Beef vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef 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
cooked
beef
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and chicken breast:
- Both beef and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Chicken breast has more niacin, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more dha than beef.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and chicken breast are high in calories. Beef has 68% more calories than chicken breast - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both beef and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 22% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 86% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Chicken breast has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Beef and chicken breast contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Beef and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more niacin, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 133% more calcium than chicken breast - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 116% more iron than chicken breast - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and chicken breast are high in potassium. Beef has a little more potassium (7%) than chicken breast by weight - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more DHA than beef per 100 grams. Both beef and chicken breast contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beef and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beef | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.047 G | 0.06 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.59 G |
| Total | 0.437 G | 0.65 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: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken Breast g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
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 % |
|
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 beef or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and chicken breast are high in calories. Beef has 70% more calories than chicken breast - beef has 277 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is beef or chicken breast better for protein?
Both beef and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 20% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does beef or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both beef and chicken breast are high in potassium. Beef has a little more potassium ( 10%) than chicken breast by weight - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.