Chicken vs tofu: which has more protein?
Full comparison · Protein · Calories
Chicken has more protein: 31 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) of chicken vs 17.3 g in tofu (1.8× as much).
USDA FoodData Central.
| Chicken | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 3.5 oz (100 g) | 31 g | 17.3 g |
| Per serving | 35.2 g in 4 oz (113 g) | 21.8 g in 0.5 cup (4.4 oz, 126 g) |
| Per 100 calories | 18.8 g | 12 g |
| To get 30 g of protein | 3.4 oz (97 g), about 0.9 × 4 oz | 6.1 oz (174 g), about 1.4 × 0.5 cup |
Protein per calorie
Per 100 calories, chicken gives 18.8 g of protein and tofu 12 g. This is the number that matters when you are fitting protein into a calorie budget, and it can rank foods differently from grams per 3.5 oz (100 g).
What the numbers don't tell you
Can tofu replace chicken as a meal's protein? Yes. Per ounce, roasted chicken breast has about 1.8 times the protein of firm tofu, so plan on about 7 oz (200 g) of tofu to match 4 oz (113 g) of chicken. In 9 resistance-training trials, strength and lean mass rose as much on soy protein as on other proteins.
In a meta-analysis, about 25 g of soy protein a day in place of other proteins lowered LDL cholesterol by 4.76 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L) over a median 6 weeks. That is about 5.1 oz (145 g) of this tofu. A trial of the tofu product Kori-tofu found no significant effect against control.
Cook chicken to 165 °F (74 °C) on a food thermometer and do not wash it raw: USDA says rinsing spreads bacteria to other foods, utensils and surfaces. In Italian data, Campylobacter was on 62 percent of chicken skin samples. Soy is one of the nine major US food allergens. Across 18 trials, soy supplements left thyroid hormones unchanged and raised TSH only slightly. The levothyroxine label says soybean flour may lower the drug's absorption. It does not name tofu, so ask your prescriber. The label for the selegiline patch EMSAM at 9 mg/24 h or more lists tofu among soybean products to avoid.
Choose by taste, and serve more tofu.
Per calorie the gap narrows. This chicken breast gives about 19 g of protein per 100 calories and this firm tofu about 12 g. For strength training the source mattered little: across 9 trials, strength and lean mass rose as much on soy protein as on other proteins.
Evidence behind this note
- Level A Across 9 trials with 266 people doing resistance training, soy protein built strength and lean mass as well as whey, beef or milk protein. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2018
- Level A Across 41 trials, about 25 g soy protein a day for a median 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 4.76 mg/dL against other proteins. J Nutr, 2019
- Level B The one trial that fed people tofu itself found its cholesterol improvements happened in the control group too. Nutrients, 2022
- Level E USDA FSIS advises cooking whole and ground chicken and other poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety
- Level E The agency responsible for US poultry safety tells people not to wash raw chicken, because rinsing spreads the bacteria instead of removing them. Chicken from Farm to Table, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Level C Italian data from 48 studies found Campylobacter on 62% of chicken skin samples and 20% of meat samples. Vet Med Sci, 2026
- Level E FDA lists soybeans among the nine major food allergens in the United States, together with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and sesame. US FDA, Food Allergies
- Level A Across 18 RCTs, soy did not change thyroid hormones and raised TSH by only 0.25 mIU/L. Sci Rep, 2019
- Level E The FDA label for levothyroxine says soybean flour may bind the drug and cut its absorption from the gut. Tofu is a soy food but the label does not name it. Levothyroxine sodium tablets, FDA-approved label, section 7.9, effective 2026-03-24
- Level E The FDA label for transdermal selegiline (EMSAM) at 9 mg/24 h or more names tofu among the soybean products to avoid because of tyramine. EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system), FDA-approved label, sections 2.3 and 7.2 (Table 5)
- Level E Frying steamed tofu takes it from 73 to 261 calories and from 4.2 to 17.7 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) in UK data. CoFID 2021, Public Health England
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Chicken or tofu: a small cholesterol gap and a big protein gap
- Chicken: the iron it blocks, and the washing you skip
- Tofu: the label America wrote and then took back
What the studies say
Rankings and guides
- Which foods are highest in protein?
- Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
- How much protein do you need per day?
- Protein: what it does and how much you need
- Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
- Chicken: full nutrition facts
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Chicken: USDA FoodData Central, Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted, FDC ID 171477 · full profile · all forms of chicken
- Tofu: USDA FoodData Central, Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate, FDC ID 172475 · all forms of tofu
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.