Chicken Breast vs. Chicken Leg

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast 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 chicken breast versus chicken leg (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken breast has 3.3 times less saturated fat than chicken leg.
  • Chicken breast has more niacin.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chicken breast 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: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) 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 chicken breast and chicken leg are high in calories. Chicken leg has 30% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and chicken leg has 214 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, much lighter in fat and similar to chicken leg for carbs. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for chicken leg, 31:0:69 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chicken Breast Chicken Leg
Protein 79% 31%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 21% 69%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

Protein

protein

Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in protein. Chicken breast has 89% more protein than chicken leg - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken breast has 3.3 times less saturated fat than chicken leg - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 4.4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken leg and chicken breast are low in trans fat - chicken leg has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken leg has 93mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

Chicken leg has 367% more Vitamin A than chicken breast - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken leg has 28ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Chicken Breast Chicken Leg
Thiamin 0.07 MG 0.073 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 13.712 MG 4.733 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.965 MG 0.994 MG
Vitamin B6 0.6 MG 0.318 MG
Folate 4 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 0.34 UG 0.56 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken breast and chicken leg contain similar amounts of iron - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in potassium. Chicken breast has 26% more potassium than chicken leg - chicken breast has 256mg 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) than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both chicken breast and chicken leg contain significant amounts of DHA and DPA.

Chicken Breast Chicken Leg
alpha linoleic acid 0.03 G 0.155 G
DHA 0.02 G 0.01 G
EPA 0.01 G 0.004 G
DPA 0.01 G 0.012 G
Total 0.07 G 0.181 G

omega 6s

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

Chicken Breast Chicken Leg
linoleic acid 0.59 G 2.987 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.59 G 3.003 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) .

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FAQ

Does chicken breast or chicken leg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in calories. Chicken leg has 30% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Is chicken breast or chicken leg better for protein?
Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in protein. Chicken breast has 90% more protein than chicken leg - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Does chicken breast or chicken leg contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and chicken leg are high in potassium. Chicken breast has 30% more potassium than chicken leg - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.

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