How Many Calories Are in 2 Pieces of Chicken? A Closer Look

Chicken is one of the most popular meats worldwide. It’s versatile, budget-friendly, and easy to cook. When watching your calories or macros, you may wonder how many calories are in a serving of chicken. The number can vary based on the cut, cooking method, and whether you eat the skin.

Let’s take a closer look at the calories in different cuts of chicken and how to keep the calories low when preparing chicken

Calories in Popular Chicken Cuts

The number of calories in chicken depends largely on the part of the chicken you eat. Here’s a breakdown of calories in some of the most common chicken cuts:

• Chicken breast (boneless, skinless):

165 calories per 100 grams

284 calories per whole breast (172g)

• Chicken thigh (boneless, skinless):

179 calories per 100 grams

208 calories for a whole thigh (116g)

• Chicken drumstick (boneless, skinless):

155 calories per 100 grams

149 calories per drumstick (96g)

• Chicken wing (boneless, skinless):

203 calories per 100 grams

43 calories per wing (21g)

As you can see boneless skinless chicken breast and drumsticks are lower in calories than thighs and wings. Chicken breast is especially popular for those watching their weight since it’s high in protein but lower in fat than the other cuts.

Calories With Skin On

While skinless chicken is relatively low in calories, the skin can add a significant amount.

For example, a skinless chicken breast has 284 calories. A chicken breast with skin, on the other hand, has 386 calories, which is over 100 more calories just from the skin.

In the same way, a chicken wing without skin has 43 calories and a wing with skin has 86 calories.

So if you’re trying to reduce calories, opt for skinless whenever possible.

Calories in 2 Pieces of Chicken

Now let’s look specifically at the calories in 2 pieces of some common chicken cuts:

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4oz/113g each):

568 calories

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken thighs (3oz/85g each):

306 calories

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken drumsticks (2oz/57g each):

217 calories

• 2 small skinless chicken wings (1oz/28g each):

114 calories

As you can see, 2 small chicken breasts contain far more calories than 2 wings or drumsticks. Again, this comes back to the leanness of chicken breast compared to the higher fat content of thighs and wings.

Cooking Method Matters

While chicken is relatively low in calories on its own, how you cook it makes a big difference. Methods like frying, breading, or saucing can add a significant amount of calories:

• 1 boneless, skinless roasted chicken thigh: 208 calories

• 1 boneless chicken thigh fried in batter: 238 calories

• 1 boneless, skinless baked chicken wing: 43 calories

• 1 breaded, fried chicken wing: 103 calories

• 1 boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast: 284 calories

• 1 breaded, fried chicken breast: 426 calories

If you want to keep your calories low, cook without adding extra oil or breading by roasting, baking, grilling, or poaching. Skip the deep frying whenever possible.

Tips to Reduce Calories in Chicken

Here are some tips to keep calories low when preparing chicken:

• Choose leaner cuts like breast or drumstick over thigh or wing

• Remove the skin before cooking

• Use healthy cooking methods like roasting, grilling, baking, or poaching

• Avoid frying or breading chicken

• Use low fat marinades like lemon juice, herbs, and spices

• Limit high calorie sauces or dressings

• Portion out chicken into single servings to prevent overeating

• Fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies to reduce calories

The Bottom Line

Getting chicken fried without the skin can be a healthy way to add lean protein to your diet. Some chicken cuts that don’t have bones or skin have only 155-284 calories per serving. But cuts that are fried, sauced, or high in fat can add a lot. Stay away from chicken cuts that are high in fat, like breast and drumstick, and cook it in healthy ways to keep the calories low. For a low-calorie chicken meal, eat less fried and sauced chicken and fill up half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables.

Nutrition Facts