Ground Chicken Nutrition Calculator — Raw, Cooked & Patty Portions

Raw ground chicken provides 143 kcal per 100g with 17.4g protein and 8.1g fat. Pan-browning concentrates this to 189 kcal per 100g — a 32% calorie increase — as water evaporates and nutrients condense into a smaller mass ^[1]. A 150g raw portion typically yields approximately 113g of cooked crumbles.

Unlike ground beef (which renders out substantial fat into the pan), ground chicken retains most of its fat during cooking because it starts with less fat overall. Research on moisture retention in ground chicken found that its lower fat content leads to greater perceived dryness during cooking, which is why many recipes add binders or oil to maintain texture ^[3].

For accurate tracking: if you weigh before cooking, use the raw variant (143 kcal/100g). If you weigh after cooking, use the pan-browned variant (189 kcal/100g). Mixing these up adds a 32% error in either direction — the equivalent of miscounting an entire meal's worth of calories over a full day of tracking ^[1].

Raw ground chicken delivers 522mg potassium per 100g — 11% of the Daily Value — which is notably higher than many other raw meat products ^[1]. For comparison: raw ground turkey provides ~280mg, raw ground beef (90/10) ~270mg, and raw chicken breast ~256mg per 100g. The potassium content drops to approximately 268mg in cooked crumbles as some potassium leaches into cooking liquid.

This potassium density is partially explained by ground chicken's composition: it typically contains a blend of white and dark meat (with some skin), and dark meat muscle tissue is naturally richer in potassium than white meat. Commercial ground chicken is not standardized to a specific lean ratio the way ground beef is, so potassium can vary by brand ^[1].

A 1-cup serving of cooked ground chicken crumbles (140g) delivers approximately 375mg potassium — comparable to a small banana (362mg) but with 33g protein and zero sugar. For those tracking potassium intake alongside protein, ground chicken offers both in a single ingredient ^[1].

Unlike ground beef — which is legally required to state its lean-to-fat ratio (e.g., 90/10, 80/20) — ground chicken has no standardized labelling requirement for meat blend composition in most markets. A package labelled 'ground chicken' may contain breast only, thigh only, a mix of both, or even ground skin blended into the mixture ^[2].

This creates a wide nutritional range: ground chicken breast (99% lean) has ~110 kcal and 1.2g fat per 100g raw, while standard ground chicken (mixed with dark meat and skin) has 143 kcal and 8.1g fat — a 6.5x difference in fat content from ostensibly the same product. The USDA entry for 'ground chicken' (FDC 171116) represents the standard mixed blend ^[1].

For precise food journaling: check the nutrition panel for fat percentage or look for labels specifying 'ground chicken breast' vs 'ground chicken.' If the package says only 'ground chicken' with 8–9g fat per 100g, it contains dark meat and possibly skin. If it shows 1–2g fat, it is breast-only ^[2].

Per 100g raw: ground chicken (standard mix) has 143 kcal, 17.4g protein, 8.1g fat. Ground turkey (93/7) has 150 kcal, 19.6g protein, 7.7g fat. Ground beef (90/10) has 176 kcal, 20.0g protein, 10.0g fat ^[1]. Ground chicken and turkey are remarkably similar; ground beef has approximately 25% more calories and 23% more fat.

The protein-per-calorie comparison reveals minimal differences: ground chicken delivers 4.88g protein per 100 kcal, ground turkey 5.22g, and ground beef (90/10) 4.55g. The practical implication: for most tracking purposes, ground chicken and ground turkey are interchangeable — the 0.34g protein difference per 100 kcal is within measurement error ^[1].

Where ground chicken differs most is in texture and moisture. Ground chicken has higher water content (73.2%) than ground beef (66.4%), making it softer and more prone to drying during cooking. This is why ground chicken recipes frequently include moisture-retaining ingredients like breadcrumbs, egg, or shredded vegetables ^[3].

Plain ground chicken crumbles are a clean tracking entry — 189 kcal, 23.3g protein, 10.9g fat per 100g cooked, with no carbs ^[1]. But ground chicken is rarely eaten plain. Common recipe additions substantially alter the profile:

Taco seasoning (1 tbsp) adds ~410mg sodium and 4g carbs. Breadcrumbs (2 tbsp per patty) add ~55 kcal and 10g carbs. A beaten egg (per 4 patties) adds ~18 kcal per patty and 1.6g protein. Teriyaki sauce (2 tbsp per pound) adds ~690mg sodium and 6.4g carbs. Each addition individually seems small, but combined they can add 100–150 kcal and 500–1,000mg sodium per serving ^[2].

For accurate logging of recipes containing ground chicken: weigh the cooked meat component separately from sauce, seasoning, and binder additions where possible. If logging a combined dish, note the recipe's total weight and your portion — don't log just the ground chicken amount and ignore everything mixed into it.