How Many Calories and Protein are in Chicken Breast?

Chicken breast is one of the most popular sources of lean protein. But how much protein and how many calories are actually in a chicken breast? The answer depends on a few factors.

In this article, we’ll break down the calories, protein, fat and other nutrition facts for different types of chicken breast. We’ll also look at how preparation methods affect the nutrition.

Raw vs Cooked Chicken Breast

The first thing to understand is that raw and cooked chicken differ in their nutrition profiles.

Raw chicken breast contains more protein per ounce because it has more water weight. During cooking, the chicken loses about 25% of its weight due to water evaporation.

So while a 4 oz raw chicken breast has around 31g of protein, a 4 oz cooked chicken breast will still have 31g of protein even though it weighs less.

Here’s a comparison:

• 4 oz raw chicken breast: 120 calories, 31g protein
• 4 oz cooked chicken breast: 160 calories, 31g protein

The protein stays the same but the calories are higher in cooked chicken because there’s less water.

Nutrition Facts for Popular Chicken Breast Types

There are a few other factors that affect the nutrition content of chicken breasts:

• Bone-in vs boneless
• Skin on vs skinless
• Retained water percentage

Let’s look at the most common chicken breast types:

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

This is the most popular type since it’s versatile and has an excellent protein-to-calorie ratio

• 4 oz raw boneless, skinless breast: 120 calories, 31g protein, 3g fat

• 4 oz cooked boneless, skinless breast: 160 calories, 31g protein, 4g fat

Around 80% of the calories come from protein.

Chicken Breast with Skin

The skin adds quite a bit of fat, so chicken breast with skin has more calories:

• 4 oz raw chicken breast with skin: 193 calories, 19g protein, 12g fat

• 4 oz cooked chicken breast with skin: 257 calories, 25g protein, 16g fat

With the skin, only 45% of the calories come from protein versus 55% from fat.

Bone-in Chicken Breast

Since part of the weight is bone, there will be less meat and protein:

• 4 oz raw bone-in chicken breast: 96 calories, 13g protein, 6g fat

Organic, Free-Range, Etc.

Labeling like “organic” doesn’t affect nutrition. But enhanced chicken injected with broth will have more sodium.

How Cooking Method Affects Nutrition

Fried chicken or chicken cooked in oil/butter will have more fat and calories. For example:

• 4 oz fried boneless, skinless breast: 214 calories, 31g protein, 10g fat

• 4 oz boneless, skinless breast baked: 160 calories, 31g protein, 4g fat

Grilling, baking, and poaching add little or no extra fat. But breading or batter will increase carbs and calories.

How Much Protein in 1 Pound of Chicken Breast?

A pound of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast has around 104g of protein.

After cooking a 1 lb chicken breast will have 104g protein but weigh around 12 oz since it loses 25% of its weight.

A 12 oz cooked chicken breast will have roughly 139g of protein when you account for the water loss.

Chicken Breast Protein and Calorie Comparison

Here’s how other meats compare to chicken breast:

• 4 oz chicken breast: 160 calories, 31g protein
• 4 oz salmon: 179 calories, 19g protein
• 4 oz pork chop: 189 calories, 23g protein
• 4 oz sirloin: 236 calories, 23g protein
• 4 oz 90% lean ground beef: 237 calories, 21g protein

As you can see, chicken breast has the best protein-to-calorie ratio.

How Much Chicken Breast Should You Eat Per Day?

The recommended serving size is 3-4 oz. Consuming 16 oz in one day would be 4-5 servings.

Most people could healthily eat 8-12 oz of chicken breast per day as part of balanced diet. But optimal intake depends on your body size, activity level, etc.

The Takeaway

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of the leanest protein sources, with a 4 oz portion providing 31g protein and 160 calories.

Cooking method dramatically affects fat and calories. Fried chicken or chicken cooked in oil/butter has more fat.

For maximum protein with minimum calories, choose boneless, skinless breasts and use healthy cooking methods like baking, grilling or poaching.