Chicken vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken 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
chicken
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chicken and chicken breast:
- Both chicken and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken breast has 68% less saturated fat than chicken.
- Chicken has more riboflavin.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) 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 chicken and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken has 15% more calories than chicken breast - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chicken is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Chicken has a macronutrient ratio of 49:0:52 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chicken | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 49% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 52% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 33% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast has 68% less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and chicken breast are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than chicken - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than chicken - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin. Both chicken and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Chicken | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.121 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.302 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 7.107 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.327 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.538 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.51 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken and chicken breast contain similar amounts of iron - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in potassium. Chicken has 164% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken has 677mg 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 has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both chicken and chicken breast contain significant amounts of DHA and DPA.
| Chicken | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.1 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | 0.031 G | 0.02 G |
| EPA | 0.008 G | 0.01 G |
| DPA | 0.016 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.155 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.
| Chicken | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.106 G | 0.06 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.818 G | 0.59 G |
| Total | 1.924 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: Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Cooked Chicken 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 chicken or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken has 20% more calories than chicken breast - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is chicken or chicken breast better for protein?
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than chicken - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does chicken or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both chicken and chicken breast are high in potassium. Chicken has 160% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.