A roasted chicken breast with the skin removed is one of the most commonly searched cuts. According to USDA FoodData Central, 100 g of roasted chicken breast meat without skin contains 31.02 g of protein.
If you leave the skin on or eat a different cut, do not keep using 31.02 g. The protein amount changes depending on the cut.
Protein in Chicken Breast
For a roasted chicken breast with the skin removed:
- 100 g roasted chicken breast, skin off = 31.02 g protein
This number applies specifically to cooked, roasted chicken breast meat with the skin removed. If your chicken has the skin on, you need to use a value that includes the skin.
Protein in Thigh, Drumstick, and Wing
Different chicken cuts contain different amounts of protein. The USDA values below are for cooked, roasted chicken:
| Chicken Cut | Skin | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted breast | Skin off | 31.02 g |
| Roasted thigh | Skin off | 24.76 g |
| Roasted drumstick | Skin off | 24.24 g |
| Roasted wing | Skin on | About 23.8 g |
Important: All of these numbers are for cooked chicken. Raw chicken still contains more water, so 100 g of raw chicken is not the same as 100 g after roasting.
If you weighed your chicken after cooking, use a cooked value. If you weighed it before cooking, use a raw value.
How Does 100 g of Chicken Fit Into Your Daily Protein?
How much of your daily protein requirement 100 g of chicken provides depends on your body weight and protein requirement.
The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024 use approximately 0.83 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 65 kg adult, this works out to about 54 g of protein per day.
The UK reference value for a 65 kg adult is approximately 49 g per day, based on 0.75 g per kilogram.
For example, 100 g of roasted chicken breast without skin provides 31.02 g of protein. Against a 54 g daily target, that is a little more than half of the day's protein.
That leaves approximately 23 g of protein to get from the rest of your meals.
Other chicken cuts contain slightly less protein per 100 g, so a greater amount of your daily protein requirement will remain for the rest of the meal.
Why the Weight of Your Chicken Matters
The protein amounts above are based on 100 g of chicken. If your chicken weighs more or less than 100 g, you need to adjust the calculation.
Example: 80 g of Roasted Chicken Breast
If you have 80 g of roasted chicken breast with the skin removed:
31.02 ร 80 รท 100 = approximately 24.8 g of protein
So, 80 g of roasted chicken breast provides approximately 24.8 g of protein.
Example: 150 g of Roasted Chicken Breast
For 150 g of roasted chicken breast:
31.02 ร 150 รท 100 = approximately 46.5 g of protein
So, a 150 g portion provides approximately 46.5 g of protein.
If you treat a 110 g piece as if it were exactly 100 g, your protein calculation will be a few grams off.
What If the Chicken Has Skin?
The 31.02 g protein value is specifically for roasted chicken breast meat with the skin removed.
If the skin is still on your chicken breast, do not use 31.02 g per 100 g. You need a nutrition value that specifically includes the skin.
The USDA wing value listed above already includes the skin, so use that value only when you are eating the skin.
Fried chicken is also different. The coating and oil used during frying are not included in the roasted chicken values above.
Protein in 120 g of Roasted Chicken Breast
A cooked chicken breast weighing 120 g contains more protein than a 100 g portion.
Using the roasted, skinless breast value:
31.02 ร 1.2 = approximately 37 g of protein
So, 120 g of roasted chicken breast with the skin removed provides approximately 37 g of protein.
For a 65 kg adult using the 54 g daily reference amount, that leaves approximately 17 g of protein for the rest of the day.
For comparison, 120 g of roasted chicken thigh with the skin removed provides approximately 30 g of protein, leaving approximately 24 g from the 54 g daily reference amount.
Again, if the chicken breast still has its skin, do not use the 37 g figure because that calculation is specifically for skinless meat.
Adding a Horlicks Protein Sachet to Your Meal
Once you know how much protein is in the chicken you ate, you can add protein from other foods or drinks consumed during the day.
A Horlicks Protein sachet weighs 36 g and provides 24 g of protein. The pack recommends stirring it into 200 ml of cold water or milk.
For example, if you eat 80 g of roasted chicken breast with the skin removed, you get approximately 24.8 g of protein.
Adding one Horlicks Protein sachet gives:
24.8 g from chicken + 24 g from the sachet = approximately 48.8 g protein
That is approximately 49 g of protein in total.
For a 65 kg adult using the 54 g daily reference amount, approximately 5 g of protein would remain for the rest of the day.
What About Horlicks Protein Milkshake?
You can also choose a Horlicks Protein milkshake instead of the sachet.
The 240 ml bottle provides 20 g of ultra-filtered milk protein.
If you combine the milkshake with 80 g of roasted chicken breast:
24.8 g from chicken + 20 g from milkshake = approximately 44.8 g protein
That is approximately 45 g of protein in total.
Against the 54 g daily reference amount for a 65 kg adult, approximately 9 g of protein would remain for the rest of the day.
Key Takeaways
- 100 g of roasted chicken breast, skin off: 31.02 g protein
- 100 g of roasted chicken thigh, skin off: 24.76 g protein
- 100 g of roasted chicken drumstick, skin off: 24.24 g protein
- 100 g of roasted chicken wing, skin on: about 23.8 g protein
- Always check whether your chicken was weighed raw or cooked.
- Do not use the skinless breast value if the breast still has skin.
- If your portion is not 100 g, adjust the protein amount according to its actual weight.
- A Horlicks Protein sachet provides 24 g of protein, which can be added to the protein you get from your meal.
Conclusion
Cooked chicken does not have one universal protein value for every 100 g. The amount changes depending on the chicken cut, whether the skin is included, and whether the meat was weighed raw or after cooking.
For roasted chicken breast with the skin removed, 100 g provides 31.02 g of protein. If your portion is larger or smaller, adjust the calculation according to its actual weight.
If you eat the skin, use a nutrition value that includes the skin rather than using the skinless breast figure.
You can also combine chicken with other protein sources. For example, a 36 g Horlicks Protein sachet provides 24 g of protein, which can be added to the protein from whichever chicken cut you have eaten.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central. Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted. FDC 171477. View source
- USDA FoodData Central. Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, cooked, roasted. FDC 172388. View source
- USDA FoodData Central. Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, drumstick, meat only, cooked, roasted. FDC 172376. View source
- USDA FoodData Central. Chicken, broilers or fryers, wing, meat and skin, cooked, roasted. FDC 173630. View source
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024. View source
- British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition requirements, Reference Nutrient Intake for protein, from the 1991 UK Dietary Reference Values. View source