How to Can Chicken: The Ultimate Fast-Track Pantry Staple

If there’s one jar on a homestead pantry shelf that gets used faster than all the rest, it’s home-canned chicken.

Having fully cooked, tender, seasoned chicken sitting on your shelf is the ultimate convenience. On busy nights when you need dinner on the table in 15 minutes, you can pop a jar open and immediately turn it into chicken salad, white chicken chili, tacos, or chicken and pastry. Plus, canning your own chicken allows you to take advantage of bulk sales, local farm fresh meat, or home-processed poultry—locking in price savings and self-sufficiency at the same time.

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Here is everything you need to know about safely pressure-canning chicken, including the Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack methods and great ways to use your jars later!

⚠️ Why Chicken MUST Be Pressure Canned

Before we dive into the steps, let’s talk safety. Chicken is a low-acid food (pH greater than 4.6).

Because it lacks the high natural acidity found in fruits or pickles, boiling water bath canning temperatures 212 Fahrenheit are not high enough to kill Clostridium botulinum spores. The only safe way to preserve meat at home is with a pressure canner, which uses steam under pressure to reach super-heated temperatures of 240 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Safety Reminder: Multi-cookers, Instant Pots, or standard stockpots are not pressure canners. Always use a dedicated dial-gauge or weighted-gauge pressure canner, and follow tested processing times from official sources like the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack: Which Should You Use?

There are two approved ways to pack chicken into jars before processing:

1. Raw Pack (Easiest & Most Popular): Raw pieces of boneless or bone-in chicken are packed directly into clean jars with no added liquid. As the chicken cooks inside the canner, it releases its own rich, concentrated natural juices and broth.

2. Hot Pack (Tenderest Texture): Chicken is pre-cooked (boiled, baked, or seared) until about two-thirds done, packed hot into jars, and covered with boiling water or broth. This method yields a slightly firmer texture and allows you to skim off excess surface fat before canning.

For most beginners and busy cooks, the Raw Pack method is the fastest and easiest way to start!

What You Need

• Chicken: Boneless/skinless breasts, thighs, or bone-in pieces (chilled). Trim away heavy excess fat (too much fat can rise to the rim during processing and interfere with the lid seal).

• Canning Salt (Optional): ½ teaspoon per pint jar or 1 teaspoon per quart jar. (Salt is strictly for flavor, not preservation, so you can adjust or skip it if desired).

• Pint or Quart Mason Jars: Clean, warm jars with smooth rims.

• New Flat Lids & Rings: Clean two-piece lids.

• Pressure Canner: Checked and in good working order.

• Basic Canning Tools: Jar lifter, canning funnel, paper towels, and vinegar (for wiping rims).

  
  

Step-by-Step Instructions

Raw Pack Method

Hot Pack Method

Step 1: Prep Your Equipment & Jars Wash your jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water. Keep your jars warm in your pressure canner filled with 2 to 3 inches of warm water over low heat. Cut raw chicken into uniform, bite-sized cubes or strips (about 1 to 2 inches). Step 2: Pack the Jars Using a canning funnel, pack the raw chicken pieces firmly into your warm jars. Do NOT add liquid. Raw chicken creates its own broth as it cooks in the pressure canner. Add canning salt if using (½ tsp for pints, 1 tsp for quarts). Leave 1 inch of headspace between the chicken and the top of the jar rim. Step 3: Wipe Rims & Seal Meat fat on the glass rim will prevent a proper vacuum seal! Dip a clean paper towel in white vinegar and thoroughly wipe the top glass rim of every jar to remove any grease or residue. Center a flat lid on top and screw the metal band down until it is fingertip-tight (do not over-tighten). Step 4: Process in the Pressure Canner Place filled jars onto the rack inside your pressure canner. Lock the lid in place and turn the heat to medium-high. Allow steam to vent freely from the vent pipe/petcock for 10 full minutes before applying your weight or regulator. Bring the canner up to pressure (11 lbs for dial-gauge or 10 lbs for weighted-gauge at sea level; adjust for your elevation!). Once target pressure is reached, start your timer and maintain steady pressure throughout: Pints: Process for 75 minutes (boneless) or 65 minutes (bone-in). Quarts: Process for 90 minutes (boneless) or 75 minutes (bone-in). Step 5: Cool & Store Once time is up, turn off the heat and let the canner depressurize completely on its own. Do not force-cool the canner or remove the weight early! Carefully remove the lid, use a jar lifter to transfer jars to a towel-lined counter, and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Test seals, remove screw bands, wipe jars clean, label, and store in a cool, dark pantry!

Step 1: Pre-Cook the Chicken Cut your chicken into uniform pieces or leave in manageable bone-in chunks. In a large stockpot, cover the chicken with water, broth, or a mixture of both. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the meat is about two-thirds cooked through (roughly 15 minutes for boneless pieces, slightly longer for bone-in). Note: The meat should still be slightly pink and underdone in the center, as it will finish cooking under pressure in the canner. Step 2: Prepare Your Jars & Canner Wash your pint or quart jars in warm, soapy water. Keep them warm. Set up your pressure canner with 2 to 3 inches of warm water over low heat. Keep your cooking broth/liquid hot on the stove so it’s ready to ladle. Step 3: Pack the Hot Chicken into Jars Using tongs, pack the hot, pre-cooked chicken pieces firmly into your warm Mason jars. Add canning salt to each jar if desired (½ tsp for pints, 1 tsp for quarts). Cover with Liquid: Ladle the boiling hot broth or water over the chicken, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Use a non-metallic bubble remover tool to release any trapped air pockets around the meat, and check your 1-inch headspace measurement. Step 4: Wipe Rims & Seal Dip a clean paper towel in white vinegar and thoroughly wipe the glass rims to remove any grease or bits of food. Place a clean flat lid on top of the jar, then screw on the metal band until fingertip-tight. Step 5: Process in the Pressure Canner Place the filled jars onto the rack in your pressure canner. Lock the lid, turn heat to medium-high, and let steam vent through the petcock/vent pipe for 10 full minutes. Apply your weight or regulator and bring the canner up to the required pressure for your elevation (11 lbs for dial gauge, 10 lbs for weighted gauge at sea level). Process for the exact time based on jar size and meat type: Pints: 75 minutes (boneless) or 65 minutes (bone-in) Quarts: 90 minutes (boneless) or 75 minutes (bone-in) Step 6: Cool Down & Store Turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool and depressurize completely on its own. Remove jars with a jar lifter, place them on a towel-lined counter, and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check your seals, remove bands, wash the jars, and store in your pantry!

Future Uses: Fast Meals with Canned Chicken

Home-canned chicken is insanely tender—it literally shreds with a fork right out of the jar! Here are some of the best ways to turn a jar into a quick meal:

• Quick Chicken Salad: Drain the natural broth (save it for soup!), mash the chicken with mayo, diced celery, green onions, and a dash of black pepper for quick lunches.

• White Chicken Chili: Dump a jar of chicken (with its broth), a can of white beans, green chilies, cumin, and chicken stock into a pot; simmer for 15 minutes and finish with sour cream.

• Chicken & Pastry / Dumplings: Heat your canned chicken and broth in a stockpot with added broth, bring to a boil, and drop in your homemade pastry strips or rolled biscuits.

• Tacos & Quesadillas: Toss drained chicken in taco seasoning, warm it in a skillet, and layer into tortillas with melted cheese.

• Chicken Pot Pie: Combine canned chicken with frozen mixed veggies and a quick cream sauce, top with a pie crust or biscuit top, and bake until golden!

  
  

Have you ever tried pressure canning chicken at home? What’s your favorite go-to meal using canned meat? Let me know in the comments below!