refrigerator once it’s been exposed to the air.
Ingredients & Nutrition
Before we get into the details, it’s worth noting that the nutrition label listed on this package is a bit misleading. For a reason I can’t quite figure out, it says that there are 21 servings per container, but it lists the serving size as two ounces. In reality, the drained weight of chicken in each can is seven ounces, indicating that each can actually contains just over three servings.
So, with that in mind, in 1/3 of a container of this canned chicken, you will be consuming 60 calories from 1 gram of fat, 45 mg of cholesterol, 270 mg of sodium, and 13 grams of protein.
As far as ingredients go, each can contains chicken breast meat, water, salt, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, chicken broth, and natural flavors.
The chicken breast meat in these cans is fully cooked and ready to eat with zero prep. Yes–you can eat this stuff straight out of the can if you want. But you can also add it to a wide variety of recipes if you’d prefer. Keep reading to learn about some different ideas for how to use this Costco Canned Chicken.
Is It Healthy?
Some people have expressed curiosity about whether the chicken in these cans is considered processed. While Costco’s Canned Chicken is not a single-ingredient product, the chicken meat itself does not seem to be processed. However, it is combined with a few not-so-natural ingredients such as modified food starch and natural flavors (which are lab derived). Modified food starch is another name for genetically modified food starch that often comes from either corn, potatoes, or another starch-rich food.
Unfortunately, due to the inclusion of modified food starch on the ingredients label, this canned chicken is not considered Whole30 compliant or keto friendly. However, it is gluten-free and contains no dairy.
It’s worth noting that Costco cans their canned chicken in BPA-free steel cans.
When it comes to deciding whether or not this product is healthy, it really depends on your personal standards. If you prefer to avoid GMO ingredients in your diet, then this product would not be considered healthy. However, it is high in protein and low in fat, carbs, and sugar, making it suitable for a number of different relatively healthy diets and lifestyles.
Things To Do With Canned Chicken
Because most of us aren’t used to buying our chicken in cans, it’s understandable to wonder what exactly you can do with this canned chicken once you get it home. But rest assured, this canned chicken is extremely versatile and can be used for a ton of different recipes from chicken salad to chili to buffalo dip.
To learn how to make Costco Canned Chicken Chili, check out this recipe from Mavis Butterfield. Mavis also has a five-star recipe for chicken salad made with canned chicken from Costco, which you can check out here.
Here are some other great ideas from users on Reddit who have figured out creative ways to use their Costco Canned Chicken…
Here are even more ideas…
One of the most popular ideas suggested by users on Reddit is to make buffalo chicken dip with your Costco canned chicken…
If you want to try it yourself, check out this recipe from BigOven.com.
Costco Canned Chicken Reviews
Judging by the reviews we found online, Costco canned chicken is considered a fairly controversial product that shoppers either can’t stand or use all the time.
One thing to be aware of when eating canned chicken is that the texture is not the same as freshly prepared chicken.
A Redditor explains…
To put it simply, canned chicken definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s a bit mushy, and has more in common with canned tuna than any other type of chicken you may have tried.
Take it from these Redditors who are not fans of Costco Canned Chicken (or canned chicken in general)…
If you end up buying this canned chicken and decide you don’t like it, you can always use it up as cat or dog food. Many Costco Shoppers have done the same…
That said, plenty of Costco shoppers eat this canned chicken all the time. Just don’t expect it to taste like chicken that didn’t come out of a can…
