How Many Calories Are in Chicken Legs? A Detailed Look

Chicken legs are a popular and delicious part of the chicken. But many people wonder, just how many calories are in a chicken leg? In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the calorie and nutrition facts for chicken legs.

An Overview of Chicken Legs

Usually, chicken legs are split into two parts: the drumstick and the thigh. The drumstick is the lower leg with the bone in the middle, and the thigh is the upper leg connected to the drumstick.

The legs of a chicken are very tasty and usually have more fat than the breasts. A lot of the fat in chicken legs is in the skin. Taking off the skin lowers the calories, but it also changes the taste.

Calorie Counts for Chicken Legs

Below are some common calorie counts for chicken legs

• 1 small chicken leg (drumstick + thigh) with skin/bone: 212 calories
• 1 medium chicken leg with skin/bone: 258 calories
• 1 large chicken leg with skin/bone: 336 calories
• 1 chicken leg quarter (drumstick + thigh) with skin/bone: 331 calories
• 1 oz chicken leg meat with skin/bone: 46 calories
• 1 oz chicken leg meat without skin/bone: 65 calories
• 100g of chicken leg with skin/bone: 230 calories

As you can see, chicken legs are relatively high in calories compared to other types of chicken. The skin and bone contribute significant calories. Removing the skin reduces the calories by around 50 for a whole leg.

Calorie Breakdown for Chicken Legs

Where do all those calories come from in a chicken leg? Here is a typical caloric breakdown:

• Fat: 54% of calories
• Protein: 46% of calories
• Carbs: 0% of calories

Over half the calories come from fat. Chicken leg meat with the skin is around 15-20% fat, while removing the skin drops it down to 5-10% fat.

The protein accounts for the remaining calories. Chicken is a high protein food. Each 35-ounce serving of leg meat has about 18 to 24 grams of protein.

Chicken legs contain no carbohydrates. All the calories come from either fat or protein.

The Nutrient Profile of Chicken Legs

Even though chicken legs have more calories and fat than other cuts of chicken, they are still very healthy:

• Protein: 23g protein in a small leg, which is 46% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI).
• Iron: 7% of the RDI.
• Potassium: 4% of the RDI.
• Zinc: 11% of the RDI.
• Vitamin B12, B6, B3 (Niacin): Approximately 15-20% of the RDI.
• Vitamin A: 4% of the RDI.

Chicken legs provide almost half your daily protein needs in one small serving. They also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Removing the skin does lower the vitamin and mineral content slightly. But chicken legs with or without skin are still a nutritious source of protein.

Comparing Chicken Legs to Other Chicken Cuts

How do chicken legs compare calorie-wise to other common chicken cuts?

• Chicken breast (boneless, skinless): 140 calories per 100g
• Chicken thigh (boneless, skinless): 175 calories per 100g
• Chicken drumstick (boneless, skinless): 185 calories per 100g
• Chicken wings (with skin): 239 calories per 100g

Chicken breasts are the lowest in fat and calories, while chicken legs and wings are the highest. Thighs have slightly fewer calories than drumsticks or wings.

So chicken legs are one of the more calorie-dense parts of the chicken. The skin and bone provide a lot of the extra calories over chicken breast meat.

Cooking Methods and Calorie Changes

How you cook your chicken legs also impacts the calorie counts. Here are some examples:

• Baked/roasted chicken legs: Around 200 calories per leg
• Fried chicken legs: Around 300 calories per leg
• Grilled chicken legs: Around 180 calories per leg

Frying adds a significant amount of calories from the oil. Baking or grilling are lower calorie options.

Eating chicken legs with the skin increases calories over skinless chicken legs. But the skin also provides more flavor. So you can adjust the calories up or down depending on your preferences.

Tips for Serving Chicken Legs

Here are some tips for enjoying chicken legs while keeping an eye on your calorie intake:

• Remove the skin to reduce the calories by 50+ per leg.
• Bake, grill, or roast instead of frying to cut down on calories.
• Eat a chicken leg without thigh to get just the drumstick. This reduces the calories.
• Measure portions and weigh chicken legs to get accurate calorie counts. Leg sizes can vary quite a bit.
• Pair chicken legs with non-starchy vegetables or salad to add volume without many extra calories.
• Enjoy a homemade chicken soup with a leg quarter. This stretches a small serving of chicken into a whole bowl.

With some simple modifications and smart pairing, chicken legs can be a flavorful and reasonable calorie option for many meals.

The Bottom Line

Chicken legs are one of the most flavorful parts of the chicken, but also one of the highest in calories and fat due to the skin and bone. A typical small chicken leg with skin will have around 200-225 calories. Removing the skin drops it closer to 150 calories.

Despite their higher calorie count, chicken legs still provide lots of nutrition like protein, vitamins, and minerals. With smart portioning and cooking methods, they can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. So don’t be afraid to savor the juicy flavor of chicken legs! Just be mindful of portions and how they are prepared.

Four chicken legs, including the bone and skin, contain approximately 864-880 calories.