Salmon vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Salmon 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 salmon versus cooked chicken breast (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken breast and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than chicken breast.
  • Salmon has more Vitamin B12.
  • Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
Detailed nutritional comparison of salmon 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: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Salmon src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken breast and salmon are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than salmon - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, salmon is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Salmon has a macronutrient ratio of 67:0:33 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Salmon Chicken Breast
Protein 67% 79%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 33% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both chicken breast and salmon are high in protein. Chicken breast has 51% more protein than salmon - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both salmon and chicken breast are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Salmon has 46% less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Salmon has 483% more Vitamin A than chicken breast - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 86 times more Vitamin D than chicken breast - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Salmon Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.08 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.105 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 7.995 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 1.03 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.611 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 4 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 4.15 UG 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken breast has 114% more calcium than salmon - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken breast has 174% more iron than salmon - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken breast and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 43% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Salmon Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.047 G 0.03 G
DHA 0.333 G 0.02 G
EPA 0.182 G 0.01 G
DPA 0.047 G 0.01 G
Total 0.609 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

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

Salmon Chicken Breast
other omega 6 0.014 G 0.06 G
linoleic acid 0.081 G 0.59 G
Total 0.095 G 0.65 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Salmon or Chicken Breast .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does chicken breast or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than salmon - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.

Is chicken breast or salmon better for protein?
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in protein. Chicken breast has 50% more protein than salmon - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Does chicken breast or salmon contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 40% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.

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