Beef vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef 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
beef
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and chicken:
- Both beef and chicken are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Chicken has 12.4 times less trans fat than beef.
- Chicken has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more dha and dpa than beef.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and chicken are high in calories. Beef has 47% more calories than chicken - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both beef and chicken are high in protein. Beef has a little more protein (9%) than chicken by weight - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and chicken has 58% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Chicken has 12.4 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken has 0.09g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Beef and chicken contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken has 107mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Beef and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and chicken contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 338% more calcium than chicken - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 142% more iron than chicken - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 146% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more DHA and DPA than beef per 100 grams. Both beef and chicken contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 0.402 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.
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and chicken are high in calories. Beef has 50% more calories than chicken - beef has 277 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is beef or chicken better for protein?
Both beef and chicken are high in protein. Beef has a little more protein ( 10%) than chicken by weight - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does beef or chicken contain more potassium?
Both beef and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 150% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.