Chicken breast or chicken thigh: which is healthier?

Most readers are choosing a cut for a calorie or protein target. Per 4 oz (113 g) cooked, the breast here has about 188 calories and 36 g of protein, the thigh about 220 calories and 28 g. Breast wins on both.

The table compares skinless meat, and skin changes a thigh most: in eight USDA samples of raw thigh, fat was 13.4 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) with skin and 7.9 g without. A medium grilled thigh, skin on, weighs about 2.8 oz (80 g) against 4.2 oz (120 g) for a medium breast, so one thigh is a smaller portion.

No human study we hold compares thigh with breast, and a Nordic review found the evidence on meat and chronic disease too limited for most conclusions. In 8 randomized trials in 406 adults without chronic disease, LDL cholesterol fell about the same on beef diets as on poultry or fish diets.

Pick the cut you enjoy, and take the skin off if fat is your concern. Cook either to 165 °F (74 °C) on a thermometer, and do not rinse raw chicken. Skipping the rinse is not enough: among 300 home cooks, 15 to 31 percent of salad lettuce was contaminated even when the chicken was not washed, so keep raw chicken away from food you will not cook.

Per 3.5 oz (100 g) cooked, the breast in this table has less saturated fat, 1.0 g against 2.7 g, and the thigh has about three times the iron, 1.4 mg against 0.5 mg. Sliced breast from the deli counter is a different food. USDA lists oven-roasted chicken breast roll at 883 mg of sodium and 14.6 g of protein per 3.5 oz (100 g). The CDC advises pregnant women, adults 65 and older and people with a weakened immune system to eat deli meat only reheated to 165 °F (74 °C) or until steaming hot, because of Listeria.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level E Eight USDA Foundation samples show raw chicken thigh with skin at 13.4 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 7.9 g once the skin is removed, with protein near 17 to 19 g either way. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, FDC 2727567 and thigh boneless skinless raw, release 2026-04-30
2. Level E In the US dietary survey database a medium grilled chicken breast eaten without skin weighs 4.2 oz (120 g) cooked, a small one 105 g and a large one 135 g. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, fdc_id 2705968 (food code 24123301)
3. Level E In the US dietary survey database a medium grilled chicken thigh eaten with the skin weighs 2.8 oz (80 g), a small one 75 g and a large one 105 g. USDA FNDDS, FDC 2706039 (food code 24154010)
4. Level C For most chronic disease outcomes the evidence on meat, poultry included, is too limited to draw conclusions, and no human study in the corpus compares thigh with breast. Food Nutr Res, 2024
5. Level A Swapping beef for poultry or fish did not lower cholesterol further: across 8 randomized trials in 406 people, LDL fell 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish. J Clin Lipidol, 2012
6. Level E USDA FSIS advises cooking chicken, whole or ground, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety
7. Level E USDA FSIS advises cooking poultry, including chicken thighs, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety
8. Level E USDA FSIS advises against washing raw chicken thighs before cooking, because bacteria in raw poultry juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. Chicken from Farm to Table, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
9. Level C When 300 home cooks prepared inoculated chicken thighs and a salad, 15 to 31 percent of the salad lettuce was contaminated, even among people who did not wash the chicken. J Food Prot, 2022
10. Level E Oven-roasted chicken breast roll sold as deli meat lists 883 mg sodium and 14.6 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the USDA table, far more salt and less protein than plain grilled breast. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018), FDC 174608
11. Level E CDC lists pregnant women, adults 65 and older and people with a weakened immune system as at higher risk of Listeria and advises them to avoid unheated deli meat and cold cuts and eat them reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot. US CDC, Preventing Listeria Infection

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Chicken breast: lean protein, with the salt hiding in the deli version
• Chicken thigh: the skin decides the fat, the evidence is about poultry
• Chicken breast or thigh: which has more protein?

Rankings and guides

• Fiber: what it does and how much you need
• Sodium: what it does and how much you need
• Which foods are highest in potassium?
• Chicken breast: full nutrition facts
• Chicken thigh: full nutrition facts

• Chicken breast: USDA FoodData Central, Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, cooked, braised, FDC ID 331960 · full profile · all forms of chicken breast
• Chicken thigh: USDA FoodData Central, Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, cooked, stewed, FDC ID 172389 · full profile · all forms of chicken thigh

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.