Chicken breast — skinless, cooked: how many calories?

Chicken breast — skinless, cooked carries 165 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (120 g) comes to 198 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g165kcal
  • Protein31.0 g
  • Carbs0.0 g
  • Fat3.6 g
  • Fibre0.0 g
1 portion · 120 g198kcal
  • Protein37.2 g
  • Carbs0.0 g
  • Fat4.3 g
  • Fibre0.0 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 79%
  • Carbs 0%
  • Fat 21%

These percentages come from calories, not from grams: a gram of protein or carbohydrate counts as 4 calories, a gram of fat as 9. Alcohol is left out of the sum, fibre is counted with the carbohydrate, and the total always lands on one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Chicken breast — skinless, cooked carries 1.6 calories per gram: 100 calories work out to 61 grams. This is the band of bread and dry grains; one slice too many is both visible and noticeable in the total.

A typical portion is 120 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Chicken breast — skinless, cooked that means understating the calories by 17%.

In calories, one portion (120 g · 198 kcal) comes to: 124 g Avocado. Avocado page

One portion every day adds up to 72,270 calories a year — roughly a 9.4 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

The cooking method is decisive here: boiling barely changes the calories per gram, while frying adds fat and can load 50-90 calories onto 100 grams.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Tablespoon (15 ml)8.3 g14 kcal2.6 g
Small glass (100 ml)55 g91 kcal17.1 g
Glass (200 ml)110 g182 kcal34.1 g
US cup (240 ml)132 g218 kcal40.9 g
Bowl (300 ml)165 g272 kcal51.1 g
1 serving120 g198 kcal37.2 g

A cup measures 200 millilitres, not 200 grams; the grams in the table therefore come from the food's own bulk density rather than from volume. Packing the cup down or chopping more finely shifts the figure by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 120 g
Calories2,000 kcal8%10%
Fat70 g5%6%
Carbs260 g0%0%
Protein50 g62%74%
Fibre25 g0%0%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 9 of the 13 foods in the Meat, fish and legumes group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 156 kcal; Chicken breast — skinless, cooked is 6% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 120 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
Shrimp — cookedGood swap119 kcal−79 kcal28.8 g
Tuna — in waterGood swap139 kcal−59 kcal31.2 g
Turkey breast — cookedGood swap162 kcal−36 kcal36.0 g

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (120 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)49 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)22 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h28 min

The times are for someone weighing 70 kilos and use NET burn: the resting calories that would have been spent anyway over the same period are subtracted. The heavier the person, the shorter the time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Chicken breast — skinless, cooked meets 1 of them:

  • High protein75% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 20%

A claim on a label rests on that product's OWN laboratory analysis, whereas the numbers here come from average composition tables. The list is therefore not a permit but an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks, the calorie and fat thresholds are set per 100 millilitres and are lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.