Chicken breast vs thigh: calories and protein compared

Per 100 g (3.5 oz) of roasted, skinless chicken, breast has about 165 kcal and 31 g of protein; thigh has about 179 kcal and 25 g (USDA). The calorie gap is only 14 kcal, but thigh has more than twice the fat (8.2 g vs 3.6 g). Skin and frying change the numbers far more than breast versus thigh.

Chicken breast vs thigh: calories and protein per 100 g

All values are for cooked, roasted chicken, per 100 g. The last column is per 3 oz (85 g) cooked portion, about the size of a deck of cards.

Cut	Calories	Protein	Fat	Per 3 oz (85 g)
Breast, skinless	165 kcal	31.0 g	3.6 g	140 kcal, 26 g protein
Breast, with skin	197 kcal	29.8 g	7.8 g	167 kcal, 25 g protein
Thigh, skinless	179 kcal	24.8 g	8.2 g	152 kcal, 21 g protein
Thigh, with skin	232 kcal	23.3 g	14.7 g	197 kcal, 20 g protein

Protein per 100 kcal is the quickest way to compare: skinless breast gives 18.8 g, breast with skin 15.1 g, skinless thigh 13.8 g and thigh with skin 10.0 g.

Which one has more protein for your calories?

If you want 30 g of protein, you need about 97 g of roasted skinless breast (160 kcal) or 121 g of roasted skinless thigh (217 kcal). That is a difference of about 57 kcal, roughly half a tablespoon of olive oil (one tablespoon is 119 kcal, USDA). So if you are cutting calories, breast is the efficient choice; the oil in the pan can matter more than the cut.

Does thigh have anything going for it?

Yes. Per 100 g of roasted meat without skin, thigh has about 1.9 mg of zinc against 1.0 mg in breast, and slightly more iron (1.13 vs 1.04 mg) and vitamin B12 (0.42 vs 0.34 mcg). Breast is higher in niacin (13.7 vs 6.2 mg). Thigh is also more forgiving: its extra fat keeps it juicy if you cook it a little too long, which is why many people find it tastier.

Raw weight vs cooked weight

Cooking removes water, so the same piece of chicken is denser in calories once cooked. Per 100 g raw, USDA lists 120 kcal and 22.5 g protein for skinless breast and 121 kcal and 19.7 g protein for skinless thigh. The calories per 100 g raw are almost the same; the difference shows up in protein and fat. Always log the weight state you measured: 150 g raw breast is about 180 kcal, but 150 g cooked breast is about 248 kcal.

How cooking changes the same breast

Per 100 g of chicken breast:

Preparation	Calories
Stewed, meat only	151 kcal
Roasted, meat only	165 kcal
Fried, meat only	187 kcal
Roasted, with skin	197 kcal
Fried in batter, with skin	260 kcal

Breading, frying and skin matter far more than the cut. A battered, fried breast with skin (260 kcal per 100 g) has more calories per gram than a roasted skin-on thigh (232 kcal).

How do other cuts compare?

For reference, per 100 g of roasted chicken: a drumstick with skin has 191 kcal, 23.4 g protein and 10.2 g fat, and a wing without skin has 203 kcal, 30.5 g protein and 8.1 g fat. Wings look protein-rich on paper, but there is little meat on the bone, so a handful of wings gives far less edible chicken than the same weight of breast. When you log wings or drumsticks, weigh the meat without the bone if you can.

So which should you choose?

• Lowest calories, most protein: skinless breast.
• Better flavor and iron/zinc, still lean: skinless thigh, roasted or grilled.
• Cooking at home: measure oil and sauce; they add more than the choice of cut.
• Eating out: ask whether the chicken is grilled or fried, and whether it has skin.

If your doctor or dietitian has given you a specific protein or fat target, follow that.

Estimate your plate

Tabaq recognizes grilled chicken in a photo and lets you edit the weight, so you can enter whether you ate breast or thigh and how many grams. Photograph your next meal and see the totals.