• Cut the chicken or turkey into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Spread the pieces in a single layer on a plate or small sheet pan and place them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. The meat should be very cold and beginning to firm up but not frozen solid. Chilling the meat helps it grind cleanly instead of smearing into a paste.

  Transfer the chilled meat to a food processor, working in batches if needed so you don’t overcrowd the bowl. Pulse until the meat resembles ground poultry, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides if needed. Avoid running the processor continuously or over-processing the meat, as this will create a paste instead of evenly ground meat.

  Use the ground chicken or turkey immediately in your favorite recipe, refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or freeze it for later use.

Notes

• You don’t need a meat grinder to make your own ground poultry. A food processor does an excellent job and gives you complete control over the texture.

  Grinding your own chicken or turkey lets you choose exactly which cuts of meat you’re using instead of relying on whatever blend is in the package. It’s also often less expensive than buying pre-ground poultry because you’re not paying for the extra processing.

  Use homemade ground chicken or turkey anywhere you’d use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey. It’s perfect for meatballs, burgers, tacos, chili, meatloaf, breakfast sausage, stuffed peppers, pasta sauce, casseroles, lettuce wraps, and skillet meals.