Chicken breast or turkey breast: two lean cuts that the data barely tells apart

In a crossover trial in 12 healthy adults in Singapore, adding chicken breast to white rice lowered the glycemic index of the meal from 96 to 73, while also raising the insulin response, in single test meals whose chicken amount the abstract does not give. That is about as firm as the evidence gets here. No study we found compares chicken breast with turkey breast for any health outcome, and there is no meta-analysis on either. What we can compare is the plate. In the UK composition table, grilled skinless chicken breast gives 148 calories, 32.0 g protein and 2.2 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), and grilled turkey breast fillet gives 155 calories, 35.0 g protein and 1.7 g fat. Turkey carries 1.7 mg zinc against 0.8 mg and 1.0 mcg vitamin B12 against a trace. These are two single rows from different samples, and nobody has checked whether the gaps are bigger than normal variation between birds.

How much is actually in it

• Grilled skinless chicken breast in the UK composition table gives 148 calories, 32.0 g protein and 2.2 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g). — CoFID 2021 food code 18-323, Chicken, breast, grilled without skin, meat only Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 148 calories, protein 32.0 g, fat 2.2 g, cholesterol 94 mg, iron 0.40 mg, zinc 0.8 mg, selenium 16 ug, niacin 15.8 mg, vitamin B12 trace
• Grilled turkey breast fillet in the same UK table gives 155 calories, 35.0 g protein and 1.7 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), with about twice the zinc of chicken breast. — CoFID 2021 food code 18-356, Turkey, breast, fillet, grilled, meat only Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 155 calories, protein 35.0 g, fat 1.7 g, cholesterol 74 mg, iron 0.60 mg, zinc 1.7 mg, selenium 17 ug, niacin 14.0 mg, vitamin B12 1.0 ug
• In broilers, 3.5 oz (100 g) of breast meat supplied 26, 41 or 220 ug selenium depending on how much selenium was added to the feed. — 128 broiler chickens on four selenium feed levels (n = 128) Evidence D source
  100 g breast: 26 ug (0.15 mg Se/kg feed), 41 ug (0.3 mg/kg), 220 ug (3 mg/kg)

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey a medium grilled chicken breast is coded as 120 g and one ounce as 28 g. Turkey breast has no separate survey code. — USDA FNDDS food code 24123301, Chicken breast, grilled without sauce, skin not eaten Evidence E source
  1 small breast 105 g, 1 medium breast 120 g, 1 large breast 135 g, 1 cup diced 135 g, 1 oz 28 g
• In the 12-week RCT in older Japanese women, the chicken arms ate one steamed chicken breast portion of 164 calories and 22.5 g protein three times a week for 12 weeks. — older women in the high protein arms of a 12-week RCT in Japan Evidence B source
  164 calories and 22.5 g protein per portion, 3 times per week, 36 intakes in total

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial in healthy volunteers, a chicken breast meal raised a whole spectrum of di- and tripeptides in blood in a dose-dependent manner. — healthy human volunteers, randomized crossover protein meal study Evidence B source
  Dose-dependent postprandial rise of plasma dipeptides and tripeptides; pattern not explained by PEPT1 substrate affinity

What cooking and storage change

• Cross-sectional data in 65 older adults link sous vide and confit chicken breast with shorter chewing-to-swallowing time than boiled chicken, but only in those without oral frailty. — 65 community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older (n = 65) Evidence C source
  Without oral frailty: sous vide beta -1.06 (p < 0.001), confit beta -1.79 (p = 0.003) vs boiled; with oral frailty: no difference between methods

What it does to your health

• In a crossover trial in 12 healthy adults, adding chicken breast to white rice lowered the meal glycemic index from 96 to 73. — 12 healthy volunteers in Singapore, single test meals at 1-week intervals (n = 12) Evidence B source
  GI white rice alone 96; with chicken breast 73; with chicken, oil and vegetable 50; chicken raised the insulin response
• In a 12-week RCT in 93 older women, resistance training alone raised pulse wave velocity by 4.9% while training plus steamed chicken breast kept it at -2.4%, close to control. — 93 elderly women aged 67.2 +/- 5.3 years in Japan, randomized to control, high protein, resistance training or both for 12 weeks (n = 93) Evidence B source
  CfPWV change: RT +4.9 +/- 12.7%, RT plus chicken -2.4 +/- 9.3%, control -2.5 +/- 5.9%
• Observational data from a controlled feeding trial in 52 adults link choosing chicken at dinner instead of beef or seafood with larger blood pressure reductions. — 52 adults aged 49 +/- 11 years with two or more metabolic syndrome features, 12-week Mediterranean-style feeding trial in the USA (n = 52) Evidence C source
  More frequent chicken associated with greater SBP reduction (p = 0.034 vs beef, p = 0.047 vs seafood) and DBP reduction (p = 0.021, p = 0.043); no association with lipids

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a 2002 US multistate listeriosis outbreak, patients had higher odds of eating deli turkey breast (OR 4.5), and 3 pregnant women had fetal deaths. — 54 outbreak case patients in 9 US states; case-control analysis of 38 cases and 53 controls (n = 91) Evidence C source
  Deli turkey breast eaten more than 1-2 times in 4 weeks: 55% of cases vs 28% of controls, OR 4.5 (95% CI 1.3-17.1); 8 deaths, 3 fetal deaths
• A US retail survey found Campylobacter on 1.9% of 209 skinless boneless chicken breasts, below quantification limits in all samples. — 209 retail skinless boneless chicken breasts processed in at least eight US states (n = 209) Evidence C source
  Campylobacter prevalence 1.9% (C. jejuni in 4 samples); not detected by spread plating or viability qPCR
• USDA FSIS advises cooking chicken and turkey, whole or ground, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. — consumers cooking poultry, USA Evidence E source
  165 °F for whole and ground poultry
• 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. — people at higher risk of listeriosis: pregnant women, adults 65 and older, people with a weakened immune system Evidence E source
  Avoid unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs and fermented or dry sausages, eat them reheated to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a Spanish survey of 330 people, 71.3% preferred to buy a product without additives and 78.2% saw additive-free products as more natural. — 330 survey respondents, University of Murcia online survey, 2023 (n = 330) Evidence C source
  71.3% prefer additive-free, 26.1% indifferent, 78.2% perceive additive-free as more natural

The bottom line

Pick the one you like and can buy. Composition also moves with how the bird was fed. In a feeding trial in 128 broilers, 3.5 oz (100 g) of breast supplied 26, 41 or 220 mcg of selenium depending on the selenium in the feed, so a table value is a typical figure and not a promise. The US survey codes a medium grilled chicken breast at 120 g. Turkey breast has no separate survey code. A 12 week randomized trial enrolled 93 Japanese women with a mean age of 67. Resistance training alone raised arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity) by 4.9%, while training plus a steamed chicken breast of 22.5 g protein three times a week left it at -2.4%, close to the -2.5% of the control group. This was a secondary analysis, it did not separate the chicken from the protein, and other researchers have published criticism of its methods. In 52 adults with features of metabolic syndrome, choosing chicken at dinner instead of beef or seafood went with larger drops in blood pressure, but the choice was not randomized, so it is an association. Among 65 older adults without chewing problems, sous vide and confit chicken breast were swallowed sooner than boiled, and cooking method made no difference for those with oral frailty. That study timed chewing, not germs, and we have no card on the cooking temperature that makes chicken safe, so it is not a reason to cook breast sous vide. Who should be careful. Ready-to-eat deli turkey breast was the food linked to a listeriosis outbreak. In a 2002 US listeriosis outbreak, patients had 4.5 times the odds of having eaten deli turkey breast more than once or twice in four weeks (95% CI 1.3 to 17.1), and there were 8 deaths and 3 fetal deaths. That finding is about ready-to-eat sliced meat, not a breast you cook yourself. The deaths were not only in pregnancy, and our card does not say which other groups were hit or whether heating the slices lowers the risk, so this page cannot give that step. A US retail survey found Campylobacter on 1.9% of 209 skinless boneless chicken breasts, a single snapshot of shop shelves. We have no card on allergy, children or medicines. The preference of 71.3% of 330 Spanish shoppers for additive-free products is an opinion survey and measured no health effect.

Sources

1. cbtb-daily-r2-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 18-323 Chicken, breast, grilled without skin, meat only: Energy 148 kcal · Protein 32.0 g · Fat 2.2 g · Cholesterol 94.0 mg · Iron 0.40 mg · Zinc 0.8 mg · Selenium 16 µg · Niacin 15.8 mg · Vitamin B12 Tr
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 18-323 · checked 2026-09-30
2. cbtb-daily-r2-02 · reference dataset
   CoFID 18-356 Turkey, breast, fillet, grilled, meat only: Energy 155 kcal · Protein 35.0 g · Fat 1.7 g · Cholesterol 74.0 mg · Iron 0.60 mg · Zinc 1.7 mg · Selenium 17 µg · Niacin 14.0 mg · Vitamin B12 1.0 µg
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 18-356 · checked 2026-09-30
3. cbtb-daily-r2-13 · animal feeding trial
   Consumption of 100 g of breast meat from chickens fed diets supplemented with 0.15, 0.3 and 3 mg Se per kg of diet can provide 26, 41 and 220 μg of Se, respectively.
   J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
4. cbtb-daily-r2-03 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2705968 Chicken breast, grilled without sauce, skin not eaten: 1 small breast 105 g · 1 medium breast 120 g · 1 large breast 135 g · 1 cup, cooked, diced 135 g · 1 oz, cooked 28 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, fdc_id 2705968 (food code 24123301) · checked 2026-09-30
5. cbtb-daily-r2-07 · randomized controlled trial
   As a high‐protein food, a steamed chicken breast (Energy: 164 kcal; Protein: 22.5 g, Itoham Foods Inc., Hyogo, Japan) were used in this study. The participants in the HP and RT + HP groups consumed food three times/week on alternate days for 12 weeks.
   J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
6. cbtb-daily-r2-04 · randomized crossover trial
   The findings demonstrate postprandial changes of a whole spectrum of dipeptides of different size, charge, and polarity in peripheral blood in a dose-dependent manner after consumption of chicken breast in healthy human volunteers.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2019 · checked 2026-09-30
7. cbtb-daily-r2-09 · cross-sectional study
   No differences in chewing-to-swallowing time were found for chicken prepared using the various cooking methods among older adults with oral frailty (all p > 0.05). However, for older adults without oral frailty had a shorter chewing-to-swallowing time for both sous vide (β = -1.06, p < 0.001) and confit chicken (β = -1.79, p = 0.003) than for boiled chicken.
   J Oral Rehabil, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
8. cbtb-daily-r2-05 · randomized crossover trial
   The glycaemic index (GI) of pure white rice was 96, whereas combined with chicken breast, ground nut oil and vegetable, it was 50. The addition of oil delayed the peak glucose response and reduced the iAUC, resulting in a GI value of 67. The addition of chicken and vegetable resulted in a GI value of 73 and 82, respectively.
   Eur J Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-30
9. cbtb-daily-r2-06 · randomized controlled trial
   Percent changes in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid β-stiffness (indices of arterial stiffness), and circulating angiotensin II (a vasoconstrictor peptide hormone) levels via each intervention were significantly higher in the RT group (4.9 ± 12.7%, 13.8 ± 13.5%, 94.9 ± 132.7%, respectively), as compared with the CON group (-2.5 ± 5.9%, 0.2 ± 8.1%, 21.2 ± 79.3%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Of note, no significant differences in the cfPWV, carotid β-stiffness, and circulating angiotensin II levels between the RT + HP (-2.4 ± 9.3%, 2.4 ± 10.3%, -5.7 ± 29.6%, respectively) and CON groups were observed.
   J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
10. cbtb-daily-r2-08 · post hoc observational analysis
    More frequent consumption of chicken at dinner, in place of beef and seafood, was associated with greater reductions in SBP (p = 0.034 and p = 0.047 for replacing beef and seafood, respectively) and DBP (p = 0.021 and p = 0.043, respectively).
    Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
11. cbtb-daily-r2-10 · case-control study
    Fifty-four case patients were identified; 8 died, and 3 pregnant women had fetal deaths. The case-control study included 38 case patients and 53 control patients. Case patients consumed turkey deli meat much more frequently than did control patients (P = .008, by Wilcoxon rank-sum test). In the 4 weeks before illness, 55% of case patients had eaten deli turkey breast more than 1-2 times, compared with 28% of control patients (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-17.1).
    Clin Infect Dis, 2006 · checked 2026-09-30
12. cbtb-daily-r2-11 · prevalence survey
    Culture-based enrichment yielded isolates for 15 samples, with whole genome sequencing identifying isolates from four samples as C. jejuni, eight samples as Acinetobacter spp., one as Micrococcus luteus, and one as Escherichia coli, resulting in a 1.9% prevalence of Campylobacter on retail skinless boneless chicken breast.
    J Food Prot, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
13. sf-fsis3-4 · agency advice
    FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer...Cook ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
    USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
14. sf-lis-r1-7 · agency advice
    You may be at higher risk if you are in one of the following groups: Women who are pregnant ... People who are 65 years or older ... People who have a weakened immune system ... Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages ... Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot
    US CDC, Preventing Listeria Infection · checked 2026-10-08
15. cbtb-daily-r2-12 · consumer survey
    71.3% of the respondents preferred to buy a product without additives, while only 26.1% were indifferent to the presence of additives. Additionally, 78.2% of the respondents viewed a product as more “natural” if it did not contain additives.
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30