Salmon vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Salmon and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
salmon
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in salmon and chicken:
- Both chicken and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken has more riboflavin, however, salmon contains more Vitamin B12.
- Salmon has 57% less cholesterol than chicken.
- Salmon has 74% less saturated fat than chicken.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken and salmon are high in calories. Chicken has 49% more calories than salmon - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, salmon is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Salmon has a macronutrient ratio of 67:0:33 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Salmon | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 67% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 33% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken and salmon are high in protein. Chicken has 14% more protein than salmon - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Salmon has 74% less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and salmon are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.03g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Salmon has 57% less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Salmon has more Vitamin A than chicken - salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than chicken - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin, however, salmon contains more Vitamin B12. Both salmon and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Salmon | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.08 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.105 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 7.995 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.03 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.611 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.15 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken and salmon contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken has 145% more iron than salmon - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and salmon are high in potassium. Chicken has 85% more potassium than salmon - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than salmon per 100 grams, however, salmon contains more dha, epa and dpa than chicken per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | 0.333 G | 0.031 G |
| EPA | 0.182 G | 0.008 G |
| DPA | 0.047 G | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.609 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.081 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 0.083 G | 1.838 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.
Salmon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does chicken or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and salmon are high in calories. Chicken has 50% more calories than salmon - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is chicken or salmon better for protein?
Both chicken and salmon are high in protein. Chicken has 10% more protein than salmon - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does chicken or salmon contain more potassium?
Both chicken and salmon are high in potassium. Chicken has 90% more potassium than salmon - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.