Chicken drumstick: what the leg gives and what raw chicken carries

In a meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials in 406 healthy adults, eating poultry or fish instead of beef made no significant difference to LDL cholesterol, which fell by 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish, P = .905. Those trials pooled poultry with fish and mostly used lean cuts, so none of them tested a drumstick. A later randomized crossover in 113 generally healthy adults, 4 weeks per diet, found that white meat raised LDL cholesterol and apoB as much as red meat did, compared with plant protein. The white meat was mostly chicken, and the abstract does not name the cut. What the drumstick itself offers comes from tables. Roasted meat without skin has 152 calories, 26.6 g protein and 5.1 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the UK composition data. Eating the skin takes fat to 9.1 g and energy to 185 calories. A medium drumstick is 2.3 oz (65 g) of edible meat off the bone.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK composition tables list roasted chicken drumstick meat without skin at 152 calories, 26.6 g protein and 5.1 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 2.5 mg zinc and 17 micrograms selenium. — Chicken, drumsticks, roasted, meat only (CoFID 18-334) Evidence E source
  152 calories, protein 26.6 g, fat 5.1 g, saturated fat 1.4 g, cholesterol 135 mg, sodium 170 mg, zinc 2.5 mg, selenium 17 mcg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Eating the skin with a roasted drumstick raises fat from 5.1 g to 9.1 g and energy from 152 to 185 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the UK composition table. — Chicken, drumsticks, roasted, meat and skin (CoFID 18-335) vs meat only (18-334) Evidence E source
  With skin: 185 calories, fat 9.1 g, saturated fat 2.5 g, protein 25.8 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• USDA Foundation samples put raw drumstick with skin at about 18.4 g protein and 95 mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz (100 g), with protein ranging 17.2 to 24.6 g across samples. — Chicken, drumstick, meat and skin, raw (USDA Foundation FDC 2727566) (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Protein 18.356 g (Foundation samples 17.194-24.6), cholesterol 94.55 mg (88.6-135), zinc 1.7 mg (1.57-2.78) per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey database a medium stewed chicken drumstick is 2.3 oz (65 g) of edible meat, a small one 50 g and a large one 90 g. — Chicken drumstick, stewed, skin eaten (FNDDS 24143210) Evidence E source
  Small 50 g, medium 65 g, large 90 g, 1 cup diced 135 g, 1 oz 28 g; rotisserie drumstick 60 g (FNDDS 24142400)

What your body absorbs

• In 11 men, about a quarter to a third of the zinc in a chicken meat sandwich was absorbed, and whole wheat bread did not significantly lower it compared with white bread. — Fasted adult men, single chicken sandwich meals, stable-isotope zinc labels (n = 11) Evidence B source
  True zinc absorption 33.6% (white bread) vs 25.4% (whole wheat), not significant
• A scoping review of 77 studies found that adding meat, poultry or fish to a plant-based meal consistently raised iron and zinc absorption, with no clear difference between them. — 52 human and 24 animal studies (plus 1 both) up to September 2021 (n = 77 studies) Evidence C source
  Increased iron and zinc absorption from single plant meals; effect across whole diet less clear

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for roasted chicken, zinc stays at 100 percent and iron at 90 percent, while vitamin B12 drops to 65 percent and thiamin to 70 percent. — Poultry Products group (USDA code 5), CHICKEN,ROASTED; factor set on the group, not on drumstick by name Evidence E source
  Retained: zinc 100%, iron 90%, niacin 80%, B6 80%, thiamin 70%, B12 65%, folate 60%

What it does to your health

• In a randomized crossover trial of 113 adults eating each diet for 4 weeks, white meat raised LDL cholesterol as much as red meat did, compared with plant protein. — Generally healthy men and women aged 21-65, BMI 20-35, 61 on high and 52 on low saturated fat (n = 113) Evidence B source
  LDL and apoB higher with red and white meat than nonmeat (P < 0.0001); red vs white not different

Safety, limits and interactions

• Pooling 131 surveys, about half of poultry products tested carried Campylobacter, 51.9 percent. — Cross-sectional food surveys worldwide, 131 articles (n = 131 studies) Evidence C source
  Campylobacter prevalence 51.9% (95% CI 47.0 to 56.7) in poultry products
• In France in 2015-2016, 44 of 48 retail chicken legs carried E. coli resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. — 48 unrelated retail chicken legs from four brands, France, Oct 2015 to Jan 2016 (n = 48) Evidence C source
  44 of 48 (91.7%) positive for ESC-resistant E. coli
• A systematic review of 30 studies found mercury in poultry meat and eggs above regulatory limits of 0.02 to 0.05 mg per kg in 12 of 17 countries. — 30 studies of poultry meat and eggs from 17 countries (n = 30 studies) Evidence C source
  Levels above 0.02-0.05 mg/kg limits in 12 of 17 countries; highest in eggs from Colombia
• USDA FSIS advises cooking whole chicken to 165 °F (74 °C) and checking the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. — consumers cooking poultry, USA Evidence E source
  165 °F, checked in the innermost thigh and wing
• USDA FSIS advises against washing raw chicken drumsticks before cooking, because bacteria in raw poultry juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. — US consumers handling raw poultry at home Evidence E source
  Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended; it spreads bacteria from poultry juices to other foods, utensils and surfaces

What people believe that the data does not support

• Across 8 randomized trials in 406 healthy adults, eating poultry or fish instead of beef made no significant difference to LDL cholesterol, which fell by about 8 to 9 mg/dL with either. — Adults free of chronic disease in 8 RCTs published 1950-2010 (n = 406) Evidence A source
  LDL change -8.2 mg/dL (beef) vs -8.9 mg/dL (poultry/fish), P = .905

Who this works differently for

• In a week-long crossover diet study in 15 healthy adults, the calcium oxalate saturation index was lower on chicken than on beef, 1.67 against 2.48 (p = 0.02). — Healthy adults, 1-week metabolic diet phases with beef, chicken or fish (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Calcium oxalate saturation index 1.67 (chicken) vs 2.48 (beef), p = 0.02; urinary uric acid 641 vs 638 mg/day

The bottom line

The zinc in chicken is fairly well used. In 11 men eating a single chicken sandwich, 33.6 percent of the zinc was absorbed with white bread and 25.4 percent with whole wheat, a gap that did not reach significance, and the chicken cut was not stated. A scoping review of 77 human and animal studies found that meat, poultry and fish raised iron and zinc absorption from a plant meal to a similar degree. It gave no pooled size, and the effect over a whole diet is less clear. By the USDA retention factor for roasted chicken as a group, roasting keeps 100 percent of the zinc and 90 percent of the iron, while vitamin B12 stays at 65 percent and thiamin at 70. For kidney stones there is one small signal. In 15 healthy volunteers eating each protein for a week, the calcium oxalate saturation index was 1.67 on chicken against 2.48 on beef, p = 0.02, and none of them had ever formed stones. The cautions sit with raw meat. Across 131 surveys, 51.9 percent of raw poultry products carried Campylobacter (95% CI 47.0 to 56.7), a measure of contamination with all cuts pooled, which says nothing direct about illness. In France, 44 of 48 retail chicken legs from four brands carried E. coli resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, in one country and a small sample. A review of 30 studies found mercury in poultry meat and eggs above regulatory limits in 12 of 17 countries, with no pooled estimate and samples dominated by eggs and liver. These cards measure contamination only: we have no card on the cooking temperature that makes a drumstick safe, or on keeping raw chicken away from ready food, so this page cannot give those steps. We have no card on pregnancy, young children or medicines for chicken, so this page cannot speak to them.

Sources

1. cdr-r6-01 · CoFID, dataset
   Chicken, drumsticks, roasted, meat only (CoFID 18-334): Energy 152 kcal; Protein 26.6 g; Fat 5.1 g; Satd FA 1.40 g; Cholesterol 135 mg; Sodium 170 mg; Zinc 2.5 mg; Selenium 17 µg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 18-334 (OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-29
2. cdr-r6-02 · CoFID, dataset
   Chicken, drumsticks, roasted, meat and skin (CoFID 18-335): Energy 185 kcal; Fat 9.1 g; Satd FA 2.50 g; Protein 25.8 g; Cholesterol 135 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 18-335 (OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-29
3. cdr-r6-03 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Chicken, drumstick, meat and skin, raw (FDC 2727566, Foundation): protein 18.356 g (samples 17.194-24.6), cholesterol 94.55 mg (88.6-135, n=8), zinc 1.7 mg (1.57-2.78, n=8) per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, FDC 2727566 · checked 2026-09-29
4. cdr-r6-05 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Chicken drumstick, stewed, skin eaten (FNDDS 24143210, fdc_id 2706014): 1 cup, cooked, diced 135 g; 1 small drumstick 50 g; 1 medium drumstick 65 g; 1 large drumstick 90 g; 1 drumstick, NS as to size 65 g; 1 oz, cooked 28 g
   USDA FNDDS, FDC 2706014 (food code 24143210) · checked 2026-09-29
5. cdr-r6-08 · RCT
   There was no significant difference in mean true Zn absorption from the white or wholemeal bread sandwich, 33.6 and 25.4% respectively.
   Br J Nutr, 1992 · checked 2026-09-29
6. cdr-r6-09 · scoping review
   The addition of muscle tissue and muscle tissue fractions to single plant-based meals steadily increased absorption of iron and zinc across studies. The efficacy of the meat factor in increasing iron and zinc absorption in the overall diet is less clear. No clear differences emerged between red meat, poultry, and fish in promoting the meat factor effect.
   Adv Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
7. cdr-r6-04 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:805 CHICKEN,ROASTED, group Poultry Products: folate_total_ug 60% retained, vitamin_b12_ug 65%, thiamin_mg 70%, choline_mg 70%, magnesium_mg 75%, niacin_mg 80%, vitamin_b6_mg 80%, iron_mg 90%, riboflavin_mg 90%, copper_mg 95%, zinc_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Code 805 · checked 2026-09-29
8. cdr-r6-07 · RCT
   LDL cholesterol and apoB were higher with red and white meat than with nonmeat, independent of SFA content (P < 0.0001 for all, except apoB: red meat compared with nonmeat [P = 0.0004]). This was due primarily to increases in large LDL particles, whereas small + medium LDL and total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were unaffected by protein source (P = 0.10 and P = 0.51, respectively). Primary outcomes did not differ significantly between red and white meat.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
9. cdr-r6-11 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
   From the meta-analysis conducted at a 95% confidence interval, Campylobacter was highly prevalent in poultry products (51.9% [47.0-56.7]) and vegetable products (43.3% [17.9-68.7]), but least prevalent in ready-to-eat foods (5.50% [-0.31-11.3]).
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. cdr-r6-12 · prevalence survey
    From October 2015 to January 2016, of 48 unrelated pieces of meat (chicken legs) belonging to four different brands, 44 (91.7%) were positive for ESC-resistant E. coli.
    Int J Food Microbiol, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
11. cdr-r6-13 · systematic review
    Levels above those permitted by regulatory organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China's National Health Commission (NHC), and Thailand's Ministry of Public Health - set at 0.05, 0.05, and 0.02 mg.kg-1 respectively - were observed in 12 of the 17 countries, with the highest concentrations detected in chicken eggs from Colombia.
    Biol Trace Elem Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
12. sf-fsis3-7 · agency advice
    FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
    USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
13. sf-poultrywash-chdrum-1 · agency advice
    Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended because bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.
    Chicken from Farm to Table, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · checked 2026-10-08
14. cdr-r6-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Relative to the baseline diet, mean ± standard error changes (in mg/dL) after beef versus poultry/fish consumption, respectively, were -8.1 ± 2.8 vs. -6.2 ± 3.1 for total cholesterol (P = .630), -8.2 ± 4.2 vs. -8.9 ± 4.4 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .905)
    J Clin Lipidol, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
15. cdr-r6-10 · RCT
    Mean saturation index for calcium oxalate was highest for beef (2.48), although the difference attained significance only compared to chicken (1.67, p = 0.02) but not to fish (1.79, p = 0.08).
    J Urol, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29