Making my own canned chicken was one of those projects I kept putting off until I ordered 80 lbs of chicken and either had to can it or waste it. I was leaving town for a week so I stayed up for 24 hours straight and got it all canned!
Luckily nothing blew-up, but canning chicken was only half of the issue, I now had to eat it! I’m not going to lie, I was scared I was going to kill not only myself, but my family and land a spot on Dumbest Ways to Die.
I am proud to say though, over two years later we are all still alive and it’s some of the best meat I’ve ever had! I love the convenience of pulling out a jar of cooked chicken and putting it into any meal. This is definitely something I plan to do with my chicken from now on! It’s even better having the peace of mind knowing I don’t have to show my face or purple pj’s at the store for years to come.
Canned chicken’s nutritive value is best for up to 3 years, but can last much longer. So go ahead, give it a try – I dare you ;)
STEPS TO CANNING CHICKEN:
(NOTE: Be sure to read your Instruction Manual before operating your Pressure Cooker/Canner. I’m Not responsible for death… only for AWESOME chicken :)
Short Version: Put raw chicken in jars, put 1/4-1/2 tsp of salt on top, & then pressure cook for 75 (pint) or 90 (quart) minutes!
You can use this same procedure to bottle most meats (some just need to be cooked slightly and maybe need broth added) – beef, venison, elk, sausage, brisket, etc.
1- Get Supplies Ready:
- PRESSURE CANNER – I love the All American 921 Pressure Cooker/Canner
- CANNING SUPPLIES – Utensil Set (Tongs, Funnel, Lid Holder, etc.)
- SALT – Pint (abt. 1/4 tsp) & Quart (abt. 1/2 tsp)
- VINEGAR – To wipe Rim of Jar
- CANNING JARS – Pint (holds 1 lb) or Quart (holds 2lbs) – I Prefer Wide Mouth (Easier to fit meat in, and I’m able to use the same lids for all my jars)
- Inspect jars for chips in the rim and hairline cracks and discard damaged ones.
- Inspect metal rings and discard any with dents or rust.
- Wash jars, metal screw bands and lids in hot soapy water. Rinse.
- Place jars upside down on a clean, dry cloth or leave them in the dishwasher until needed.
- DO NOT reuse flat metal lids.
2- Cut & Put Raw Chicken into Jars
Slice the chicken however you like so it will fit in the jar – leave about 3/4 to an 1 inch of headspace. You can cube it, slice it, or dice it, I really don’t care.
There is no need to pre-cook chicken, because it will cook in the pressure canner. Chicken also produces enough juice so that no water needs to be added. It makes it’s own chicken broth that you can choose to use if you like.
3- Add Salt
Put about 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of salt for Pint size jars and put 1/2 – 1 tsp of salt for Quart size jars.
4- Wipe Rim with a Rag or Paper Towel & Screw on Lids
Much of your canning success depends on this one step. Lately, I have wiped the edges of my jars with a little vinegar and all of them have sealed perfectly.
Screw on lids finger tight, do not over tighten or else it will not be able to exhaust properly, but don’t do too loose or it may not seal (no pressure or anything ;)
5- Get Pressure Canner Ready:
- Check metal-to-metal seal for lubrication.
- Check to make sure vent pipe is clear.
- Place 1 1/2″ of water in bottom of canner.
- Place a rack in bottom of pressure canner with the rim facing down.
6- Put Jars in Pressure Canner
Make sure to put jars on top of the rack. Never place jars directly on the bottom of the canner.
Also make sure to stagger the top layer if there are two layers, using a rack between layers. I can fit about 7 pint jars on the bottom and 7-9 on the top.
7- Put Cover on Canner
Place cover on cooker bottom so that arrow on cover aligns with the arrow on the bottom. Gradually and evenly tighten two opposite wing nuts at the same time, maintaining the same size gap around the entire canner where the cover meets the bottom.
NEVER tighten just one wing nut at a time – that’s a big NO NO! You don’t want to end up with a lop-sided lid!
8 – Exhaust for 7-10 minutes
After placing lid on canner, turn stove onto high and allow steam to escape from the vent pipe.
Once you see steam escaping start timing for 7 minutes to allow for the air to escape from the jars.
9- Set Pressure Regulator Weight Over Vent Pipe for 10 P.S.I.
Depending on your elevation, set the weight over the vent pipe, aligning the weight so that the hole corresponds to the desired pressure (for sea level or Texas it’s 10 p.s.i.).
10- Build Pressure & Wait for Regulator Weight to Jiggle & Sputter:
Start Timing
When the regulator weight begins to jiggle and sputter immediately start timing:
- Pint-Size Jars – 75 Minutes
- Quart-Size Jars – 90 Minutes
Adjust the Heat
Adjust the heat until it jiggles only one to four times a minute (On my stove I set it between 3.5-5). Try to keep the pressure as steady as possible by regulating the amount of heat applied to the cooker. At no time should the pressure be allowed to rise above 15 P.S.I.
Do not expect the gauge to always show the exact pressure setting, when the weight jiggles and sputters it’s releasing pressure to maintain the setting on the pressure regulator weight. Even in the situation where the gauge is not registering correctly for any reason, the cooker should still be functioning at the pressure regulator weight setting.
11- Turn off Heat
When cooking is completed turn the heat off and allow it to cool until the steam pressure gauge reads zero.
Remove the selective pressure regulator weight slowly and do not release steam pressure too rapidly as liquid will be drawn from jars. You want to make sure to not move the pressure canner until the pressure is completely reduced.
12- Remove Cover
CAUTION: Never loosen wing nuts until the steam pressure gauge registers zero, and you have allowed any remaining pressure to escape by carefully removing the selective pressure regulator weight. (The longer you wait without removing the pressure regulator weight after it reaches zero P.S.I., the more vacuum will form, pulling the cover tighter and tighter to the bottom.)
Remove cover, raising farthest edge first to protect face and arms from steam.
13- Yay, you now have CANNED CHICKEN!!! – Remove Screw Bands
Pull chicken out and set on towel to cool. As jars seal you will hear a popping sound and you can check by seeing if the lid has popped down in the center. If a jar does not seal, refrigerate contents and use or reprocess within 24 hours of the original processing.
Wipe containers off after they are cool. Label with the date and contents. You can also choose to add a lot number if you canned more than one lot in a day.
Screw bands are not needed on stored jars. They can be removed easily after jars are cooled. If left on stored jars, they become difficult to remove, often rust, and may not work properly again.
How long does Canned Chicken last?
For best eating quality and nutritive value, use within 3 years. It’s still good for much longer, some have eaten their chicken at 10+ years, but optimal nutrition value is within 3 years.
Never eat anything you think might be spoiled. Discard it. As an added safety precaution you can also boil meats for 20 minutes in an open pan before eating. This will destroy the botulism toxin, should any be present.
Cooking with Canned Chicken…
You can substitute most of your recipes that call for chicken with the chicken you canned.
No need to cook it again, it’s ready to throw into any meal you want! It falls apart very easy so it’s great for chicken salad, tacos, casseroles, and much more. Another great part about canned chicken is the liquid inside is now chicken broth you can use too!
I have a few canned chicken recipes you can use, but will be definitely be adding more so stay tuned ;)
Wow-what beautiful model hands in your chicken pictures! Do they belong to your grandma? How great that she bottles chicken with you!
Fantastic job on the blog. It is awesome-you’ve done a lot of work! Thank you! I’m excited to keep canning chicken. We tried ours the other night and it was great! Thanks again for all your work and mentoring to us beginners. Be careful, this blog may go viral-especially with those hands :)
Seriously, I was thinking the same thing! I couldn’t have picked a better hand model! I have some more photoshoots coming up so keep them pretty, I’ll need them again!
I’m new to this whole canning thing – so even though you put it in the jars raw, when it is done it is fully cooked and you can just open and serve? Or do you need to cook again? Also, can you thaw and can frozen chicken or does it have to be fresh (never frozen)? Just making sure I don’t kill anyone! Thanks!
You got it! Yes, you put it in raw, and it comes out cooked! You just open it up and serve it. I usually warm it up in a casserole, or put in the fridge when I do chicken salad, but no need to cook again.
Most chicken comes frozen, so I end up using that a lot. Either way, it can be fresh or frozen, whatever you have! I’ve done hundreds of pounds of both and haven’t died yet ;) Cross my fingers!
Just for clarification, can it be frozen for the canning process or does it need to be thawed first? Thanks!! I’ve spent hours on your blog tonight- you’re awesome!
You can have it frozen. Some people actually prefer that because it’s easier to cut and put in the jars.
Ok, placing my order in for my Zaycon, taking food storage to the next level. With the 40lb box do you remember how many pint or quart jars you used approx.? I want to have them all ready prior.
Sorry, gave it more thought (actually did the math for once)… about 40 pint sized jars and 20 quart sized jars sound about right, because there are 40 lbs in each box?
Yep, you got it :)
Pint sized Jars hold 1 lb each – So you would need 40 for 40 lbs.
Quart sized Jars hold 2 lbs each – You would need 20 for 40 lbs.
I am loving these step by step directions! I’ve been thinking I need to get going on canning chicken, this is great tutorial!
Blessings,
Gayle
Thank you so much! I need to resize the photos, I think they take a year to download, so sorry about that ;)
Great job! well, done and exactly how a friend described his growing up (except they did 100 chickens at a time…4 boys you know).
what about bones? can you can with bone in?
Thanks Ken!
I know you are able to can chicken with bone in it, I’ve just never done it. Not sure if the process is different or not.
Love Zaycon meat, have canned chicken for years. My family says it looks like a science project in the jar, but they sure don’t mind eating it. I haven’t tried ground beef or ham, I know it can be done. Have you tried it?
Definitely looks like a science project ;) BTW – Thank You sooooo much for the petite popcorn, we love it!!! It’s like mini popcorn and tastes amazing! You are so thoughtful!
The only other meat I have canned is ground beef, you can read more here – http://prepared-housewives.com/canningmeat/
Dena,
I have canned ham and all kinds of pork, including bacon. Over the Easter holiday I picked up 32 pounds of Shank cut bone in hams cheap and canned them, got 30 pints. Ham is a mystery in that it never seems to turn out in a consistent manner. The first time I did ham it came out pick and clear and nice. Every attempt since then the ham has come out much darker, doesn’t seem to affect the taste any just does not look as appetizing as the first batch.
The timing on this was perfect. I just ordered a pressure cooker canner. My question is can you add herbs or spices to the chicken before you pressure cook it?
By the way I make jams and jellies as a profession. If anyone has any questions about making jams or jellies, I am happy to answer any questions. (assuming I know the answer)
Great question Joan – I’ll take it the canning experts ;) I thought I read somewhere not to, but I’ll see if I can find out.
Also, love your website! My husband would love if I made more jams and jellies! If you ever want to do a guest post about what you do and a favorite recipe, we would love it!
I would be happy to. Just let me know what you want. I have quite a few tips about making jam, since I live at 9200 feet and cooking anything here can be more of a challenge than it was at sea level!
Joan, just my thoughts on adding to meats when you cann them. I started out adding broths and gravies to the various meats but since I have started rotating my meat storage I have stopped adding anything to the meats when I cann, the only exception is a little salt to beef and that is only so I can eat it right from jar. I found that adding things to the meats constrained what I was able to use it for later. Example, if I wanted a beef burrito or taco I would not want it covered with beefy mushroom soup.
Thanks for helping answer this question and sharing with us your experience Prepper Daddy – love the name btw!
Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.
Help an old feller out. You say to vent the air for 7 to 10 minutes, why? When you put the jiggler on the top, the air escapes. My old All American canner didn’t have a jiggler on it, just a pressure gage. I have since purchased a jiggler to put on it, in a hole that was already there. Without the jigglers, I can see a need to get the air out, but there was no way to get it out without the weighted jiggler. Yes, I’m confused.
I have canned many pounds of chicken. I cook mine first. I cover the chicken with water and cook until the meat falls off the bone. This way I get twice the amount of broth as I do chicken. I hand pick the meat from the bone, but I have wondered about how to get the raw meat off the bone. Is there much waste?
One thing I have discovered. I use to buy the cheapest chicken I could find on sale. I once bought Tysons chicken, and I have to admit there is more meat on the Tysons. I usually buy 5 chickens (about 4 1/2 LBS each) to do one canning, Now with Tysons, I buy only 4 chickens to do the same canning.
I guess I let it vent because that’s what the manual said to do, and I was afraid if I didn’t follow every rule exactly my house would blow-up ;)
You sound like you know more about what you’re doing more than I do. I actually haven’t canned chicken with bones yet, I’ve only done boneless.
I’ll see if I can look into this more and answer some of your questions. You got me curious now.
Thanks for all your help. Sometimes hard to find trustworthy web sites. One suggestion, however- I recommend your first batch be smallish. That way any mistakes will not cost a lot and you may feel more confident on larger batches. I know practice may not make perfect but it sure helps build your confidence.
Thanks again; keep the info coming.
Thanks Mary, I hope I can always keep your trust!
Great suggestion with doing a small batch first! Definitely don’t start off with 80+ pounds like me ;) Luckily it worked and hasn’t killed us yet!
I read that you should not use iodized salt because it will cloud the canning jars. I can with out salt at all because my father is on a low salt diet. the manual that came with my canner said that using salt is optional.
I have canned pork, venison, chicken and rabbit. The meat does taste great!
That’s right, I forgot to add that. Thanks for mentioning it. Salt is optional, and if you do use it you want canning salt or non-iodized salt so it won’t cloud the jars.
So when you can your pork, venison and rabbit is it about the same process or do you do it different?
It’s the same, I do add a tablespoon of beef tallow in the middle of the jar of venison because it is so lean. and a bullion cube (I know bullion has salt) for a “beef” flavor. I cook the rabbit and remove the bones, so I will add chicken broth instead of water.
Thanks Bonnie. I’ve only canned chicken and beef so far. Trying to be brave enough and venture out to try more meats.
Nice, and you are correct, I am eating chicken I canned in 2008, I expect it to be good for many years to come. It’s all about storage; cool/dark/dry.
Good to know! The chicken I’ve canned is almost 3 years old and still tastes great. That’s good to hear yours is still good 6 years later!
can you can with bone in or do you need to take it off the bone.
I believe you can, it just might be a few slightly different steps you need to take. I’ve never done it, but I think there were instructions in the canner manual about it.
Loved the article. I tried my first hand at canning chicken last fall. I got 80lbs of the Zaycon chicken breasts, love them. I froze half and canned half. It was my first venture into canning since I helped my grandma as a child. Now I’m hooked:) I’m glad to hear that I will get at least 3+ years in storage from them, I was wondering how long they would last.
I’ve been experimenting with canning lots if different things, like soups. I grew up in a large family and had a large family, but now that there is just 3 of us I find I overcook alot so I can the extra :) looking forward to this summer, especially now that I have a real kitchen, we were in a teeny tiny camper, not alot of room. But now I have lots of room! Next item is an excaliber dehydrator :).
Great! Glad you found it helpful. Enjoy your new kitchen.
I have read in the comments not to add any spices to the chicken. I can salmon and I put one chilli in with each pint jar and it give it a bit of heat and it tastes great. Has anyone put a chilli in with some chicken?
I am so confused… Some say no water and some say add to 1 inch. Which is it? Does it matter? This will be my first time canning in my pressure canner.
It may just depend on your pressure canner. Be sure to read the instructions on yours and it should tell you. With my pressure cooker I need to add at least 1 inch of water.
Does the chicken come out so tender and cooked that it’s basically shredded chicken once it’s all said and done? I want to can chicken and I want most of it the be shredded for tacos and enchiladas but I also want some to stay cubed for teriyaki chicken & orange chicken.
Also my all american canner manual says chicken may be cooked to taste before canning or packed raw. Have you canned it cooked? I’m more apt to want to try the cooked method rather than the raw method.
Yes, it does come out tender and cooked it’s basically shredded. It works great for tacos and enchiladas, but doesn’t work so well if you’re trying to cube it for other things.
I haven’t tried cooking it before canning it, so if you do that let me know how it goes!
I saw the questions about canning chicken with onion and the answers, then I found this site from West Virginia University Extension Service http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/wp400.pdf this is a canned Chile on the last page of their site. It has onions, dried (soaked) beans, browned ground beef and crushed tomatoes with all the spices needed all in one jar! I am just starting to can on my own but my mom always canned when I was kid. I can’t wait to try canning meat!
Thanks for sharing! I know there is so much more that can be done with canning, so I appreciate the resource to check it out! I’m still doing the basics, but would love to venture into more of the advanced stuff ;)
We just tried our first batch and have a ton of air space on the top and there is not enough juices to cover the chicken. Is it safe? What did we do wrong? Thanks!
I’m sure you did it just fine. If you have a lot of extra space you could maybe just add more chicken into the jars next time. The chicken shrinks some during the process, leaving more space. I don’t think I ever get enough juice to cover the chicken completely either. As long as you followed the directions and created a proper seal you should be fine.
Last year I bought a large canner, but found out using my glass-top range is not going to work. So I purchased an outside small propane stove for cooking in emergencies.
Do you know if this propane stove will get hot enough to heat the pressure canner? I have never used my canner or propane stove yet and am anxious to try both of these new things out.
Love your recipe, it looks easy and the chicken delicious. Thanks!
Looks like I am late to the party lol! I never did see an answer to the question about adding spices. There are a few staples that we use in just about everything or maybe alternate spices in batches. For example, Italian seasoning or maybe garlic, cumin and chili powder in another batch? I LOVE your blog! I just found it and have been pouring over it all day. It seems like you have your act together-ish hehe and it’s always difficult to find so much trust worthy-ish hehe info in one spot. Hope to have as much info on my own blog someday. It’s a labor of love/work in progress as it should be!
Ha ha, I love when I come across together-ish ;) Thanks for stopping by to share your wisdom and good luck with your blog!
Hi Jamie,
I am impressed! I love your site and your energy. You clearly have basic common sense (which is not common). I want more information about your husband because I want to become more like him so my next wife might be more like you. Perhaps you have an older twin sister ;) My last wife thought that a case of KD on sale met both the requirements for a home cooked meal and being prepared for emergencies :(
For Cheryl: your propane stove should be ok if it has a big enough burner to get the canner up to temperature and pressure. Try a small batch of something first time out to get used to the equipment. If it does not work well there is a great solution that you might like even better. Tell you husband that this year you want deep fried turkey for thanks giving. Send him out to get a turkey fryer. A turkey fryer falls under the grilling category so he will probably wont to execute that side of the operation. As such when you want to can he will need to operate the burner and pressure canner. Now you have another piece of cooking equipment and an assistant. (two birds, one stone :))
Finally about spices: Some can well and some do not. I recommend if people want to try a spice mixture to add it to a few jars in a batch. If the flavor works you can do the whole batch next time. you end up developing your own recipes. I typically can most of my meat without spice because I use it for different recipes, but always have a few jars with my texmex spice blend to use for tacos and enchiladas.
Cheers!
Hey! Thanks for all your tips! You make me laugh. I still have a single brother, but my sister was snatched up a couple years ago ;)
I’m already using your husband advice! I always look for excuses to have him buy the prep stuff I need. Or sometimes I just give it to him for his birthday and he rolls his eyes. Anyways, he’s gotten a few stoves and guns that way ;)
Hi Jamie, I’m 66 years old and live alone with my dog. I’ve visited your site a few times looking for recipes and a couple of days ago I canned some chicken for the first time. What caught my eye tonight was Canned Chicken lasts on the shelf 3+ years, so I read the article. I had a good laugh when I read “I now had to eat it! I’m not going to lie, I was scared I was going to kill not only my self, but my family and land a spot on Dumbest Ways to Die.” I only started canning a month and a half ago and the first thing I canned was some Tomatoes in their own juices. A week or so later I used my pressure canner for the first time and canned some pasta sauce w/ meat. A day or two later I realized I added time to the recipe instead of PSI. I live at 7000 ft, so I ended up tossing the whole batch. From that time until now I have continually wondered if I had done something wrong with the first batch of tomatoes I did. I just canned up some split pea soup and some chili. I was a little shy of tomatoes for the chili so I opened up one of my first jar of tomatoes I canned and added them to the chili and ate a small bowl of leftover. Thinking the whole time, have I just added my name to the list of “Dumbest Ways to Die” and am I going to leave my dog an orphan. Time will tell. I’ll let you know if I can. Dom
I’m glad someone enjoys my humor ;)
It still scares me a little each time I open up a jar, but no one has died yet thank goodness!
Good luck with your canning adventures!