Chicken Breast Protein

Chicken breast is one of the most commonly logged protein foods because it is widely sold boneless and skinless, easy to weigh, and listed on many Nutrition Facts panels. For accurate food journaling, measure chicken breast by weight in grams or ounces rather than assuming every piece weighs the same.

Protein content is tied to the exact food state you select: raw vs cooked and skinless vs skin-on each use separate USDA reference records. The calculators on this page scale from per-100g reference values — match your scale reading (raw or cooked) to the matching reference.

Per 100g, roasted skinless chicken breast lists more protein (31.0g) than raw (22.5g) — but cooking does not create new protein. Roasting drives off water, so the same absolute protein is concentrated into less weight. A 200g raw breast yields roughly 145g cooked; the total protein stays similar while grams-per-100g rises ^[1][2].

For food logging: weigh raw and log raw values, or weigh cooked and log cooked values. Mixing a cooked weight with raw per-100g data (or the reverse) is a common source of error. Use the food-state selector above to pick the reference that matches your portion.

See the comparison table below for side-by-side raw vs roasted skinless breast values per 100g.

A single chicken breast is not a standardized weight. Grocery packs, restaurant portions, and home-cooked halves range from roughly 120g to 250g or more depending on bird size, trimming, and whether you log raw or cooked weight.

Our reference estimate uses one medium breast half at ~174g (roasted, skinless) — about 54g protein and 287 kcal at default roasted values. Label this as an estimate only; weigh your actual breast on a kitchen scale and enter grams in the calculator for a precise log entry.

Typical ranges at roasted skinless values (31.0g protein / 100g): a small half (~120g) provides ~37g protein; a large half (~220g) provides ~68g protein.

With skin on, raw breast is 133 kcal and 20.9g protein per 100g compared with 120 kcal and 22.5g protein for skinless raw breast ^[1]. Skin adds fat and weight; protein per 100g is slightly lower because skin contributes mass without much protein.

For breast specifically, the skin-on vs skinless calorie gap is modest (~13 kcal per 100g raw) compared with chicken thigh, where skin removal changes calories more substantially. If you remove skin before eating, log a skinless variant.

This page compares skin-on and skinless raw breast only. A verified roasted skin-on breast USDA entry is not included in our reference set.

Per 100g roasted and skinless, chicken breast provides 31.0g protein at 165 kcal; chicken thigh provides 24.8g protein at 179 kcal ^[1]. Breast delivers more protein per 100g; thigh contains more total fat (8.2g vs 3.6g per 100g roasted).

Per 3 oz (85g) roasted portions: breast ≈ 26.4g protein, 140 kcal; thigh ≈ 21.1g protein, 152 kcal. Both are valid logging choices — the difference is mainly protein density and fat content, not a ranking of which to eat.

Raw vs cooked state — the largest conceptual difference; always match reference to what you weighed.

Skin-on vs skinless — skin adds fat and changes per-100g protein slightly.

Portion size — breast halves vary widely; piece counts without weighing are imprecise.

Brining or enhanced products — added water in some packaged breasts dilutes protein per 100g; check the package label.

Data source — USDA entries are generic references; branded labels may differ.

Packaged chicken breast sold in trays often includes a Nutrition Facts panel with protein per serving (commonly per 4 oz / 112g). That label applies to that specific product — enhanced or marinated items may differ from generic USDA references on this page.

For generic boneless skinless breast without a label match, USDA FoodData Central references (linked in Data & Methodology) are the basis for our calculators. FDA Daily Value percentages on labels describe label reference amounts, not personal intake targets ^[3].