How much is 120g of cooked chicken uncooked? A detailed guide to weight conversion

October 25, 2025 •

3 min read

Meat, poultry, and fish typically shrink by about 25% during cooking, primarily due to the loss of moisture. For those tracking macros or meal-prepping, understanding how much is 120g of cooked chicken uncooked is vital for accurate nutritional calculations.

Quick Summary

This article explains the weight difference between raw and cooked chicken, detailing how cooking methods affect moisture loss. It provides a reliable calculation for determining the raw weight equivalent of 120g of cooked chicken and offers practical tips for precise food tracking.

Key Points

Raw to Cooked Calculation: To get 120g of cooked chicken, start with approximately 160g of raw chicken, assuming an average 25% weight loss.
Primary Cause of Weight Loss: Chicken shrinks primarily due to the evaporation of moisture during the cooking process.
Consistent Tracking is Key: Whether you weigh raw or cooked, consistency is most important for accurate macro tracking.
Factors Affecting Shrinkage: The cooking method, temperature, and initial moisture content (e.g., from 'plumping') can all affect the final cooked weight.
Higher Density, Same Nutrition: While cooked chicken is more calorie-dense per gram, the total macronutrient value of the initial raw piece of meat remains virtually the same (minus fat loss).
Most Accurate Method: Weighing chicken in its raw state is the most accurate method for determining nutritional values, as nutritional labels are based on raw, as-packaged weight.

The Science Behind Cooking Shrinkage

When you cook meat, it undergoes a process called denaturation. The high temperatures cause muscle fibers to contract and release water. This is the primary reason why chicken, and most other meats, loses weight during cooking. The amount of weight lost can vary based on several factors, but for most lean cuts of chicken, a 20-30% reduction is a reliable average to use for calculations. This means that the cooked product is more calorically and protein-dense by weight than the raw product, even though the total nutritional content of the piece of meat remains unchanged (minus any fat that may render out).

How to Calculate the Raw Weight for 120g Cooked Chicken

To determine how much raw chicken is needed to yield 120g of cooked chicken, you can use a simple formula based on the average weight loss. Assuming an average shrinkage of 25%, you can back-calculate the raw weight.

Here’s the formula:

Raw Weight = Cooked Weight / (1 - Weight Loss Percentage)

Using a 25% weight loss (or 0.25 as a decimal):

Raw Weight = 120g / (1 - 0.25)
Raw Weight = 120g / 0.75
Raw Weight = 160g

Therefore, you will need approximately 160 grams of raw chicken to get 120 grams of cooked chicken. Keep in mind that this is an average estimate. Different cooking methods and individual pieces of meat can result in slight variations.

Variables Affecting Weight Loss

Several factors can influence the final weight of your cooked chicken, and being aware of them helps improve accuracy for nutrition tracking and meal prep.

Cooking Method: Dry heat methods like roasting, grilling, or pan-frying will cause more moisture loss than wet heat methods such as poaching or steaming. A roasted chicken breast, for instance, will likely have a higher shrinkage percentage than a steamed one.
Cooking Temperature and Time: Overcooking chicken at a high temperature will dry it out more, leading to a greater reduction in weight. A perfectly cooked, juicy piece of chicken will retain more moisture and therefore lose less weight.
Initial Moisture Content: Some poultry is injected with a water and salt solution, a practice known as 'plumping.' This can cause a higher initial raw weight and potentially a larger percentage of weight loss during cooking, as the added water evaporates.
Cut of Meat: Different cuts of chicken contain varying amounts of fat and connective tissue, which affects how they retain moisture. Lean chicken breast may shrink slightly more than a thigh with more fat and bone.

Weighing Raw vs. Cooked for Macronutrient Tracking

For those who are serious about tracking their macronutrients, the most accurate method is to weigh your food in its raw state. Nutritional data on food labels and tracking apps is typically based on the raw weight of the product as packaged. By weighing raw, you eliminate all the variables introduced during the cooking process. If you must weigh your food cooked, be sure to use a tracking entry that specifies it's for the cooked version, as the density and calorie count per gram will be higher.

Here is a simple conversion table comparing raw and cooked chicken weights based on a 25% shrinkage average:


Raw Weight (g)	Cooked Weight (g) - Approx.
100g	75g
120g	90g
160g	120g
200g	150g
240g	180g

Conclusion

To get precisely 120g of cooked chicken, you should aim to start with approximately 160 grams of raw chicken. This conversion relies on the average 25% weight loss that occurs when chicken is cooked, primarily due to moisture evaporation. For the most accurate nutritional tracking, weighing your meat in its raw state is always the best practice. By understanding the factors that influence cooking shrinkage, you can make more informed decisions during meal preparation and ensure your nutritional goals are met with precision. For more nutritional insights and health tips, explore resources like the USDA Food Composition Databases for detailed nutrient information.

How to Measure Accurately for Batch Cooking

For those who cook large batches, a consistent method is key. For example, if you cook 1000g (1 kg) of raw chicken, and it weighs 750g after cooking, you have a 25% shrinkage. If you then take a 100g serving from the cooked batch, you can reverse-engineer the raw weight: 100g / 750g * 1000g = 133g raw weight equivalent. This approach standardizes your tracking for the entire batch. Just ensure your tracking app entry matches the state you're measuring in.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, cooking chicken does not add calories. The caloric and macronutrient values of the meat remain the same, though they become more concentrated per gram as moisture is lost.

Weighing raw chicken is considered the most accurate method for nutrition tracking. Most food database entries are based on raw, as-packaged weight, and weighing raw removes the variability caused by different cooking methods.

No, the amount of weight lost can vary. Factors like the cut of meat (breast vs. thigh), cooking method (roasting vs. poaching), and even the initial moisture content can influence the final cooked weight.

To convert cooked weight back to raw weight, divide the cooked weight by the remaining percentage of the original weight. For an average 25% shrinkage, the formula is: Raw Weight = Cooked Weight / 0.75.

Chicken loses moisture when cooked because heat causes the muscle fibers to contract. This contraction squeezes out the water held within the protein structure, leading to weight reduction.

Based on a 25% weight loss, you would need approximately 133 grams of raw chicken to yield 100 grams of cooked chicken.

Yes, it can, but with less accuracy. If you weigh cooked chicken, you must use a corresponding database entry for cooked chicken (e.g., 'grilled chicken breast') to ensure your calorie and macro counts are correct.