The Absolute Best Cut Of Chicken For Meatballs

If you've only had meatballs made with pork or beef, you're missing out on a whole world of poultry goodness that you shouldn't wait a day longer to dive into. We've talked about how to add pesto to turkey meatballs for more flavor, but what if you're not feeling turkey? What if you want something with chicken instead? The good news is that chicken meatballs are a cinch to make. The better news is that all you need is ground thigh meat, which is the hands-down best cut of chicken you can make your meatballs with.

Why do you want dark meat? Simply put, you get juicier and more flavorful meatballs that way, because dark meat is moist and has a stronger flavor than light meat. Chicken thighs contain about three times more fat than chicken breast per unit weight, which is where all that juice comes from. Dark meat gives your chicken soup more flavor, and the same applies here, too. Dark meat is also an iron-rich food, containing zinc and B vitamins, serving as a nourishing option. You can pick up ground chicken thigh at your local grocer or butcher. If none is available, don't be afraid to ask the butcher counter if they can grind it for you. If all else fails, you can grind your own chicken thighs at home. Go for skinless and boneless if you want to cut down on your work a bit, and follow any chicken meatball recipe to net some tasty results.

Now that you know what chicken meat to use, what should you pair with it? Whole milk and fresh breadcrumbs add moisture to already juicy chicken. This panade (a mixture of starch and liquids) can be mixed together before adding it to your chicken, which is good, because over-mixing the chicken meat itself can create a tough and chewy texture, which you want to avoid. When mixing, only mix enough to combine the ingredients and no more. You want to stick with hand-mixing or using a wooden spoon to avoid working the meat too much.

If you don't have any thigh meat on hand, don't worry: you can use any cut of dark meat to make a good, juicy meatball. A chicken's dark meat comes from the legs, thighs, or drumsticks, along with the tail, so if you have any of those, you're already good to go. As a last tip, consider treating your chicken like you'd do beef and use the same chilling hack for grinding your own burger meat. Freezing your chicken for 20 to 25 minutes before grinding it helps the fat keep its shape, improving the overall flavor and texture of your meatballs. All these simple tricks combined won't take much time, but could give you the best chicken meatballs you've ever tasted, and that's a real winning proposition.