How Many Calories Are in 500 Grams of Chicken Breast? A Detailed Look

Chicken breast is one of the most popular lean proteins. A lot of people who care about their health eat it often because it’s lower in fat and calories than other meats. But if you’re very careful about how many calories you eat, you may be wondering how many calories are in 500 grams of chicken breast.

I looked into it to find out how many calories are in this common serving size. Keep reading to find out the answer and learn more about chicken breast nutrition.

Calculating the Calories in 500g of Chicken Breast

The number of calories in chicken breast depends on a few factors:

• Whether it’s cooked or raw
• The cut or part of the chicken breast
• Any added coatings or breading

According to the USDA, 100 grams of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast contains around 110 calories. [1]

So if you do the math, 500 grams of raw chicken breast has approximately 550 calories.

Because some fat drips off while cooking, chicken breast has a few less calories after it’s done.

The USDA says that 100 grams of roasted chicken breast without bones or skin has about 105 calories. [2].

That means 500 grams (about 1 pound) of cooked chicken breast contains roughly 525 calories.

• Raw chicken breast: 110 calories per 100g, 550 calories per 500g
• Cooked chicken breast: 105 calories per 100g, 525 calories per 500g

This small difference of around 25 calories is typical when looking at raw vs. cooked meats. The cooking process renders out a bit of fat.

Calories Can Vary Between Cuts of Chicken Breast

Keep in mind that chicken breasts come in different cuts, which can slightly alter the calorie counts.

For example, chicken tenderloins (sometimes labeled as tenders or fillets) are a little lower in fat than a whole chicken breast.

Here are the calorie differences for common chicken breast cuts: [3]

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast (whole): 110 cal per 100g raw, 525 cal per 500g cooked
• Chicken tenderloins/fillets: 102 cal per 100g raw, 490 cal per 500g cooked
• Chicken cutlets (thinly sliced breasts): 120 cal per 100g raw, 575 cal per 500g cooked

So tenderloins are just a bit lower in calories than a regular boneless, skinless breast. Cutlets are slightly higher in calories because the pounding process can add a bit more surface fat.

But in the end, the differences are not huge. All cuts of chicken breast are relatively low calorie compared to fattier meats.

Breading or Coating Adds More Calories

When you buy chicken breast at the grocery store, you’ll often see options that are breaded or coated in things like breadcrumbs or fried batters.

These coatings add a significant number of extra calories:

• Chicken fingers or nuggets, breaded/fried: 230 calories per 100g [4]
• Chicken cordon bleu, breaded and fried, with ham and cheese filling: 275 calories per 100g [5]

So those options are more than double the calories! The breading and frying adds a lot of extra fat and carbs.

I recommend buying plain boneless, skinless chicken breasts and seasoning or breading them at home if you want to keep calories low. That way you control how much coating gets added on.

Factors That Don’t Impact Calories in Chicken Breast

Some people think that organic, free-range, or air-chilled chicken has more calories. But in reality, the rearing method does not impact calories or nutrition in chicken breast.

The only factors that change calorie content are part of the breast, cooking method, and any coatings added after the fact.

So feel free to buy organic or free-range chicken based on your preferences or budget. But don’t worry that it’ll significantly alter the calorie count.

Nutrition Details of Chicken Breast

Now that we’ve covered calories, let’s look at the full nutrition profile of cooked chicken breast.

Here are the main nutrients found in 100 grams (3.5 oz) of roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breast [2]:

• Calories: 105
• Protein: 26 grams
• Fat: 1.5 grams
• Saturated fat: 0.4 gram
• Carbs: 0 grams
• Sodium: 50mg
• Iron: 0.7mg (4% DV)
• Niacin: 8.2mg (41% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.4mg (20% DV)
• Phosphorus: 190mg (19% DV)
• Zinc: 0.9mg (6% DV)
• Selenium: 24.6mcg (35% DV)

As you can see, chicken breast is high in protein, with all nine essential amino acids. [6] It’s also an excellent source of nutrients like niacin, vitamin B6, selenium, and phosphorus.

And it’s very low in fat, carbs, and sodium when purchased without skin or breading.

That stellar nutrition profile is a key reason chicken breast is a lean protein superstar!

Health Benefits of Chicken Breast

Eating chicken breast provides many impressive health benefits:

• Building Muscle: The high protein content helps maintain and build muscle mass when combined with strength training. [7]

• Weight Loss: Protein is the most filling macronutrient, keeping you satisfied on fewer calories. This can aid weight loss. [8]

• Heart Health: Chicken is low in saturated fat and high in nutrients that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. [9]

• Strong Bones: Chicken provides phosphorus, zinc, and vitamins to support bone mineral density. [10]

• Cancer Prevention: Some research shows poultry may lower risk of colorectal and breast cancers compared to red meat. [11]

So enjoy chicken breast as part of a balanced diet to reap those rewards!

Simple Ways to Cook Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is endlessly versatile in recipes. But it’s also great grilled, baked, or pan-seared with basic seasoning.

Here are a few healthy cooking tips:

• Flavor with herbs and spices: Rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon pepper, or Cajun seasoning all taste delicious.

• Keep it tender: Don’t overcook chicken to dryness. Use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.

• Try marinades: Soaking chicken in an acidic marinade makes it extra juicy.

• Pair with veggies: Roast, grill, or saute chicken alongside veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or zucchini.

• Add to salads: Dice or shred cooked chicken over greens, veggies, beans, and healthy dressing for extra protein.

With so many options, you’ll never get bored with chicken breast, no matter how often you eat it. It’s the ultimate versatile, nutrition-packed lean protein.

References

[1] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171077/nutrients

[2] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171477/nutrients

[3] https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/foods/chicken-breast

[4] https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/nutrition-facts-for-chicken-fingers-nuggets.php

[5] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170598/nutrients

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905294/

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867436/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3649104/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6742661/

[10] https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/78/3/633S/4690010

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4698595/