Chicken Leg Nutrition Calculator

A whole roasted chicken leg (thigh + drumstick, meat only) weighs approximately 190g and delivers 317 kcal with 46.6g protein ^[1]. This is the single largest naturally portioned piece of a whole chicken — larger than a breast half (140–170g), a thigh (~95g), or a drumstick (~96g) individually.

The leg quarter represents the entire dark meat side of the bird. Its 46.6g protein exceeds the recommended 25–30g per meal cited in most protein distribution research, making it sufficient as the sole protein source for a main meal. Adding skin pushes the same piece to approximately 499 kcal — a 57% increase — demonstrating the outsized impact of skin on this large cut ^[1].

For tracking: if you eat a whole leg quarter at dinner, log it as one entry of ~190g rather than separately logging thigh and drumstick. The combined per-100g values on this calculator are weighted averages of the thigh and drumstick USDA profiles, reflecting the approximate 55:45 thigh-to-drumstick meat ratio in a typical leg quarter ^[1].

A chicken leg consists of two anatomically distinct sections connected at the knee joint. The thigh (upper leg) contributes approximately 55% of the edible meat and is fattier: 179 kcal, 8.2g fat per 100g roasted. The drumstick (lower leg) contributes 45% of the meat and is leaner: 155 kcal, 5.7g fat per 100g roasted ^[1].

The combined 'whole leg' values on this calculator (167 kcal, 6.9g fat per 100g meat only, roasted) represent a weighted average of these two segments. If you eat only the thigh portion and leave the drumstick (or vice versa), use the individual thigh or drumstick calculators for more precise tracking.

The fat distribution difference between thigh and drumstick is structural — thighs have more intramuscular fat and larger subcutaneous fat deposits, while drumstick meat is leaner with a higher tendon-to-muscle ratio. Both are classified as dark meat (more myoglobin than breast), but the thigh is consistently the fattier of the two ^[1][2].

A skin-on roasted chicken leg quarter (~215g of meat and skin) provides approximately 499 kcal — nearly 500 calories from a single piece ^[1]. The skin adds roughly 29g of fat to what would otherwise be a 13g-fat serving. This makes the skin-on leg quarter one of the highest-calorie single chicken pieces commonly served.

The jump from 317 kcal (skinless) to 499 kcal (skin-on) represents a 57% calorie increase — 182 extra calories, almost entirely from fat. The saturated fat increases from approximately 3.4g to 8.2g per serving, doubling the saturated fat contribution ^[1].

At restaurants, rotisserie chicken, and barbecues, leg quarters are almost always served skin-on. For accurate logging in these settings, use the skin-on variant. If you peel off the skin at the table, the meat underneath tracks at the skinless values — though some rendered fat from the skin will have absorbed into the outer meat surface.

Roasted chicken leg meat provides 2.5mg zinc per 100g (23% DV) and 1.14mg iron per 100g (6% DV) ^[1]. These values are significantly higher than chicken breast: 1.0mg zinc (9% DV) and 1.04mg iron (6% DV). The dark meat advantage is particularly pronounced for zinc — leg meat delivers more than double the zinc per 100g compared to breast.

The mineral difference stems from the higher myoglobin content in dark meat muscles (thigh and drumstick) versus white meat (breast). Myoglobin is an iron-containing protein that gives dark meat its colour. These muscles are used for sustained activity (walking, standing), requiring more iron-based oxygen storage than breast muscles (used for short bursts of flight) ^[2].

For individuals specifically tracking zinc and iron intake — relevant for immune function and red blood cell production — chicken leg quarters offer a meaningful mineral advantage over chicken breast at only slightly higher calorie cost. Two minerals above 20% DV per serving (zinc 23%, selenium 51%) is rare among lean protein sources.

Chicken leg quarters are consistently the least expensive chicken cut in most markets — typically $1.00–$2.00 per pound in the US (compared to $3.50–$5.00 for boneless skinless breast). This makes the leg quarter the highest protein-per-dollar value among all common chicken purchases ^[2].

At $1.50/lb ($3.31/kg), a pound of raw leg quarters yields approximately 280g of cooked meat (~40% is bone and skin waste), providing roughly 468 kcal and 68.7g protein for ~$1.50. The same $1.50 buys approximately 195g of boneless skinless breast (raw), yielding about 160g cooked meat with 51g protein.

For budget-conscious meal prep: leg quarters deliver more total protein per dollar than breast, despite the bone waste. The trade-off is 2–4g more fat per 100g of edible meat and the extra time required for bone removal. Batch-roasting leg quarters and shredding the meat is one of the most cost-effective high-protein meal prep strategies.