Is Chicken High in Protein?

Yes. Chicken breast carries about 26g of protein per 3 oz cooked, one of the highest protein-to-calorie ratios of any common meat, which is most of why it’s the default protein in high-protein cooking.

The actual numbers

Per 3 oz cooked, chicken breast runs about 26g of protein for roughly 140 calories. Thigh meat and ground chicken both carry real protein too, around 21 to 22g for the same serving, just with more fat alongside it. For the full cut-by-cut comparison, see High-Protein Meats.

Where it shows up in real cooking

Chicken is the single most common protein on this site, from air fryer chicken thighs to grilled chicken thighs to crockpot chicken, covering nearly every cooking method.

FAQ

Does chicken thigh have as much protein as chicken breast?

Less, but not by a huge margin. Thigh meat runs about 21g of protein per 3 oz cooked against breast meat’s 26g. The bigger difference is fat, thigh carries meaningfully more of it, which is most of why breast meat gets singled out for protein-per-calorie.

Does the skin change how much protein chicken has?

No. Skin adds fat and calories, not protein. Removing it lowers the calorie count of a serving without meaningfully changing the protein number underneath.

See everything tagged chicken, or browse the full High-Protein Meats guide for how every cut compares.