Lamb vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lamb and Cooked Chicken


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

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

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

  • Both chicken and lamb are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, lamb contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lamb and chicken 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: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lamb src
Image of Chicken src

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


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and lamb has 283 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lamb is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Lamb has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:64 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lamb Chicken
Protein 36% 49%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 64% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both chicken and lamb are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Lamb is high in saturated fat and chicken has 62% less saturated fat than lamb - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

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

cholesterol

Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lamb has 97mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin D

Lamb and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Lamb Chicken
Thiamin 0.1 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.25 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 6.7 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.66 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.14 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 19 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 2.61 UG 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lamb has 175% more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and lamb has 22mg of calcium.

iron

Lamb has 92% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and lamb has 1.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken and lamb are high in potassium. Chicken has 100% more potassium than lamb - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, lamb has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than lamb per 100 grams.

Lamb Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.26 G 0.1 G
DHA ~ 0.031 G
EPA ~ 0.008 G
DPA ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.26 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

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

Lamb Chicken
linoleic acid 1.07 G 1.818 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
Total 1.07 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

Cooked Lamb g

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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does chicken or lamb contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and lamb has 283 calories.

Is chicken or lamb better for protein?
Both chicken and lamb are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.

Does chicken or lamb contain more potassium?
Both chicken and lamb are high in potassium. Chicken has 100% more potassium than lamb - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.