Chicken Breast vs. Turkey

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Cooked Turkey


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 cooked turkey (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken breast and turkey are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken breast has 53% less saturated fat than turkey.
  • Turkey has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chicken breast and turkey 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 Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chicken Breast src
Image of Turkey src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken breast and turkey are high in calories. Turkey has 15% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and turkey has 189 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to turkey for carbs. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chicken Breast Turkey
Protein 79% 63%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 21% 37%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both turkey and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - turkey has 0.06g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken breast and turkey are high in protein. Chicken breast has a little more protein (9%) than turkey by weight - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken breast has 53% less saturated fat than turkey - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both turkey and chicken breast are low in trans fat - turkey has 0.1g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and turkey has 109mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Chicken Breast Turkey
Thiamin 0.07 MG 0.045 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.281 MG
Niacin 13.712 MG 9.573 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.965 MG 0.948 MG
Vitamin B6 0.6 MG 0.616 MG
Folate 4 UG 9 UG
Vitamin B12 0.34 UG 1.02 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and turkey has 14mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken breast and turkey contain similar amounts of iron - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and turkey has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken breast and turkey are high in potassium. Chicken breast has a little more potassium (7%) than turkey by weight - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, turkey has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than turkey per 100 grams. Both chicken breast and turkey contain small amounts of EPA and DPA.

Chicken Breast Turkey
alpha linoleic acid 0.03 G 0.108 G
DHA 0.02 G 0.005 G
EPA 0.01 G 0.008 G
DPA 0.01 G 0.008 G
Total 0.07 G 0.129 G

omega 6s

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

Chicken Breast Turkey
linoleic acid 0.59 G 1.873 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.01 G
Total 0.59 G 1.883 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 Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does chicken breast or turkey contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken breast and turkey are high in calories. Turkey has 20% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and turkey has 189 calories.

Is chicken breast or turkey better for protein?
Both chicken breast and turkey are high in protein. Chicken breast has a little more protein ( 10%) than turkey by weight - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.

Does chicken breast or turkey contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and turkey are high in potassium. Chicken breast has a little more potassium ( 10%) than turkey by weight - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.