Shifting consumer preferences are driving interest in chicken-based meat sticks, disrupting the $4.8 million meat snack market which has traditionally relied on beef. Chicken is one of the fastest growing proteins in meat snacks, with an 84% growth over the past three years, according to Circana.
‘High-protein, low guilt pivot’
Interest in chicken over beef for meat snacks is growing for a few reasons, but chief among them is chicken’s perception as a “high-protein, low-guilt pivot,” Kevin Ryan, the founder and CEO of Malachite Strategy and Research, wrote in Substack.
“Consumers are chasing protein, but red meat, especially in snack form, comes with baggage: saturated fat, cholesterol and that lurking voice of a nutritionist whispering ‘moderation.’ Chicken flips the script,” he explained.
High protein diets have become important to many consumers for perceived health benefits. This dietary trend rose in popularity alongside GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic. Users of these drugs often lose muscle in addition to weight and look to protein in their diet to counteract these effects.
In addition, chicken is thought of by many consumers as healthier and more sustainable than other proteins. Rising beef prices have created additional momentum for chicken.
Source: Buffalo Wild Wings
Trust beats novelty
“Consumers don’t flock to chicken because it’s better, but because it’s easier to say yes to,” Ryan added. “In a risk-averse, burnout-heavy market, trust beats novelty. Chicken is trusted. It’s not about new formats, it’s about updating old ones just enough.”
New chicken-based meat snacks include Slim Jim’s partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings to offer chicken sticks in Buffalo style and Hot.
Ryan will present the keynote presentation at the 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit, scheduled for July 28-30, 2025 at the DeSoto Savannah in Savannah, Georgia.
Attend the 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit
The 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit will be held at the DeSoto Savannah in Savannah, Georgia, on July 28-30, 2025. This one-of-a-kind event will feature two content tracks. The first will focus on consumers and how technology impacts them, while the second will look at the impact new technologies have from an operational standpoint for chicken companies, retail and foodservice.
Serving a unique cross-section of the chicken supply chain, the Chicken Marketing Summit explores issues and trends in food marketing and consumer chicken consumption patterns and purchasing behavior.
Registration is now open.
