Poultry products are mainly consumed as cut and processed products. Therefore, it is no longer enough for broilers to have high slaughter yields but sensorial and functional characteristics of meat must be taken into consideration to satisfy the demands of both processor and consumer. This review focuses on the recent advances showing that nutrition can be an effective tool to control muscle development and meat quality in poultry. In particular, the intake of protein and amino acids, which largely determines muscle growth and yield, may affect several molecular pathways with significant consequences on muscle postmortem metabolism and meat quality. Indeed, the amino acid supply during the finishing period or just before slaughter can shape the energy reserves of the muscle with a significant impact on meat quality, including color, processing yield and susceptibility to oxidation. Beyond the control of muscle metabolism, protein intake will also be crucial in controlling the molecular pathways that influence muscle fiber growth and integrity. Thus, recent studies show that in modern heavy strains, improving meat yields by nutrition can also lead to poor meat quality, and in the most severe cases to the onset of myodegenerative defects, such as white striping or wooden breast. Therefore, it is essential to rethink poultry nutrition and optimize dietary supplies (quantitative and qualitative) over time and in function of production targets.