Chicken is a great source of lean protein that’s easily prepared and readily available in restaurants, but you may be wondering how many calories it contains. Here are the calorie counts for the most popular chicken cuts.
Chicken is a popular option when it comes to lean protein because it packs a significant amount in a single serving without a lot of fat.
Plus, it’s easy to make at home and available at most restaurants. Chicken dishes can be found on almost every menu, no matter what type of cuisine you eat.
But you may be wondering exactly how many calories are in the chicken on your plate.
The chicken comes in many cuts including breasts, thighs, wings and drumsticks. Each cut contains a different number of calories and a different protein to fat ratio.
Here are the calorie counts for the most popular chicken cuts.
8oz chicken breast calories: 284 calories
Chicken breast is one of the most popular chicken cuts. It’s high in protein and low in fat, making it an excellent choice for people trying to lose weight.
One cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast (172 grams) has the following nutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 284
- Protein: 53.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Fat: 6.2 grams
A 100-gram serving of chicken breast provides 165 calories, 31 grams of protein, and 3.6 grams of fat.
This means that about 80% of the calories in chicken breast come from protein and 20% from fat.
Keep in mind that these amounts are for a plain chicken breast with no additional ingredients. Once you start cooking it in oil or adding marinades or sauces, you increase the total calories, carbs, and fat.
Summary: Chicken breast is a low-fat protein source that contains no carbohydrates. One chicken breast has 284 calories, or 165 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). About 80% of calories come from protein, while 20% come from fat.
Chicken thighs: 109 calories
Chicken thighs are slightly more tender and flavorful than chicken breasts due to the higher fat content.
One cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh (52 grams) contains:
- Calories: 109
- Protein: 13.5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Fat: 5.7 grams
A 100-gram serving of chicken thighs provides 209 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 10.9 grams of fat.
Thus, 53% of calories come from protein, while 47% come from fat.
Chicken thighs are often cheaper than chicken breasts, making them a good choice for anyone on a budget.
Summary: One chicken thigh contains 109 calories, or 209 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It is made up of 53% protein and 47% fat.
Chicken wings: 43 calories
When you think of healthy chicken pieces, chicken wings probably don’t come to mind.
However, as long as they aren’t covered in breading or gravy and deep fried, they fit easily into a healthy diet.
One skinless, boneless chicken wing (21 grams) contains:
- Calories: 43
- Protein: 6.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Fat: 1.7 grams
Per 3.5 ounces (100 grams), chicken wings provide 203 calories, 30.5 grams of protein, and 8.1 grams of fat.
That means 64% of calories come from protein and 36% from fat.
Summary: A chicken wing has 43 calories, or 203 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It is made up of 64% protein and 36% fat.
Chicken drumstick: 76 calories
Chicken thighs consist of two parts – the thigh and the drumstick. The drumstick is the lower part of the leg.
One skinless, boneless chicken drumstick (44 grams) contains:
- Calories: 76
- Protein: 12.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Fat: 2.5 grams
Per 100 grams, chicken drumsticks have 172 calories, 28.3 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of fat.
When it comes to calorie count, about 70% comes from protein and 30% from fat.
Summary: A chicken thigh has 76 calories, or 172 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It consists of 70% protein and 30% fat.
Other chicken pieces
Although the most popular cuts of chicken are the breast, thighs, wings, and drumsticks, there are a few others to choose from.
Here are the calories in some other chicken cuts:
- Chicken Tender: 263 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
- Previous: 137 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
- Dark Meat: 125 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams.)
- Light Meat: 114 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams.)
Summary: The number of calories in different cuts of chicken varies. White meat has the lowest calorie count while chicken has the highest.
Chicken skin adds calories
While a skinless chicken breast contains 284 calories with 80% protein and 20% fat, those numbers shift dramatically when you include the skin.
One cooked boneless skinless chicken breast (196 grams) contains:
- Calories: 386
- Protein: 58.4 grams
- Fat: 15.2 grams
In a skin-on chicken breast, 50% of the calories come from protein and 50% from fat. In addition, eating the skin adds almost 100 calories.
Likewise, a skinless chicken wing (34 grams) has 99 calories, compared to 42 calories in a skinless wing (21 grams). For example, 60% of the calories in skinless wings come from fat, compared to 36% in a skinless wing.
So if you are watching your weight or fat intake, eat your skinless chicken to minimize calories and fat.
Summary: Eating chicken with the skin adds a significant amount of calories and fat. Peel off the skin before eating to reduce calories.
How you cook your chicken is important
Chicken alone is relatively low in calories and fat compared to other types of meat. But once you start adding the oil, sauce, batter, and breading, the calories can add up.
For example, a cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh (52 grams) contains 109 calories and 5.7 grams of fat.
But the same chicken thigh deep fried in batter contains 144 calories and 8.6 grams of fat. A chicken thigh fried in flour contains even more – 162 calories and 9.3 grams of fat.
Likewise, a boneless chicken wing (21 grams) has 43 calories and 1.7 grams of fat.
However, a chicken wing glazed in barbecue sauce provides 61 calories and 3.7 grams of fat. That’s comparable to a flour-coated wing, which has 61 calories and 4.2 grams of fat.
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