Quail Meat Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Quail meat (with skin) provides 4.0mg iron per 100g — 22% of the 18mg daily value. This is substantially higher than raw chicken breast (0.37mg, 2% DV), chicken thigh (0.60mg), turkey breast (0.37mg), and duck meat only (2.4mg). Among common poultry, only dark-meat game birds like pigeon (3.5mg) approach quail's iron content. Quail's iron density is comparable to beef round steak (2.6mg) and higher than pork loin (1.0mg) ^[1][2].

Per whole quail (meat+skin, ~110g): 4.4mg iron (24% DV). Per 2 quail (~220g): 8.8mg iron (49% DV) — nearly half the daily requirement from a single meal. The iron in quail is predominantly heme iron (the more bioavailable form), with approximately 40% absorption rate vs. ~10% for non-heme iron from plant sources ^[1][3].

Skinless quail meat has slightly more concentrated iron at 4.33mg per 100g because the skin contains relatively less iron than the muscle tissue. Roasting concentrates iron further to approximately 5.2mg per 100g due to water loss during cooking.

The skin-on vs. skin-off difference in quail is pronounced: meat+skin delivers 192 kcal with 19.6g protein, while meat only provides 134 kcal with 22.0g protein. The 58-calorie reduction (30%) comes from removing 7.5g of fat carried in and under the skin. The protein-to-calorie efficiency improves from 9.8 kcal/g protein (skin-on) to 6.1 kcal/g protein (skin-off) ^[1][2].

For comparison, the skin-on vs. skin-off difference in chicken breast is smaller (~20% calorie reduction) because chicken breast skin is thinner relative to the meat mass. Quail, being a much smaller bird, has a higher skin-to-meat ratio, making skin removal proportionally more impactful ^[2][4].

Roasted quail meat only has 27.9g protein per 100g at 170 kcal — an efficiency of 6.1 kcal per gram of protein, approaching chicken breast roasted (165 kcal, 31g protein, 5.3 kcal/g protein). For protein-focused food journaling, skinless roasted quail is competitive with chicken breast as a lean protein source.

Quail provides 7.53mg niacin per 100g (47% DV) and 0.60mg vitamin B6 (35% DV) — both among the highest of common poultry meats. Chicken breast has 12.3mg niacin and 0.53mg B6 per 100g (raw), but quail delivers these at a higher per-serving concentration given that most people eat an entire quail (~110g) vs. a partial chicken breast ^[1][2].

Per whole quail (~110g): 8.3mg niacin (52% DV) and 0.66mg B6 (39% DV). Additional B-vitamins include thiamine at 0.24mg (20% DV), riboflavin at 0.26mg (20% DV), and vitamin B12 at 0.43mcg (18% DV). The combined B-vitamin density means a single quail provides meaningful contributions to five different B-vitamin daily values simultaneously ^[1][3].

Vitamin A in quail is notable at 73mcg RAE per 100g (8% DV) — substantially higher than chicken breast (7mcg) or turkey breast (7mcg). Quail also provides 6.1mg vitamin C (7% DV), which is unusual for a meat — most poultry meats have zero or trace vitamin C.

Quail delivers 2.42mg zinc per 100g (22% DV) — approximately 3.6x the zinc in raw chicken breast (0.68mg) and 60% more than chicken thigh (1.50mg). Per whole quail (~110g): 2.66mg zinc (24% DV). Selenium at 16.6mcg (30% DV) per 100g is comparable to chicken breast (27.6mcg) on a per-calorie basis ^[1][2].

Copper is another standout: 0.51mg per 100g (56% DV) — one of the highest copper concentrations among poultry meats. Chicken breast has only 0.04mg copper, and turkey breast 0.06mg. Per whole quail: 0.56mg copper (62% DV) — a meaningful contribution to this often-underconsumed trace mineral ^[1][3].

Phosphorus at 275mg per 100g (22% DV) is higher than chicken breast (228mg), and magnesium at 23mg is comparable. The combined mineral profile — high iron, zinc, copper, selenium, and phosphorus — distinguishes quail from the more nutritionally 'average' profiles of chicken and turkey.

A key practical advantage of quail for food journaling is its built-in portion control: one whole quail (meat+skin, ~110g edible) provides approximately 211 kcal, 21.6g protein, 13.3g fat, 4.4mg iron, 2.66mg zinc, and 8.3mg niacin. This is a natural single serving — no cutting, weighing, or estimating required. Compare to chicken, where a 'serving' must be measured and can range from 100g to 300g+ ^[1][2].

For a two-quail meal (~220g): 422 kcal, 43.2g protein, 8.8mg iron (49% DV), 5.3mg zinc (48% DV), 16.6mg niacin (104% DV). This single meal provides nearly half the daily iron requirement and all the niacin needed for the day ^[1].

The small size also means quail cooks quickly and evenly, reducing nutrient loss from prolonged heat exposure. Grilling or roasting a whole quail takes 15–20 minutes vs. 30–45 minutes for a chicken breast, preserving more heat-sensitive B-vitamins. For food journaling: log 1 quail = approximately 110g (skin-on) or 80g (meat only).