How many calories in a chicken breast?
A plain cooked skinless chicken breast is about 165 calories per 100 g — so a medium breast (~170 g cooked) is roughly 280 calories with about 53 g of protein. But the real number swings with four things: size, whether you weigh it raw or cooked, the skin, and how it's cooked. The calculator settles all four.
Chicken breast calorie calculator
USDA dataSet weight, how it's cooked, and skin — get calories and protein. Mind the raw-vs-cooked switch; it moves the number ~25%.
That's 165 cal per 100 g (75% of calories from protein). Cooked weight is ~25% lighter than raw, so the same breast shows more calories per 100 g once cooked.
USDA averages for plain chicken breast; oil, butter, sauces and breading add more. Individual birds vary.
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The short answer — and why it's a range
The number quoted everywhere — 165 calories per 100 g — is for cooked, skinless breast meat, and it's right (USDA puts it at 165 cal, 31 g protein, 3.6 g fat). The trouble is that almost nobody eats exactly 100 g: a supermarket breast filet ranges from a small ~115 g to a large 280 g+, so a single breast lands anywhere from about 140 to 375 calories. That's why a calculator beats a fixed figure.
Calories by weight (cooked, skinless)
| Portion | Calories | Kilojoules | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 165 cal | 690 kJ | 31 g |
| 4 oz (113 g) | 187 cal | 782 kJ | 35 g |
| 5 oz (142 g) | 234 cal | 979 kJ | 44 g |
| 6 oz (170 g) | 280 cal | 1,172 kJ | 53 g |
| 8 oz (227 g) | 375 cal | 1,569 kJ | 70 g |
| Half breast (~85 g) | 140 cal | 586 kJ | 26 g |
| 1 medium breast (~170 g) | 280 cal | 1,172 kJ | 53 g |
| 1 lb (454 g) | 749 cal | 3,134 kJ | 141 g |
Raw weights run about 25% lower in calories per gram — see the next section.
Raw vs cooked — the trap that throws everyone off
This is the single biggest source of wrong numbers. Raw skinless breast is about 120 calories per 100 g; cooked, it's 165. The meat didn't gain calories — it lost water. A 200 g raw breast cooks down to roughly 150 g, so the same calories are now packed into less weight. The fix is simple: weigh it consistently and tell your tracker which you used. Weigh raw, use the raw figure; weigh cooked, use the cooked figure. Mixing them is how a "healthy" meal quietly comes out 25% off.
Skin and cooking method
Plain breast is low-fat, so anything you add to cook it matters more than the method itself. Grilling, baking, roasting and boiling a skinless breast all land near 150–170 cal per 100 g. Leaving the skin on adds roughly 55–100 calories per 100 g (mostly fat), taking roasted skin-on breast to about 197 cal/100 g. Rotisserie breast is similar, a little higher from seasoning and skin. The big jump is breading and deep-frying, which pushes it past 250 cal/100 g and adds carbs. Boneless, skinless, grilled is the lean reference everyone means by default.
Why it's the fitness staple: protein
Chicken breast earns its reputation on the macros. Cooked skinless, it carries about 31 g of protein per 100 g against just 3.6 g of fat and zero carbohydrate — roughly 80% of its calories come from protein. A medium 170 g cooked breast delivers around 53 g of protein for about 280 calories, which is why it's the default lean-protein source in most meal plans.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a chicken breast?
Plain cooked skinless chicken breast is about 165 calories per 100 g (USDA). A whole medium breast of roughly 170 g cooked is around 280 calories with about 53 g of protein. The total depends on size, whether you weigh it raw or cooked, the skin, and how it's cooked.
How many calories in 4 oz of chicken breast?
About 187 calories for 4 oz (113 g) of cooked skinless chicken breast, with roughly 35 g of protein. Raw, the same 4 oz is about 136 calories.
How many calories in 6 oz and 8 oz of chicken breast?
Cooked skinless: about 280 calories for 6 oz (170 g) and about 375 calories for 8 oz (227 g). Protein is roughly 53 g and 70 g respectively.
How many calories in 100 g of chicken breast?
About 165 calories for 100 g of cooked skinless chicken breast (31 g protein, 3.6 g fat), or about 120 calories for 100 g raw.
Does grilling, baking or frying change the calories?
Grilling, baking, roasting and boiling a plain breast all land near 150–170 calories per 100 g. Leaving the skin on adds roughly 55–100 calories per 100 g, and breading and deep-frying pushes it past 250 calories per 100 g.
How much protein is in a chicken breast?
About 31 g of protein per 100 g cooked, so a medium 170 g cooked breast has roughly 53 g — around 80% of its calories come from protein, with almost no fat and zero carbs.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — raw skinless breast ~120 cal & 22.5 g protein per 100 g (FDC 171077); cooked roasted skinless ~165 cal, 31 g protein, 3.6 g fat per 100 g.
- USDA / Healthline — roasted skin-on breast ~197 cal per 100 g; skin adds roughly 55–100 cal per 100 g.
- ~25% water loss on cooking, so cooked weight is more calorie-dense per gram than raw.
- Figures are averages for plain chicken; added oil, butter, sauces and breading increase calories.
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Related
165 a hundred grams is the headline — your breast is whatever it weighs, raw or cooked, skin on or off.