Does chicken breast or chicken thigh have more protein?
Chicken breast, at 31g per 100g versus 26g for chicken thigh.
Chicken breast vs Chicken thigh: Which Has More Protein?
Chicken breast wins on protein: 31g per 100g versus 26g, a gap of 5g. Calories and protein quality change the picture, so here is the full comparison.
Head to head, per 100g
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 🐔 Chicken breast (cooked) | 31g | 179 |
| 🍗 Chicken thigh (cooked, no skin) | 26g | 159 |
Per 100g.
What the numbers mean
Chicken breast delivers 31g of protein for 179 calories per 100g. Chicken thigh delivers 26g for 159 calories. If you are counting calories as well as protein, chicken thigh is the leaner choice per 100g.
Protein quality: chicken breast is a complete protein, chicken thigh is a complete protein. Complete proteins carry all nine essential amino acids in useful amounts; incomplete ones are still valuable, they just want a complementary source across the day.
The classic — lean, cheap, complete. Juicier and cheaper than breast — slightly more fat.
Which should you choose?
- For maximum protein per 100g: chicken breast (31g).
- For the fewest calories per 100g: chicken thigh.
- For everyday practicality, the better choice is the one you will actually eat regularly — the difference between 31g and 26g matters far less than consistency across the week.
- Mixing both across the week covers a wider spread of micronutrients than committing to one.
Add up your whole meal
Type what you ate in plain words and Protein Hunter returns protein and calories for the full plate.
Try the Protein CalculatorCommon questions
Which has fewer calories, chicken breast or chicken thigh?
Chicken thigh — 159 calories per 100g versus 179.
Can I swap one for the other in a recipe?
Usually yes, but adjust the weight so the protein matches. To replace 100g of chicken breast you need about 119g of chicken thigh.
Keep reading
Protein in chicken breast31g per 100g in full detail.Protein in chicken thigh26g per 100g in full detail.Compare any two foodsSearch the full protein database.What is Protein Hunter?
Protein Hunter is a protein and nutrition app with a database of 232 foods — from a leaf of kale to a wagyu steak — plus AI tools that answer protein questions, count a whole meal, build recipes to a macro target, and track what you actually eat.
- Search any food
- Count a full meal
- Recipes to your macros
- Scan a plate or label
Why it's different: the numbers are calculated from a fixed ingredient database rather than guessed, and when a target is not physically achievable the app says so instead of inventing a figure.
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