Chicken vs. Turkey

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken 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 versus cooked turkey (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken and turkey are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken has more thiamin, however, turkey contains more Vitamin B12.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more dha than turkey.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chicken 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 (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) and Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chicken src
Image of Turkey src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between chicken and turkey. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken and turkey are high in calories. is very similar to chicken for calories - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and turkey has 189 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chicken is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to turkey for carbs. Chicken has a macronutrient ratio of 49:0:51 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chicken Turkey
Protein 49% 63%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 51% 37%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

Protein

protein

Both chicken and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 23% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and turkey are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and turkey has 0.1g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and turkey has 109mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Turkey has more Vitamin A than chicken - turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Turkey has more Vitamin D than chicken - turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Chicken Turkey
Thiamin 0.121 MG 0.045 MG
Riboflavin 0.302 MG 0.281 MG
Niacin 7.107 MG 9.573 MG
Pantothenic acid 1.327 MG 0.948 MG
Vitamin B6 0.538 MG 0.616 MG
Folate 2 UG 9 UG
Vitamin B12 0.51 UG 1.02 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and turkey has 14mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken and turkey contain similar amounts of iron - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and turkey has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken and turkey are high in potassium. Chicken has 183% more potassium than turkey - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Chicken Turkey
alpha linoleic acid 0.1 G 0.108 G
DHA 0.031 G 0.005 G
EPA 0.008 G 0.008 G
DPA 0.016 G 0.008 G
Total 0.155 G 0.129 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both chicken and turkey contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Chicken Turkey
other omega 6 ~ 0.01 G
linoleic acid 1.818 G 1.873 G
Total 1.818 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 (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) and Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) .

Cooked Chicken g

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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does chicken or turkey contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken and turkey are high in calories. is quite similar to chicken for calories - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and turkey has 189 calories.

Is chicken or turkey better for protein?
Both chicken and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 20% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.

Does chicken or turkey contain more potassium?
Both chicken and turkey are high in potassium. Chicken has 180% more potassium than turkey - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.