Instrument values were compared to sensory perception of ground breast and thigh meat color. Different patty thicknesses (0.5, 1.5, and 2.0) and background colors (white, pink, green, and gray), previously found to cause differences in instrument-measured color, were used. Sensory descriptive analysis scores for lightness, hue, and chroma were compared to instrument-measured L* values, hue, and chroma. Sensory ordinal rank scores for lightness, redness, and yellowness were compared to instrument-generated L*, a*, and b* values. Sensory descriptive analysis scores and instrument values agreed in two of six comparisons using breast and thigh patties. They agreed when thigh hue and chroma were measured. Sensory ordinal rank scores were different from instrument color values in the ability to detect color changes caused by white, pink, green, and gray background colors. Instrument values agreed with sensory scores for lightness only when white and pink backgrounds were used. Instrument and sensory methods agreed when a* values and redness scores were compared using each of the backgrounds. The sensory panel did not detect differences in yellowness found by the instrument when samples on white and pink backgrounds were compared to samples on green and gray backgrounds. A majority of panelists (84 of 85) preferred samples on white or pink backgrounds. Red color of breast patties was associated with freshness. Reflective lighting was compared to transmission lighting using patties of different thicknesses. Sensory evaluation detected no differences in lightness due to breast patty thickness when reflective lighting was used. Increased thickness caused the patties to appear darker when transmission lighting was used. Decreased transmission lighting penetrating the sample made the patties appear more red. Reflective lighting made thigh patties appear lighter. Lightness decreased when thigh patty thickness increased with both reflective and transmission lighting. Transmission lighting made the thigh patties appear more yellow as patty thickness increased.