Protein in Turkey Breast

Turkey breast is the white-meat portion of the bird — sold boneless and skinless for everyday cooking, roasted whole at holidays, or processed into deli slices. For food journaling, whole fresh or roasted breast and prepackaged deli turkey are different products with different protein density and sodium — do not log one as the other.

This page centers on whole-muscle turkey breast using USDA FoodData Central records (FDC #171496 roasted skinless default). Select raw, roasted, skin-on, or ground breast in the calculator to match what you weighed. For thin deli slices, see our [Deli Turkey protein page](/protein/deli-turkey/).

At roasted skinless values (default reference), 1 oz (~28g) cooked provides about 8.4g protein, 41 kcal, and 0.6g fat.

At raw skinless values, 1 oz (~28g) raw provides about 6.6g protein, 32 kcal, and 0.4g fat.

Single-ounce portions appear in meal-prep macros and label serving sizes — always match raw or cooked to what you weighed.

At roasted skinless values (default reference), 3 oz (~85g) cooked provides about 25.6g protein, 125 kcal, and 1.8g fat.

At raw skinless values, 3 oz (~85g) raw provides about 20.1g protein, 97 kcal, and 1.3g fat.

USDA often cites 3 oz as a standard poultry serving — but your actual slice or portion may differ. Weigh your portion and match raw or cooked to the reference you select above.

At roasted skinless values: 4 oz (~113g) cooked ≈ 34.0g protein, 166 kcal, 2.4g fat.

At raw skinless values: 4 oz (~113g) raw ≈ 26.8g protein, 129 kcal, 1.7g fat.

Restaurant or meal-prep labels sometimes describe a “4 oz serving” without stating raw vs cooked — confirm which weight applies before logging.

At roasted skinless values: 6 oz (~170g) cooked ≈ 51.2g protein, 250 kcal, 3.5g fat.

At raw skinless values: 6 oz (~170g) raw ≈ 40.3g protein, 194 kcal, 2.5g fat.

A 6 oz raw portion and a 6 oz cooked portion are not interchangeable — cooking removes water, so the same absolute protein occupies less weight when cooked while grams-per-100g rise in USDA cooked entries.

At roasted skinless values: 8 oz (~227g) cooked ≈ 68.3g protein, 334 kcal, 4.7g fat.

At raw skinless values: 8 oz (~227g) raw ≈ 53.8g protein, 259 kcal, 3.4g fat.

Steak-cut turkey breast, carved holiday portions, and meal-prep containers vary in thickness — use the custom weight field when your portion is not a standard ounce increment.

1 lb = 16 oz (~454g) — but nutrition depends on whether you weighed raw or cooked meat and whether skin is included.

At roasted skinless values: 1 lb (~454g) cooked ≈ 137g protein, 667 kcal, 9.4g fat.

At raw skinless values: 1 lb (~454g) raw ≈ 107g protein, 518 kcal, 6.7g fat.

Cooking shrinkage means 1 lb raw typically yields less than 1 lb cooked (often roughly 12 oz cooked from 16 oz raw). Re-weigh after roasting when logging cooked USDA references.

There is no single standard weight for “one turkey breast.” A whole bone-in breast, half breast, boneless cutlet tray, or carved holiday portion can range from a few hundred grams to well over 1 kg depending on bird size and trimming.

Do not rely on piece counts without weighing. Enter the gram weight of your actual portion in the calculator above — raw or cooked, matching your selected reference.

Packaged boneless breasts often list weight on the tray label; that label is the best starting point for your log entry.

Per 100g, roasted skinless turkey breast lists 30.1g protein vs 23.7g raw (FDC #171496 vs #171098) — cooking does not manufacture protein. Roasting drives off moisture, concentrating the same absolute protein into fewer grams.

Turkey breast’s raw-to-cooked yield is often cited around ~75% (100g raw → ~75g cooked), but actual shrinkage varies with oven temperature, doneness, and whether the piece was brined.

See the raw-vs-cooked comparison table below for side-by-side values across skinless, skin-on, and ground breast references.

Either works — match the scale reading to the database state. Weigh raw meat before cooking and log a raw reference; weigh the portion on your plate after cooking and log a roasted reference.

Mixing a cooked weight with raw per-100g protein (or the reverse) is one of the most common poultry logging errors — it can under- or over-count protein by 25% or more per portion.

Gravy, butter, basting oil, and stuffing are separate entries — plain turkey breast references exclude those add-ons.

Per 100g raw, skinless breast lists 23.7g protein, 114 kcal, 1.5g fat; skin-on (meat and skin) lists 21.9g protein, 157 kcal, 7.0g fat (FDC #171098 vs #171093) ^[2].

Skin adds ~5.5g fat and 43 kcal per 100g while displacing lean meat in the weight — protein per 100g drops slightly because skin contributes mass with little protein. The calorie impact is much larger than the protein shift.

Our reference set includes raw skin-on only — a verified roasted skin-on breast USDA entry is not in this database. If you eat roasted turkey with skin at Thanksgiving, raw skin-on values approximate directionally but may not match your exact portion.

The default reference on this page is turkey, whole, breast, meat only, roasted (FDC #171496): 30.1g protein, 147 kcal, 2.1g fat, 62mg sodium per 100g ^[1].

Per ounce (~28g) roasted skinless: about 8.4g protein and 41 kcal. Per 3 oz (~85g): about 25.6g protein and 125 kcal.

Roasted breast is how most people encounter turkey at holidays and in meal-prep — but deli-sliced processed turkey lists far less protein per 100g (~18.6g) and much higher sodium; use the deli page for sandwich meat.

Holiday portions vary widely: carved slices from a whole bird, half-breast servings, and leftovers logged days later each need actual weight, not a generic “serving.”

Protein in your plate depends on grams of breast meat eaten, whether skin was included, and whether you log cooked weight (recommended for carved roasted meat).

There is no universal “Thanksgiving serving” protein number — weigh your slice or portion and enter grams in the calculator with skinless roasted selected unless you kept significant skin on the logged weight.

Fresh roasted breast and deli turkey are not the same food. Processing adds brine, sometimes carbohydrates, and substantial sodium — protein per 100g drops even when calories look similar.

Representative prepackaged deli turkey lists ~18.6g protein and 580mg sodium per 100g vs 30.1g protein and 62mg sodium for roasted skinless breast ^[1][3].

For sandwich logging, use [/protein/deli-turkey/](/protein/deli-turkey/) with slice or gram weight. For carved roasted breast, stay on this page with the roasted reference.

Per 100g roasted skinless, chicken breast lists 31.0g protein at 165 kcal; turkey breast lists 30.1g protein at 147 kcal ^[1][4]. Turkey delivers slightly less protein per 100g cooked but 18 fewer calories because turkey breast is leaner (2.1g vs 3.6g fat per 100g roasted).

Per 100g raw skinless, turkey lists 23.7g protein at 114 kcal vs chicken 22.5g at 120 kcal — turkey raw lists slightly more protein per 100g at lower calories in these USDA references.

See comparison tables below for nutrient-level side-by-side values. For chicken-specific logging, see [/protein/chicken-breast/](/protein/chicken-breast/).

USDA “dark meat” covers leg and thigh muscle combined — not an isolated thigh record. Per 100g roasted (FDC #171091), breast lists 30.1g protein at 147 kcal; dark meat lists 27.7g protein at 173 kcal with more fat (6.0g vs 2.1g) ^[1][5].

Dark meat provides more iron and zinc per 100g in these references — breast is the leanest cut; dark meat trades some protein density for higher fat and minerals.

No `/protein/turkey-thigh` page exists yet — comparisons use the verified dark-meat USDA entries from our turkey nutrition calculator.

Ground turkey breast (99% lean, raw) and ground turkey (93% lean, raw) are different products. Do not log generic “ground turkey” without checking the lean percentage on the package.

Per 100g raw: ground breast 99% lean lists 24.1g protein, 107 kcal, 0.9g fat; ground turkey 93% lean lists 18.7g protein, 150 kcal, 8.3g fat (FDC #172850, turkey-nutrition-calculator ground-93 reference) ^[5].

Whole breast and ground breast are both lean; 93% ground turkey carries enough dark-meat and fat trim to shift macros substantially. Match the product on your label to the closest reference.

Complete per-100g nutrition for the selected food state appears in the protein calculator above — protein, calories, fat, carbohydrates, and available micronutrients (selenium, niacin, phosphorus, sodium, cholesterol, and others supported by the USDA reference).

Toggle the Nutrition Facts view in the calculator for a label-style breakdown of your entered portion. This page covers four whole-muscle variants (raw, roasted, skin-on, ground breast); for deli slices and all five calculator variants in one tool, see the full [Turkey Breast Nutrition Calculator](/tools/turkey-breast-nutrition-calculator/).

Values scale linearly from the per-100g reference — enter grams, ounces, or pounds to see your exact portion.

Skinless roasted breast delivers about 30.1g protein per 147 kcal — roughly 4.9 kcal per gram of protein in this USDA reference because fat remains low (2.1g/100g).

Skin-on raw breast is 157 kcal per 100g with 21.9g protein — fat dominates the calorie profile. Tracking accuracy requires noting skin consumption, not just cut name.

Protein density metrics are descriptive tools for journaling — they do not rank foods as “better” or “healthier” for individual diets.

Match raw or cooked to what you weighed — highest-impact rule on this page.

Log deli turkey separately from roasted whole breast — different protein per 100g and very different sodium.

Note skin-on vs skinless — especially at holiday meals where skin may stay on the logged portion.

Brined or enhanced birds may retain more water — protein per 100g can fall slightly vs generic USDA; prefer the product label when available.

Sauces, gravy, and cooking fats are separate log entries unless you use a full-recipe calculator.

The calculators on this page describe plain turkey breast at the selected USDA reference — not a complete plated meal.

Butter, olive oil, pan drippings, gravy, and marinade add calories and fat without meaningful protein unless the sauce itself contains protein-rich ingredients.

Log those additions separately in your tracker when the meal—not just the meat—is what you are measuring.

Retail trays, rotisserie birds, and restaurant turkey programs vary in brining, seasoning, sodium, moisture injection, and portion weight.

A Nutrition Facts panel on a specific packaged breast is more accurate than generic USDA data for that SKU.

Generic SR Legacy references (FDC #171098, #171496, #171093) describe laboratory-analyzed whole-muscle turkey — not every commercial product formulation.