Mighty Spark is a U.S. based chicken snacks brand on a mission to elevate chicken into the spotlight as a healthy, flavorful alternative in the meat snack category. What began as a humble booth at the Minneapolis Farmers Market has grown into a nationally distributed brand that focuses on simple, clean ingredients and great taste while also giving back to communities. Mighty Spark crafts its handmade chicken snack sticks from premium all-natural chicken raised without antibiotics or added hormones, appealing to health minded consumers seeking high protein, low carb snacks that don’t compromise on flavor.
Beyond nutrition and taste, the company embeds social impact into its business model, partnering with food relief organizations to donate millions of meals to people in need, with support from customers and retail partners. This Mighty Spark chicken stick brand is distributed under the same name as Mighty Spark, located in Minong, Minnesota. This chicken stick is manufactured by Cloverdale Foods Co., and is located in Mandan, North Dakota.
The first review on Mighty Spark will focus on a 4 oz/113g bag of their Nashville Hot flavored chicken stick. This flavor is described as a Southern inspired flavor that is hot and spicy, with a touch of sweetness and rich notes of butter. The bag was purchased at a Sprouts Farmers Market store in Ventura, California.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Chicken, Seasoning (Dehydrated Onion and Garlic, Sea Salt, Brown Sugar, Cayenne Pepper, Dill Weed, Yeast Extract, Paprika, Non-GMO Maltodextrin, Non-GMO Distilled Vinegar, Rice Flour, Encapsulated Citric Acid, Water, Celery Powder (Celery Powder, Sea Salt), Cherry Powder. In colored (Anatto), Beef Collagen Casing
The chickens used are raised in the USA. There is a guarantee that the chickens used have not been administered growth hormones or additional antibiotics. The chickens used are not guaranteed to have free range access to roam about. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
Some healthy ingredients added are onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dill weed, paprika, and cherry powder.
The sugar level is great at less than 1 gram of sugar per 28 grams of chicken stick. The salt level is high at 450mg of salt per 28 grams of chicken stick to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or under per 28 grams of chicken stick.
This chicken stick does qualify to have no sodium nitrite. Instead, salt is the main preservative, and to a lesser extent celery powder. Notably, this chicken stick contains no MSG.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
MIGHTY SPARK – NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN STICKS
Written by guest beef stick reviewer Paul Rekker
When I cut open the meat stick I smell nothing, unfortunately, because I am battling a cold right now. The meat stick appears very similar to pretty much any other meat stick, both in length, width, and hue. There is no “snap” to the collagen casing, and the meat stick, at least to me, is too soft. But I digress.
As I bite into the meat stick, I taste salt at its usual level for most meat sticks, which is higher than normal, but not too salty. Minimal sweetness (a good thing), along with modest pepper and garlic flavors, with possible onion in the background. I detect a mediocre kick, likely leading to the Nashville allusion, which intensifies as you consume more. Inside the meat stick is an orange hue, which typically signals a spicy kick, as I alluded to earlier, and that’s definitely the case here.
I can’t say I can taste the difference between beef and chicken here, but it does not seem to matter, as I am enjoying this taste experience anyway. I typically prefer the taste of beef to chicken, but since I cannot pick up on the difference here, it will not affect the outcome. A well deserved 9/10 here, only deducting a point due to the soft texture/lack of snap to the collagen casing. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Nashville Hot chicken sticks from Mighty Spark: “Thanks Paul for the detailed taste review. I agree that there is next to no snap in the collagen casing. I also found the texture too soft, as if eating mush. The saltiness is arguably too high and dominates the flavor. The heat is at a decent level, which would rate a 2 out of 4 on the heat scale.”
“Surprisingly, I too could not differentiate if I was eating chicken or beef, which has more of a beef taste profile. We agree that the sweetness is minimal, which is a good thing in our books. While this meat stick was enjoyable, it was too greasy for my liking. With Paul at a 9 and myself at an 8, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 4 ounce/113 gram bag sold for $7.49, which equates to $1.87 an ounce. That rates as an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This plastic bag has everything printed on it, both on the front and back. There is an illustration of a chicken on the front. This bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep the product fresh tasting.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed are “4 Sticks”, “Gluten Free”, “Chicken Raised with no Antibiotics Ever”, “Soy Free”, “No Added Hormones”, “60 Calories Per Stick”, and “No Nitrate or Nitrites Added”.
The only missing bag category is a blurb about the company or the chicken stick.
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