Does chicken breast or tuna have more protein?
Chicken breast, at 31g per 100g versus 29g for tuna.
Chicken breast vs Tuna: Which Has More Protein?
Chicken breast wins on protein: 31g per 100g versus 29g, a gap of 2g. 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 |
| 🐟 Tuna (canned in water) | 29g | 131 |
Per 100g.
What the numbers mean
Chicken breast delivers 31g of protein for 179 calories per 100g. Tuna delivers 29g for 131 calories. If you are counting calories as well as protein, tuna is the leaner choice per 100g.
Protein quality: chicken breast is a complete protein, tuna 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. Extremely lean. Watch mercury if eating daily.
Which should you choose?
- For maximum protein per 100g: chicken breast (31g).
- For the fewest calories per 100g: tuna.
- For everyday practicality, the better choice is the one you will actually eat regularly — the difference between 31g and 29g 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 tuna?
Tuna — 131 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 107g of tuna.
Keep reading
Protein in chicken breast31g per 100g in full detail.Protein in tuna29g 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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