Chicken vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken and Cooked Chicken Breast


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

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

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

  • Both chicken and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken breast has 68% less saturated fat than chicken.
  • Chicken has more riboflavin.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chicken and chicken breast 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 (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chicken src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

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

For macronutrient ratios, chicken is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Chicken has a macronutrient ratio of 49:0:52 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chicken Chicken Breast
Protein 49% 79%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 52% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both chicken and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 33% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken breast has 68% less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and chicken breast are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than chicken - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than chicken - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Chicken Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.121 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.302 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 7.107 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 1.327 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.538 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 2 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 0.51 UG 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of iron - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken and chicken breast are high in potassium. Chicken has 164% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both chicken and chicken breast contain significant amounts of DHA and DPA.

Chicken Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.1 G 0.03 G
DHA 0.031 G 0.02 G
EPA 0.008 G 0.01 G
DPA 0.016 G 0.01 G
Total 0.155 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

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

Chicken Chicken Breast
other omega 6 0.106 G 0.06 G
linoleic acid 1.818 G 0.59 G
Total 1.924 G 0.65 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 (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

Cooked Chicken g

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FAQ

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

Is chicken or chicken breast better for protein?
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Does chicken or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in potassium. Chicken has 160% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.

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