How much protein is in 10 oz of raw chicken?

November 11, 2025 •

3 min read

According to nutritional data, a 10 oz serving of raw, boneless, and skinless chicken breast typically provides between 64 and 65 grams of high-quality protein. This makes chicken a powerhouse food for anyone looking to build muscle, manage weight, or simply boost their daily protein intake.

Quick Summary

A 10 oz portion of raw chicken breast delivers approximately 64-65 grams of protein. The exact amount varies by cut, fat content, and cooking method, as moisture loss concentrates protein.

Key Points

Protein in Raw Chicken: A 10 oz portion of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast contains approximately 64-65 grams of protein.
Cooking Concentrates Protein: As chicken cooks, it loses water, which increases the protein density per ounce of the final cooked product, but the total protein remains the same.
Cuts Matter: Chicken breast is leaner and higher in protein by weight than fattier cuts like chicken thighs.
Accurate Tracking: For the most consistent nutrition tracking, weigh your chicken in its raw state before cooking and use corresponding raw nutritional data.
Health Benefits: A diet rich in lean protein, like chicken, supports muscle growth, aids in weight management by promoting satiety, and helps regulate blood sugar.

Understanding Protein in Raw Chicken

When calculating the macronutrients for your meals, understanding the protein content of your ingredients is crucial. For many fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals, chicken is a staple due to its high protein-to-fat ratio, especially the breast meat. A 10 oz (or 283-gram) portion of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast contains a significant amount of protein, providing a substantial part of an individual's daily needs.

However, it is important to remember that this figure is for raw chicken. The cooking process significantly impacts the final nutritional composition due to moisture loss. When chicken is cooked, it loses a percentage of its water content, which in turn concentrates the protein and other nutrients. This means a 10 oz piece of cooked chicken will have a higher protein content than a 10 oz piece of raw chicken, simply because it weighs less and its nutrients are denser.

Raw vs. Cooked: The Weight and Protein Difference

The difference in weight between raw and cooked chicken is a key factor in accurate nutritional tracking. For example, a 10 oz raw chicken breast might reduce in weight to around 7.5 oz after cooking, depending on the method. The total protein amount from that initial 10 oz piece remains largely the same, but the concentration per ounce increases. So, if your recipe calls for 10 oz of chicken, be sure to weigh it in its raw state for the most precise macronutrient count.

Comparing Different Cuts of Chicken

Not all chicken is created equal when it comes to protein. Different cuts of chicken have different protein, fat, and calorie profiles. This is primarily due to the varying fat content in different parts of the bird. Chicken breast, being the leanest cut, offers the highest protein-to-fat ratio. Darker meat cuts, like thighs and drumsticks, contain more fat, resulting in a slightly lower protein concentration by weight but often more flavor.

Here is a comparison of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast versus thigh:


Cut of Chicken (Raw)	Approx. Protein per 100g	Approx. Protein per 10 oz (283g)	Fat Content	Flavor Profile
Chicken Breast	22.5g	64g	Very Lean	Mild, Versatile
Chicken Thigh	15g	42g	Higher Fat	Richer, Juicier

Note: Protein and fat content can vary slightly by brand, breed, and diet of the chicken.

Benefits of a High-Protein Diet

Including a significant source of protein like chicken in your diet offers numerous health benefits. Protein is a critical macronutrient involved in many bodily functions. The positive impacts of prioritizing protein intake include:

Muscle Repair and Growth: Protein provides the amino acids needed to repair muscle tissue broken down during exercise, which is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass.
Weight Management: High-protein foods promote satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer. This can help reduce overall calorie intake and assist with weight loss or management.
Energy and Blood Sugar Control: Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates.
Essential Nutrients: Chicken provides a complete profile of essential amino acids, along with important vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, phosphorus, and selenium.

Tips for Accurate Macro Tracking

To ensure you are correctly tracking your protein intake from chicken, follow these best practices:

Weigh Raw: Always weigh your chicken in its raw form before cooking. This provides the most consistent baseline for calculation.
Use Reliable Data: Refer to reputable nutrition databases, such as the USDA, for the most accurate information on protein content.
Account for Cut Differences: Be mindful of which cut of chicken you are using, as breast and thigh have different macro profiles. Account for skin-on versus skinless as well.
Use Consistent Entries: When tracking, stick with either raw or cooked values consistently. If you weigh cooked food, make sure to use a nutrition database entry for cooked chicken to avoid miscalculations.

Conclusion

Understanding the exact protein content in your food is essential for precise dietary planning. A 10 oz portion of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast offers a powerful 64 to 65 grams of protein, making it a fantastic source for meeting your macronutrient goals. By accurately weighing your chicken raw and accounting for the differences between various cuts and cooking effects, you can confidently integrate this versatile protein source into your diet for optimal health and fitness results. For further research on healthy dietary patterns, consider exploring high-protein meal plans and nutrient comparisons.

Harvard Health offers comprehensive resources on high-protein foods and dietary guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cooking does not destroy or add protein to the chicken. Instead, it causes the chicken to lose water, which concentrates the protein. A 10 oz raw breast will have the same total protein as the cooked breast, but the cooked breast will weigh less and thus have more protein per ounce.

Yes, raw chicken breast is a leaner cut with a higher protein-to-fat ratio than a raw chicken thigh. This means for the same raw weight, chicken breast provides more protein and fewer calories.

For the most precise macro tracking, you should weigh the chicken in its raw state. This provides a consistent and standard measurement, as the weight loss during cooking can vary.

The recommended daily protein intake varies based on factors like age, activity level, and goals. A common baseline is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but active individuals may require more, between 1.2 and 2.0 grams per kilogram.

No, you should never eat raw chicken due to the high risk of bacterial contamination, such as salmonella. While cooking concentrates protein per ounce by removing water, the health risks of eating raw chicken far outweigh any marginal nutritional differences.

Some commercially packaged chicken breasts are injected with a saline solution (brine). While this adds moisture and flavor, it can slightly lower the protein concentration per raw ounce since the total weight is higher due to added water.

In addition to being a rich source of protein, raw chicken breast also provides B vitamins (especially Niacin and B6), selenium, phosphorus, and potassium, among other essential nutrients.