Fresh chicken meat was inoculated with Pseudomonas lundensis and Brochothrix thermosphacta, subjected to air packaging (AP), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or vacuum packaging (VP), and stored at −1–0, 3–5 or 7–10 ℃. During storage, samples were taken periodically for the measurement of total viable count (TVC), pH, polypeptide content, total volatile nitrogen (TVB-N) content and volatile odorants. The results showed that the TVC, pH, polypeptide content and TVB-N content of chilled chicken increased significantly with storage time. VP combined with storage at −1–0 ℃ had the best preservation effect, and on the 6^th day of storage, the numbers of B. thermosphacta and P. lundensis were 7.71 and 7.18 (lg (CFU/g)). The pH, polypeptide content, and TVB-N content were reduced by 1.03, 2.991 mg/g and 55.91 mg/100 g respectively, in comparison with those on the 4^th day of storage at 7–10 ℃ under AP condition, and the electronic nose responses to volatile sulphur compounds (W1W) and nitrogen oxides (W5S) decreased on the 3^rd day. The results of this study indicate that VP, a simple packaging method, combined with storage at −1–0 ℃ provides the best quality preservation for chilled chicken meat, extending the storage period, which provides a theoretical basis for further research on the preservation of chilled chicken meat.