Egg Yolk vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk and Cooked Chicken


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of egg yolk versus cooked chicken (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and chicken:

  • Both chicken and egg yolk are high in calories and protein.
  • Chicken has more niacin, however, egg yolk contains more pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Chicken is an excellent source of potassium.
  • Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
  • Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and calcium.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha than chicken, however, chicken contains more dpa than egg yolk.
Detailed nutritional comparison of egg yolk and chicken 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: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Egg Yolk src
Image of Chicken src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 70% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:75 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Egg Yolk Chicken
Protein 20% 49%
Carbohydrates 5% ~
Fat 75% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both egg yolk and chicken are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Egg yolk and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken and egg yolk are high in protein. Chicken has 47% more protein than egg yolk - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and chicken has 67% less saturated fat than egg yolk - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and egg yolk are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and egg yolk does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and chicken has 90% less cholesterol than egg yolk - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than chicken - egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than chicken - egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Egg yolk has 562% more Vitamin E than chicken - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chicken has more niacin, however, egg yolk contains more pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12. Both egg yolk and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.

Egg Yolk Chicken
Thiamin 0.176 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.528 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 0.024 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 2.99 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.35 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 146 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 1.95 UG 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Egg yolk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.

iron

Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 194% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 521% more potassium than egg yolk - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dpa than egg yolk per 100 grams. Both egg yolk and chicken contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and EPA.

Egg Yolk Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.103 G 0.1 G
DHA 0.114 G 0.031 G
EPA 0.011 G 0.008 G
DPA ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.228 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both egg yolk and chicken contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Egg Yolk Chicken
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
linoleic acid 3.538 G 1.818 G
Total 3.538 G 1.838 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 Egg Yolk or Chicken .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

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FAQ

Does chicken or egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 70% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.

Is chicken or egg yolk better for protein?
Both chicken and egg yolk are high in protein. Chicken has 50% more protein than egg yolk - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.

Does chicken or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Egg yolk is a rich source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.

Does chicken or egg yolk contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 520% more potassium than egg yolk - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.