Ground Chicken substitute

Substitutes for Ground Chicken with ratios

1. 2Ground Pork

   Different taste

   Use the same amount

   Ground pork shoulder, usually 20 to 25 percent fat.

   What changes

   Best for

   dumplings and wontons, meatballs, larb, stir-fries, bolognese, stuffed vegetables

   In dumplings, meatballs and Thai larb this is arguably the better ingredient, not just a substitute, because the fat binds the filling and keeps it succulent where lean chicken can turn crumbly and dry. It tastes sweeter and richer and makes the dish heavier, and it releases enough fat that you should drain a skillet before adding sauce. A half-and-half mix of pork and chicken is a common professional compromise.

2. 3Chicken Thighs Pulsed in a Food Processor

   Close match

   Use the same amount by weight

   Boneless skinless thighs cut into chunks and pulsed until coarsely minced.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatballs, dumpling filling, larb, burgers, lettuce wraps

   The best result on this list and the answer when the store has none. Cut the thighs into one-inch pieces, freeze them for 15 minutes so they stay firm, then pulse eight to ten times in short bursts. Stop while the texture is still coarse: over-processing turns it into paste, which makes gluey meatballs. Thigh meat is fattier than most commercial ground chicken, so the result is juicier than what you would have bought.

3. 4Ground Beef (90/10)

   Different taste

   Use the same amount

   Lean supermarket ground beef.

   What changes

   Best for

   chili, pasta sauce, tacos, meatloaf, casseroles, burgers

   Fine wherever the dish is heavily sauced or spiced, and it browns far better than chicken does, which adds real depth. The problem is dominance: in larb, chicken meatballs or a light stir-fry, beef's flavour swamps the fish sauce, lime and herbs that those dishes are built around. Drain the rendered fat before saucing, and note that ground beef is safe at 160F rather than 165F.

4. 5Ground Lamb

   Different taste

   Use the same amount or half lamb and half something milder

   Ground lamb shoulder, fatty and assertive.

   What changes

   Best for

   kofta, meatballs, stuffed vegetables, Middle Eastern and Greek dishes

   A good idea in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking and a bad one almost everywhere else, because lamb stays gamey through any seasoning. In a Thai or Chinese recipe it fights the fish sauce and ginger. It is much fattier than ground chicken, so drain the pan and cut any added oil, and cut it with ground chicken or turkey if you want to soften the flavour.

5. 6Crumbled Firm Tofu or Finely Chopped Mushrooms

   Taste and texture differ

   Use 1 lb tofu, or 1 lb mushrooms, for every 1 lb ground chicken

   The meat-free routes, both needing hard browning to work.

   What changes

   Best for

   lettuce wraps, stir-fries, dumpling filling, pasta sauce, tacos

   Press tofu thoroughly and crumble it by hand, or chop mushrooms very fine, then brown either one hard in a generous amount of oil until the moisture is gone and the edges catch. Skipping that step is why these usually taste watery. Neither has savoury depth on its own, so add soy sauce and a little sesame oil. Mushrooms give a chewier, meatier result; tofu gives a closer visual match.