How Much Protein in Chicken? Breast, Thigh and More (2024)

FAQs

How Much Protein in Chicken? Breast, Thigh and More? ›

Chicken comes in a variety of cuts, providing between 24 and 32 grams of protein per 100 grams, depending on the cut. All chicken is high in protein, breasts providing the highest protein count. Chicken is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide.

Chicken breasts contain roughly 18% more protein than chicken thighs. A 100-gram serving of chicken breast contains 22.5 grams of protein, while a 100-gram serving of chicken thigh contains 18.6 grams of protein.

"For most people I'd recommend a range of about 15-25 grams of protein per meal, and 10-12 grams of protein per each snack," says Ehsani. "Incorporating chicken breast at least once during your day will help you reach at least 1/3 of your protein needs, but you can focus on other sources of protein too."

Way More Flavorful

Any good cook knows that fat is flavor, and that is yet another reason why thighs are superior to breasts. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, which means they're going to have more intense, rich flavor than their white meat counterparts.

Darker cuts like the thigh and drumstick contain higher caloric content than lighter cuts like the breast. Keeping the skin or frying chicken will also add saturated fat. If you're switching out red meat for chicken, you'll want to stick with chicken breast, as it's the healthiest cut of the bird.

Two large eggs (100 grams), according to USDA data, provide 12 grams of protein, while a chicken thigh (meat only, 52 grams) provides 13 grams of protein. However, eggs are much higher in an important nutrient, choline (100g of whole egg contain 250mg of choline and 100g of chicken meat have 66mg of choline).

Whether you're an athlete looking to bulk up, or just someone interested in maintaining muscle as you age, to build and maintain muscle over time it may be more effective to aim for around 30 grams of protein (that's about four ounces of chicken meat) per meal three times a day, as opposed to the typical American habit ...

Ultimately, chicken thighs can be a healthy addition to your diet as long as they're prepared in a good-for-you way. If you are trying to limit your fat intake, prepare chicken thighs in ways that don't use much added oil, like grilling, baking or stir-frying. Also be mindful of the sodium that you add during cooking.

Less than 200g a day - 200g of chicken provides your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein: 0.8g per kilo of body weigh.. It is recommended to be consumed per day can vary depending on a number of factors, such as age, sex, weight, and activity level.

Does Chipotle use chicken breast or thighs? ›

If you've ever been to the restaurant, you know Chipotle grills their boneless, skinless chicken thighs on a flat-top grill. Slice or dice and use for burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, everything!

The key is to cook the chicken thighs in a 400 degree F oven for 50 minutes. This will allow for the skin to get crispy and the meat to be juicy. If you are not sure the chicken is ready, just poke it wit a knife. If the juices run clear it's done.

Chicken thighs are a reliably tender, flavor-packed alternative to basic boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Although they are slightly higher in fat and calories than breasts, thanks to a higher fat content, they are still high in protein and we have cooking methods for keeping the fat and calories to a minimum.

So, when eating chicken meat, it is better not to consume the skin, which consists entirely of fat and, in addition, may contain a large number of bacteria. It is also recommended not to eat the lungs, because even heat treatment at a temperature of high is not able to completely remove all parasites from them.

The highest fat content in a chicken comes from the skin, followed by the wings, which just barely edge out the next-fattiest cut of chicken meat, the thigh. Next up is the drumstick, followed by breast meat, which is the leanest cut of chicken.

The chicken breast is lean and has the most protein by weight, making it ideal for people who want to lose weight, maintain muscle mass and improve recovery. Fattier cuts like the thigh, drumstick and wings have more calories, which make them better for people wanting to build muscle or gain weight.

Both chicken thighs and breasts are good sources of lean protein. However, they differ in the amount of calories, fat and saturated fat.

And while it is true that chicken thighs tend to contain more fat and cholesterol than breast meat (which has 3 g total fat and 0.7 g saturated fat per 3-ounce serving, per the USDA), both can easily fit into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations for fat intake.

In a 3-ounce serving of cooked chicken breast, you will get approximately 140 calories and 26 grams of protein. In contrast, a 3-ounce serving of cooked beef sirloin has around 180 calories and 26 grams of protein. Lastly, a 3-ounce serving of cooked shrimp contains only 84 calories but boasts 18 grams of protein.

Specifically, chicken legs, also known as chicken calves, are usually located in the lower part of chicken legs. In general, the amount of protein loaded into the body from 44 grams of skinless or boneless chicken legs will be about 12.4 grams. This is equivalent to 28.3 grams of protein per 100 grams of chicken legs.