How Much carbs Does chicken have

You need carbohydrates in your diet, since they are your body’s preferred source of energy. But if you’re on a weight-loss plan that requires you to carefully count all the carbs you consume, you’ll need to pay close attention to everything you eat. Poultry does not have any carbohydrates when it’s plain, however, certain preparations could add some carbs to your entrée.

Carbs in Poultry

No matter which type of poultry you enjoy -- duck, turkey, pheasant, chicken or another bird -- you won’t get any carbohydrates. When these cuts of poultry are grilled, roasted, broiled or even pan-seared, they contain 0 grams of carbohydrates. If these cuts are seasoned with fresh herbs or spices, they will have a very small amount of carbohydrates. These seasonings add less than 1.5 grams of carbs per teaspoon.

When Carbs are Present

Carbohydrates are present in high amounts when your portion of poultry is breaded or battered. Six pieces, or 3.75 ounces, of boneless breaded and fried chicken tenders, for example, offer nearly 16 grams of carbohydrates. A 5-ounce battered and friend chicken breast has over 12.5 grams of carbohydrates. If you have a 2.25-ounce breaded turkey patty for lunch, you’ll get 10 grams of carbs from the patty alone. It’s the coating that adds carbohydrates to the poultry in these cases.

Carb Allowance

Normally, between 45 and 65 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. This means that if you follow an average 2,000-calorie diet, which is the amount of calories that food nutrition facts labels are based on, you can have 900 to 1,300 calories from carbs each day. Since carbs offer 4 calories in a gram, this amounts to 225 to 325 grams of carbs daily. But if you are sticking to a low-carb diet regimen, you may have to limit yourself to just 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day.

Concerns

Don’t be too quick to drastically reduce carbohydrates from your diet. A sudden cut in your carb intake can cause dizziness, weakness, extreme fatigue and headaches. Plus, because fiber only comes from plant-based foods, not meat or poultry, you probably won’t be getting enough fiber in your diet. You could experience constipation or just the opposite -- diarrhea. Dangerously low carbohydrate intakes, like less than 20 grams per day, may cause your body to turn to stored fat for energy, reports MayoClinic.com. While that might sound like a perk, it wreaks havoc on your system. Ketones, the end result of fat metabolism, can damage your kidneys and other vital organs.

Chicken is a popular option when it comes to lean protein, as it packs a considerable amount into a single serving without a lot of fat.

Plus, it’s easy to cook at home and available in most restaurants. Chicken dishes can be found on just about any menu, no matter what type of cuisine you’re eating.

But you may wonder exactly how many calories are in that chicken on your plate.

Chicken comes in many cuts, including breasts, thighs, wings and drumsticks. Each cut contains a different number of calories and a different proportion of protein to fat.

Here are the calorie counts for the most popular cuts of chicken.

Chicken breast is one of the most popular cuts of chicken. It’s high in protein and low in fat, making it an excellent choice for people trying to lose weight.

One skinless, boneless, cooked chicken breast (172 grams) has the following nutrition breakdown (1):

  • Calories: 284
  • Protein: 53.4 grams
  • Carbs: 0 grams
  • Fat: 6.2 grams

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of chicken breast provides 165 calories, 31 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fat (1).

That means that approximately 80% of the calories in chicken breast come from protein, and 20% come from fat.

Keep in mind that these amounts refer to a plain chicken breast with no added ingredients. Once you start cooking it in oil or adding marinades or sauces, you increase the total calories, carbs and fat.

Summary

Chicken breast is a low-fat source of protein that contains zero carbs. One chicken breast has 284 calories, or 165 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). About 80% of the calories come from protein while 20% come from fat.

Chicken thigh is slightly more tender and flavorful than chicken breast due to its higher fat content.

One skinless, boneless, cooked chicken thigh (52 grams) contains (2):

  • Calories: 109
  • Protein: 13.5 grams
  • Carbs: 0 grams
  • Fat: 5.7 grams

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of chicken thigh provides 209 calories, 26 grams of protein and 10.9 grams of fat (2).

Thus, 53% of the calories come from protein, while 47% come from fat.

Chicken thighs are often cheaper than chicken breasts, making them a good choice for anyone on a budget.

Summary

One chicken thigh contains 109 calories, or 209 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It’s 53% protein and 47% fat.

When you think about healthy cuts of chicken, chicken wings probably don’t come to mind.

However, as long as they’re not covered in breading or sauce and deep-fried, they can easily fit into a healthy diet.

One skinless, boneless chicken wing (21 grams) contains (3):

  • Calories: 42.6
  • Protein: 6.4 grams
  • Carbs: 0 grams
  • Fat: 1.7 grams

Per 3.5 ounces (100 grams), chicken wings provide 203 calories, 30.5 grams of protein and 8.1 grams of fat (3).

This means that 64% of the calories come from protein and 36% from fat.

Summary

One chicken wing has 43 calories, or 203 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It’s 64% protein and 36% fat.

Chicken legs are made up of two parts — the thigh and the drumstick. The drumstick is the lower portion of the leg.

One skinless, boneless chicken drumstick (44 grams) contains (4):

  • Calories: 76
  • Protein: 12.4 grams
  • Carbs: 0 grams
  • Fat: 2.5 grams

Per 3.5 ounces (100 grams), chicken drumsticks have 172 calories, 28.3 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of fat (4).

When it comes to calorie count, about 70% come from protein while 30% come from fat.

Summary

One chicken drumstick has 76 calories, or 172 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). It’s 70% protein and 30% fat.

Though breast, thighs, wings and drumsticks are the most popular cuts of chicken, there are several others to choose from.

Here are the calories in some other cuts of chicken (5, 6, 7, 8):

  • Chicken tenders: 263 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
  • Back: 137 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
  • Dark meat: 125 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
  • Light meat: 114 calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
Summary

The number of calories in various cuts of chicken varies. Light meat has the lowest number of calories while chicken tenders have the highest.

While a skinless chicken breast is 284 calories with 80% protein and 20% fat, those numbers dramatically shift when you include the skin (1).

One boneless, cooked chicken breast with skin (196 grams) contains (9):

  • Calories: 386
  • Protein: 58.4 grams
  • Fat: 15.2 grams

In a chicken breast with skin, 50% of the calories come from protein, while 50% come from fat. Additionally, eating the skin adds nearly 100 calories (9).

Similarly, one chicken wing with skin (34 grams) has 99 calories, compared to 42 calories in a skinless wing (21 grams). Thus, 60% of the calories in chicken wings with skin come from fat, compared to 36% in a wing without skin (3, 10).

So if you’re watching your weight or your fat intake, eat your chicken without the skin to minimize calories and fat.

Summary

Eating chicken with the skin adds a significant amount of calories and fat. Take the skin off before eating to reduce calories.

Chicken meat alone is relatively low in calories and fat compared to other meats. But once you start adding oil, sauce, batter and breading, the calories can add up.

For example, a skinless, boneless, cooked chicken thigh (52 grams) contains 109 calories and 5.7 grams of fat (2).

But that same chicken thigh fried in batter packs 144 calories and 8.6 grams of fat. A chicken thigh fried in a flour coating contains even more — 162 calories and 9.3 grams of fat (11, 12).

Similarly, one boneless, skinless chicken wing (21 grams) has 43 calories and 1.7 grams of fat (3).

However, a chicken wing glazed in barbecue sauce provides 61 calories and 3.7 grams of fat. That’s comparable to a wing fried in a flour coating, which has 61 calories and 4.2 grams of fat (13, 14).

Therefore, cooking methods that add little fat, such as poaching, roasting, grilling and steaming, are your best bet for keeping the calorie count low.

Summary

Cooking methods, such as frying in breading and coating the meat in sauce, can add more than a few calories to your healthy chicken. For a low-calorie option, stick with baked or grilled chicken.

Chicken is a popular meat, and most cuts are low in calories and fat while providing ample protein.

Here are the calorie counts of the most common cuts of boneless, skinless chicken per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving:

  • Chicken breast: 165 calories
  • Chicken thigh: 209 calories
  • Chicken wing: 203 calories
  • Chicken drumstick: 172 calories

Note that eating the skin or using unhealthy cooking methods adds calories.

Is chicken high in carbohydrates?

Chicken (Zero) It's high in many beneficial nutrients and an excellent source of protein. If you're on a low-carb diet, it may be a better choice to go for fattier cuts like wings and thighs. Carbs: zero.

How many net carbs are in chicken?

Chicken (1 small breast (yield after cooking, bone and skin removed)) contains 0g total carbs, 0g net carbs, 5.3g fat, 46.1g protein, and 246 calories.

Does grilled chicken have carbs?

Grilled Chicken (1 serving) contains 4g total carbs, 4g net carbs, 69g fat, 53g protein, and 300 calories.

How many carbs and sugar is in chicken?

Chicken breasts contain no sugar or starch (unless prepared with breading or seasonings), so they have no carbohydrates. The estimated glycemic load of chicken breast is zero.