32 Quick and Easy Ground Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is ground chicken good for? ›

Ground chicken is one of the most versatile ingredients to have on hand for quick, family-friendly weeknight dinners. Whether you simmer it in chili, stuff it into tacos or shape it into burger patties, ground chicken is the perfect choice for so many different dishes.

Instead, add eggs to mixtures for meatballs and hamburger patties. Oils, chillies and spices can also be added. The oils will help prevent the meat from drying out, which can cause the meat to burn more easily, and the chillies and the spices will most certainly will your dish some kick.

Another trick for ensuring that ground chicken doesn't dry out during cooking is to add moisture. Dairy works especially well for this. For chicken burgers or meatballs, consider adding a dollop of yogurt or a splash of milk to help the meat mixture bind together and stay succulent.

It's best to marinate it overnight or at least for a few hours. Ground chicken: surprisingly, marinating ground chicken is a great way to add flavor to meatballs, burgers, or other ground chicken dishes.

First and foremost, vinegar is used as a tenderizer for meat and poultry.

Lean beef (defined by government guidelines as having less than 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3.5 ounces) can be healthier than chicken, fish - or tofu (bean curd) for that matter - depending on how much is eaten and how it's prepared.

Coat a small pan with vegetable cooking spray (like Pam). add a pinch each of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Add it to the pan and place it over medium heat, sautéing the ground chicken for 5 to 10 minutes or until it's no longer pink.

If you add half a cup of breadcrumbs and an egg - per kg of ground meat - that will hold the ground meat - either beef or chicken - together much better in burgers. And look - if you are going to add stuff - you may as well go the “whole hog” and add some seasoning and fresh herbs of your choice too!

For ground meat I find it's best to add the seasoning to the raw meat and mix by hand. This gives the seasoning the best chance to marry it's flavors into the meat because of contact and time. However, adding to the pan is totally fine but you'll want to keep some water on hand so that the spices don't burn.

Fresh or Panko Breadcrumbs: They help to bind our ground chicken patties and keep our chicken burgers moist. Milk: Helps to moisten the breadcrumbs, creating a tender, juicy chicken burger.

How to keep ground chicken patties from falling apart? ›

It can be a little messy (gloves can help with that) but it's the easiest and fastest way to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Chilling the patties in the fridge or freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking binds them together. This way, the chicken burgers will not fall apart and cook more evenly.

Use a food thermometer to check the temperature when cooking loaves or patties. Most bacteria are destroyed by the time the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Recommended internal temperatures are 165 degrees F for ground poultry and 160 degrees F for ground meats.

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

While chicken can be a versatile and convenient protein to cook, if your diet doesn't have a diverse protein profile, you lose out on some key nutrients—including essential fats, such as omega-3s. "Eating chicken every day as your sole protein source could result in some nutrient gaps," says Burgess.

If you're searching for a satisfying meal that won't delay your weight loss progress, ground chicken is a top-tier ingredient for your lunches and dinners. Ground chicken is typically lean and has plenty of protein, keeping you full longer, so you won't find yourself snacking later in the day.

Lean meat like turkey and chicken are fantastic foods for building muscle as they contain a high amount of protein and not much else; they have a very low carb and fat content and no nasties if they are not overly processed.

So, if you're whipping up a stir fry and only have ground chicken on hand when the recipe calls for ground turkey, go ahead and make the substitution. If we're getting really granular, ground turkey is generally a little leaner than ground chicken. It has fewer calories, less sodium, more iron, and more protein.