Chicken Mince / Ground Chicken

Name: Chicken mince, called ground chicken in North America — minced chicken, usually from breast, thigh or a mix, sold fresh or frozen, and used as a lighter alternative to beef or pork mince in burgers, meatballs, curries and fillings.

Description

Chicken mince is a lean, mild-flavoured meat, which has become popular as a lower-fat alternative to beef mince. Because breast mince is very lean, it can be dry, so thigh meat or added moisture such as grated vegetables, breadcrumbs or oil improve it. Packs labelled with dark or light meat differ in fat and flavour.

As with other mince, grinding mixes surface bacteria through the meat, so it needs to be cooked thoroughly. Chicken mince is used in Thai larb, Chinese dumplings, Italian meatballs, burgers and bolognese-style sauces.

Main nutrition value

Chicken is a good source of high-quality protein, niacin, vitamin B6, selenium and phosphorus. Chicken mince is lower in fat than beef mince, though the amount depends on whether skin and dark meat are included.

How best to be consumed

Chicken mince is cooked through, and needs extra flavour and moisture.

1. Cook to 74°C, until no pink remains, and use a thermometer.
2. Mix with grated onion, courgette, herbs, spices and breadcrumbs for juicy burgers and meatballs.
3. Season generously, since the meat is mild, with garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon and fresh herbs.
4. Use in Thai larb, dumplings, lettuce wraps, pasta sauce and stuffed vegetables.
5. Keep raw mince cold, use within a day, and wash hands and surfaces afterwards.

Overconsumption could cause…

Chicken mince is healthy in moderation, with careful handling.

1. Food poisoning from Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are common on raw poultry, so cook it to 74°C, avoid washing raw poultry (which spreads bacteria), and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.
2. Dry, crumbly results from lean breast mince, which tempts people to under-cook.
3. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products. This applies to processed chicken mince products.
4. Welfare, environmental and sourcing concerns with intensive farming, so many shoppers look for higher-welfare, grass-fed or organic labels.

GroupsChickenPoultry and game birdsHigh proteinLow sodiumFresh

Related foodsChicken DrumstickChicken LiverChicken BreastChicken WingChicken ThighWhole Chicken

Wikipedia — Ground meat, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_meat