Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of chicken dark meat contains 23.3 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 47% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 23.3 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 27.4 g |
| Calories per serving | 174 kcal |
| Protein density | 53% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 47% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #171069 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of chicken dark meat contains 23.3 grams of protein (27.4 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 47% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 53% of the calories in chicken dark meat, making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Among the 133 meats in the database, chicken dark meat ranks 51st by protein per serving, and 73rd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against tri-tip roast, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (tri-tip roast has 22.8 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving above is measured by weight at 85 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Dark meat has more myoglobin and fat than breast but a very similar amino acid profile.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #171069 - "Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, meat only, cooked, roasted" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Chicken dark meat has 27.4 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 23.3 g.
Yes. Chicken dark meat is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
A 3 oz cooked serving of chicken dark meat contains 23.3 g of protein, about 47% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Chicken dark meat is a very good source of protein, and about 53% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against tri-tip roast, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (tri-tip roast has 22.8 g per 3 oz cooked).
Related