Beef vs. Chicken Leg

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Chicken Leg


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked beef versus chicken leg (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and chicken leg:

  • Both beef and chicken leg are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Beef has more folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Beef is a great source of iron.
  • Chicken leg has 18.4 times less trans fat than beef.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and chicken leg is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and chicken leg are high in calories. Beef has 29% more calories than chicken leg - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Beef Chicken Leg
Protein 38% 31%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 62% 68%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both chicken leg and beef are low in carbohydrates - chicken leg has 0.17g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both beef and chicken leg are high in protein. Beef has 55% more protein than chicken leg - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and chicken leg has 41% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 4.4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Chicken leg has 18.4 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.06g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Beef and chicken leg contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken leg has 93mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chicken leg and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chicken leg has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chicken leg has 833% more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken leg has 28ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Beef and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Beef and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Beef has more folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and chicken leg contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Beef Chicken Leg
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.073 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 4.733 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 0.994 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.318 MG
Folate 11 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 0.56 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 289% more calcium than chicken leg - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 226% more iron than chicken leg - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

potassium

Both beef and chicken leg are high in potassium. Beef has 35% more potassium than chicken leg - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken leg has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Chicken Leg
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.155 G
DHA ~ 0.01 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
DPA ~ 0.012 G
Total 0.056 G 0.181 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken leg has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Chicken Leg
other omega 6 ~ 0.016 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 2.987 G
Total 0.39 G 3.003 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beef or Chicken Leg .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) .

Cooked Beef g

()
Daily Values (%)

Chicken Leg g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does beef or chicken leg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and chicken leg are high in calories. Beef has 30% more calories than chicken leg - beef has 277 calories in 100g and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Is beef or chicken leg better for protein?
Both beef and chicken leg are high in protein. Beef has 60% more protein than chicken leg - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Does beef or chicken leg contain more potassium?
Both beef and chicken leg are high in potassium. Beef has 40% more potassium than chicken leg - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.