Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 6 nuggets serving of chicken nuggets contains 15.3 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 31% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Serving | 6 nuggets (96 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 15.3 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 15.9 g |
| Calories per serving | 295 kcal |
| Protein density | 21% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 31% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Prepared / processed |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #2706092 |
A typical 6 nuggets serving of chicken nuggets contains 15.3 grams of protein (15.9 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 31% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Around 21% of the calories in chicken nuggets come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
Among the 133 meats in the database, chicken nuggets ranks 103rd by protein per serving, and 242nd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against beef tongue, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 1.1 g less protein (beef tongue has 16.4 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 counted by piece at 96 g. Because pieces vary, the per-100 g figure is the one to use when comparing this against a food measured a different way.
Roughly half the weight is breading and oil rather than chicken.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #2706092 - "Chicken nuggets, NFS" (Survey (FNDDS), published 10/31/2024). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Chicken nuggets has 15.9 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 6 nuggets serving (96 g) provides 15.3 g.
Yes. Chicken nuggets 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 6 nuggets serving of chicken nuggets contains 15.3 g of protein, about 31% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Chicken nuggets is a very good source of protein, and about 21% of its calories come from protein, which makes it moderately protein-dense. Set against beef tongue, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 1.1 g less protein (beef tongue has 16.4 g per 3 oz cooked).
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