Chicken breast and turkey breast are often treated as interchangeable. Both are lean, both are high in protein, and both appear in salads, sandwiches, wraps, and grain bowls. Yet they are not identical, and the small differences between them can matter depending on what you want from a meal. This article compares them on a like-for-like basis, using the same weight for both foods, so you can see exactly where each one leads and where it does not.
All of the numbers here come from the site's own food pages, measured per 100 grams and per 150-gram serving. That consistency matters, because comparing a large chicken portion with a small turkey portion would distort the result before the comparison even begins. By holding the weight constant, the differences that remain are real differences between the foods themselves, not artefacts of serving size.
Chicken Breast vs Turkey Breast Protein: Who Leads?
On protein, chicken breast leads by a small margin. Per 100 grams, chicken breast provides 31 grams of protein, while turkey breast provides 30 grams. That is a difference of just 1 gram per 100 grams, which is small in practical terms. Over a single meal it will rarely change the outcome, but it does mean chicken breast holds a narrow edge on this one measure.
The per-serving picture tells the same story. In a 150-gram serving, described as one serving, cooked, chicken breast provides 46.5 grams of protein and turkey breast provides 45 grams. Again, chicken leads, and again the gap is modest. If protein is your only criterion, chicken breast wins narrowly. If other factors matter to you, as they do for most people, the rest of this comparison becomes more important than that single gram.
Which Has Fewer Calories: Chicken or Turkey Breast?
On calories, turkey breast leads clearly. Per 100 grams, turkey breast provides 135 calories, while chicken breast provides 165 calories. That means turkey has 30 fewer calories per 100 grams. Unlike the protein gap, this is a difference you can notice across repeated meals, especially if you eat either food several times a week.
The serving figures confirm the pattern. A 150-gram serving of chicken breast provides 248 calories, while the same serving of turkey breast provides 203 calories. If your priority is keeping a meal lower in calories while still getting a large amount of protein, turkey breast is the stronger choice on the numbers. It delivers almost the same protein for noticeably less energy.
Which Has Less Fat: Chicken Breast or Turkey Breast?
Turkey breast is also the lower-fat option, and here the gap is larger than the protein gap. Per 100 grams, chicken breast contains 3.6 grams of fat, while turkey breast contains just 0.7 grams. That means turkey has 2.9 grams less fat per 100 grams. Both figures are low in absolute terms, which is why both foods count as lean, but turkey is leaner by a clear margin.
Per 150-gram serving, chicken breast contains 5.4 grams of fat and turkey breast contains 1.1 grams. For anyone choosing a protein food specifically because they want fat to stay low, whether for a lighter meal or simply as a matter of preference, turkey breast is the better fit. Chicken breast is still a low-fat food, but it is not the lowest-fat option in this pair.
Turkey Breast vs Chicken Breast for Muscle
For muscle, the deciding factor is usually total protein eaten across the day, together with training and consistency, rather than a one-gram difference at a single meal. On that basis, both foods are excellent choices. Chicken breast offers a slight protein advantage per 100 grams and per serving, which gives it a narrow edge if you are comparing the two foods in isolation.
In practice, however, the food you enjoy and eat regularly will support your goal better than a food you eat reluctantly. Turkey breast is only 1 gram behind on protein per 100 grams, so choosing it for its lower calories and lower fat costs almost nothing in protein terms. For muscle, either food works well, and chicken breast's advantage is real but small. Use the comparison tool to see the two profiles side by side before deciding.
What About Carbs, Sodium and Potassium?
Neither food contributes carbohydrate: both chicken breast and turkey breast contain 0 grams of carbs per 100 grams. That makes them straightforward choices for meals where you want protein without added carbohydrate, and it means carbohydrate does not separate them at all. The comparison therefore rests on calories, protein, and fat, plus the smaller mineral differences below.
On sodium, turkey breast is lower, with 58 milligrams per 100 grams compared with 74 milligrams for chicken breast. On potassium, turkey breast is higher, with 289 milligrams per 100 grams compared with 256 milligrams for chicken breast. These are modest differences, and neither food is notably high in sodium on these figures. They are worth noting for completeness, but they are unlikely to be the deciding factor for most readers.
Chicken vs Turkey Breast Per Serving: The 150 g Comparison
Per-100-gram figures are ideal for fair comparison, but most people eat servings, not 100-gram portions. That is why the 150-gram serving figures matter. For chicken breast, one serving, cooked, provides 248 calories, 46.5 grams of protein, and 5.4 grams of fat. For turkey breast, the same serving provides 203 calories, 45 grams of protein, and 1.1 grams of fat.
Read together, these serving figures summarise the whole comparison in one place. Chicken gives you slightly more protein, turkey gives you fewer calories and much less fat, and the protein gap remains small while the calorie and fat gaps are larger. If you usually eat a serving of this size, these are the numbers that will actually shape your day, so they deserve as much attention as the per-100-gram ranking.
Which Is Better for a Lower-Calorie Meal?
If your main goal is a lower-calorie meal that still feels substantial, turkey breast is the better choice of the two. It provides 30 fewer calories per 100 grams and a lower calorie figure per serving, while giving up only 1 gram of protein per 100 grams. That is a favourable trade for anyone who wants to keep energy down without sacrificing the protein that makes a meal satisfying.
Chicken breast is not a poor choice in this context; at 165 calories per 100 grams it is still a lean, moderate-calorie food. But when the two are placed side by side with lower calories as the stated goal, turkey breast wins on the numbers. Pair either choice with vegetables and a grain or salad, and the meal as a whole matters more than the meat alone, but the starting advantage still belongs to turkey.
Cooking and Versatility: Does Preparation Change the Winner?
Cooking method can change how a food feels and tastes, but it does not change the underlying comparison between plain chicken breast and plain turkey breast. Both can be grilled, roasted, pan-cooked, or sliced cold, and both work in the same kinds of dishes. The figures in this article describe the foods themselves, so added sauces, coatings, skin, or cooking fats would need to be counted separately, whichever meat you choose.
Texture and flavour are matters of personal preference, and they often decide the winner in a real kitchen more than a one-gram protein difference does. Some people prefer the slightly richer taste of chicken breast, while others prefer turkey breast. There is no nutritional penalty for choosing the one you enjoy, because both are lean and high in protein. The best choice is often the one you will cook well and eat happily, week after week.
Price, Availability and Everyday Use
Availability can also shape the decision. Chicken breast is widely available in most shops, in fresh and frozen forms, and in a range of portion sizes. Turkey breast is also widely sold, though in some shops the range may be smaller, particularly outside festive periods. If one is easier for you to buy regularly, that practical advantage counts, because a protein food only helps if it is actually in your kitchen.
Both foods store and reheat in similar ways, and both can be cooked in a batch for several meals. Cooked slices keep well for salads, sandwiches, and grain bowls, which makes either a good candidate for batch cooking. To plan meals around either food, try the meal builder, which lets you build a meal and see how its components fit together. Convenience, like taste, is a legitimate part of the choice.
Chicken Breast vs Turkey Breast: Which Should You Choose?
The fair verdict is split by goal, because neither food wins on every measure. For the highest protein in this pair, choose chicken breast, with 31 grams per 100 grams against turkey's 30 grams. For fewer calories, choose turkey breast, with 135 calories per 100 grams against chicken's 165. For less fat, choose turkey breast again, with 0.7 grams per 100 grams against chicken's 3.6 grams.
For most everyday eating, either choice is a good one, and the differences are small enough that taste, price, and availability can reasonably tip the balance. The mistake would be to assume one is dramatically better than the other. On the numbers, they are close cousins: both lean, both high in protein, both with no carbohydrate, separated mainly by turkey's calorie and fat advantage and chicken's narrow protein edge. For wider context on why protein matters, see the protein nutrient page.
FAQs
Is chicken breast or turkey breast higher in protein?
Chicken breast is higher in protein, but only slightly. Per 100 grams, chicken breast provides 31 grams of protein and turkey breast provides 30 grams, a difference of 1 gram. Per 150-gram serving, chicken provides 46.5 grams and turkey provides 45 grams. For most meals, that gap is too small to be the sole reason for choosing one over the other.
Which has fewer calories, chicken breast or turkey breast?
Turkey breast has fewer calories. Per 100 grams, turkey breast provides 135 calories compared with 165 calories for chicken breast, a difference of 30 calories. Per 150-gram serving, turkey provides 203 calories and chicken provides 248 calories. If lower calories are your priority, turkey breast is the better choice.
Which has less fat?
Turkey breast has less fat. Per 100 grams, turkey breast contains 0.7 grams of fat, while chicken breast contains 3.6 grams, so turkey has 2.9 grams less fat per 100 grams. Per 150-gram serving, turkey contains 1.1 grams of fat and chicken contains 5.4 grams. Both are lean foods, but turkey is leaner.
Is turkey breast or chicken breast better for muscle?
Both are good choices for muscle, because both are high in protein. Chicken breast has a narrow edge, with 31 grams of protein per 100 grams against 30 grams for turkey, but total protein across the day and consistent training matter more than that single gram. Choose the one you enjoy and eat regularly, and either will serve your goal well.
Do chicken breast and turkey breast contain carbs?
No, neither contains carbohydrate on these figures. Both chicken breast and turkey breast provide 0 grams of carbs per 100 grams. That makes them simple protein choices for meals where you want protein without carbohydrate from the meat itself, with any carbs coming instead from the sides you serve with them.
Which should I choose for a lower-fat meal?
Choose turkey breast for a lower-fat meal. With 0.7 grams of fat per 100 grams, compared with 3.6 grams for chicken breast, and 1.1 grams per 150-gram serving compared with 5.4 grams, turkey is the lower-fat option by a clear margin. It also has fewer calories, while giving up only 1 gram of protein per 100 grams.
Conclusion
Chicken breast and turkey breast are both lean, high-protein foods with no carbohydrate, and the honest verdict depends on your goal. Chicken breast leads narrowly on protein, with 31 grams per 100 grams against 30 grams. Turkey breast leads on calories, with 135 against 165 per 100 grams, and on fat, with 0.7 grams against 3.6 grams. Neither advantage is large enough to make the other a poor choice.
Choose chicken breast if maximum protein in this pair is your priority, choose turkey breast if lower calories or lower fat matter more, and let taste and availability decide when the numbers are close. Compare the two foods directly, build meals around the winner for your goal, and enjoy the fact that either way, you have chosen a lean, protein-rich food.