A popular Indian dish called tandoori chicken is made by letting chicken sit in a spicy yogurt sauce called tandoori masala for a while. The chicken is then cooked in a tandoor, which is a very hot clay oven. When you cook chicken this way, the outside gets charred and the inside stays juicy and flavorful.
One of the appeals of tandoori chicken is its relatively low calorie content compared to other protein sources, But how many calories are actually in a serving of tandoori chicken breast? Let’s take a closer look,
Defining “Many” Calories
To start, we need to clarify what constitutes “many” calories. The word “many” is used to describe a large but indefinite number. There are no strict numerical boundaries for what counts as many. However, we can look at percentage of daily caloric intake to gauge whether a food is high or low calorie.
The recommended daily caloric intake for most adults is around 2000 calories. Foods providing more than 15-20% of your daily intake could be considered high calorie or “many” calories. For a 2000 calorie diet, that would equate to 300-400 calories or more per serving. Foods with less than that would not be considered high calorie.
Calorie Content of Tandoori Chicken Breast
Now let’s examine the calorie content of tandoori chicken breast specifically. According to nutrition data, a 4 oz (113g) serving of tandoori chicken breast contains around 150 calories.
That equates to just 7.5% of a 2000 calorie diet. So while tandoori chicken breast does contain calories, it would not be considered a high calorie food. The calorie content is relatively low, especially compared to other protein sources.
For example, a 4 oz serving of chicken breast without tandoori marinade contains about 140 calories. A serving of beef sirloin would have over 200 calories. And salmon fillet has nearly 180 calories for a 4 oz piece.
That means that one serving of tandoori chicken breast has fewer calories than many other proteins. Since it’s mostly yogurt and spices, the tandoori marinade doesn’t add many calories.
Calorie Breakdown of Tandoori Chicken Breast
Looking further at the nutrition breakdown, tandoori chicken breast gets 71% of its calories from protein. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and helps keep you feeling full.
The calorie breakdown consists of:
- Protein: 27g (108 calories)
- Fat: 4g (36 calories)
- Carbs: 3g (12 calories)
Each serving of tandoori chicken has 27 grams of protein, making it a great source of this important nutrient. Compared to that, it has a pretty low amount of fat and carbs.
The 4g of fat consists mostly of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. The net carb count is very low because two of the three grams of carbs are fiber.
This nutrition profile contributes to tandoori chicken’s low calorie density. It provides ample nutrition and satisfaction for relatively few calories.
Tandoori Chicken vs. Other Dishes
Compared to many other popular Indian dishes, tandoori chicken breast is one of the lighter options calorie-wise. For example:
- Butter chicken: 250 calories per serving
- Palak paneer: 200 calories
- Chana masala: 210 calories
- Lamb korma: 370 calories
The only dishes lower in calories than tandoori chicken tend to be vegetarian foods like daal and vegetable curries. But for non-veg options, tandoori chicken is a great choice.
Tips for Lightening Up Tandoori Chicken
Here are some easy tips to lighten up tandoori chicken breast even further:
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Use plain Greek yogurt instead of full-fat yogurt for the marinade. Saves about 15 calories per 4 oz.
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Broil or grill the chicken instead of frying in oil. Eliminates about 50 calories.
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Serve with a side salad instead of rice or naan bread. Saves 150+ calories.
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Remove the chicken skin after cooking. Reduces calories by 15-30.
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Use minimal salt and sugar when making the tandoori masala spice blend.
With a few simple substitutions and cooking tweaks, you can make this flavorful dish even lighter.
The Verdict on Calories
In conclusion, a 4 oz serving of tandoori chicken breast contains about 150 calories. While not calorie-free, this constitutes a relatively low calorie count, especially for a protein source. Tandoori chicken provides ample nutrition for its calorie content.
Compared to other proteins and many Indian dishes, tandoori chicken breast is one of the lighter options. With some modifications, it can be made even lower in calories. So if you’re looking for delicious Indian cuisine that won’t break the calorie bank, tandoori chicken is a great choice!
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
Sour is one of the five main tastes. It is tart and bright, sometimes with a mouth-puckering quality. Sour is a naturally occurring flavor found in many foods, including citrus, vinegar, various dairy products, and certain fruits. Sour is used to enhance a dish or drink and is used as both a main and complimentary flavor.
Spicy is a flavor that brings heat and fire to food by creating a burning sensation in the mouth or sinuses. Spicy flavors come from hot peppers, horseradish, and wasabi. Spicy adds a kick and sometimes complexity to a dish and releases endorphins, creating a mildly addictive quality.
Grilled chicken breast is meat from the chest of the chicken. It’s white meat, so it’s a little less juicy than meat from the hind leg or wing. When grilled properly chicken breast can be moist, juicy and tender. The meat is an off white color with golden brown grill marks. These golden brown parts have extra flavor and a bit of crispiness. Grilled chicken has a mild taste that is meaty and savory.
Greek yogurt is a dairy product made from milk fermented with healthy bacteria to thicken it into the product we know. With Greek yogurt and extra step is taken to strain all excess whey, creating a richer and creamier product. Greek yogurt is off white, or white in color and has a gentle tangy and milky flavor. The texture is thick and creamy without tasting very fatty. Greek yogurt can be eaten plain or incorporated as an ingredient into a dish.
Vegetable oil is obtained by extracting oil from seeds. Types of vegetable oil include canola, sunflower, corn, and safflower. Light and with a neutral taste, vegetable oils are used to fry foods, or can be used to lightly coat meats and vegetables before roasting. Vegetable oils are also used as ingredients in salad dressings and sauces.
Lemon juice is made from the flesh of the pulpy yellow lemon fruit. The juice is squeezed from the flesh of the lemon and is a pale yellow color. The flavor is very sour and bright. Lemon juice is used in multiple cuisines around the world to brighten and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. Lemon juice is used to make lemonade and goes well on fish. It has many uses.
A lot of people know and love garam masala, which is an Indian spice mix that is used in many Indian dishes and sometimes in fusion recipes as well. There are different variations of garam masala, however; some of the common spices include coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. Nutmeg, cloves, mace and other spices may be added. The general flavor of garam masala is sweet and a bit spicy with a very warm quality. This powder is brown and typically used in smaller amounts.
Ginger garlic paste is made by blending fresh garlic and fresh ginger together to form a fine paste. It may be blended with water and salt for texture and to bring forward the flavors. The paste is yellow and tastes strongly of both garlic and ginger. It is spicy, sharp and commonly used in Indian cuisines as an additional flavor to many different dishes.
Botanically the chili pepper is a fruit, in culinary terms it is a vegetable. There are a number of varieties of red chili peppers. Some common ones used for spice powders include the piri piri, cayenne, pasilla, New Mexico chile and chile de árbol, among others. Each pepper is red and has a thin skin, with a thin flesh and seeds inside the middle of the pepper. The peppers are dried and ground into a powder that can be used in cooking. The heat level of each kind of red chili will vary as will the flavor, but it is always hot and some may be smoky, will others are earthy or bright.
Kasoori methi is the Indian name for sun-dried fenugreek leaves. The fenugreek plant has these small green leaves. Fenugreek is an herb that is mostly used in Indian and African cooking. The flavor has a bitter edge and is reminiscent of fennel and celery. It is used as spice in curries and sprinkled on top of savory dishes, before serving.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant and is used as a spice. The root is woody, but easy to cut and looks similar to ginger. Rather than growing in clusters, each root is a several or so inches long, cylindrical and 1 or more inches in diameter. The thin skin is a brownish-orange and protects the inner root which is bright orange, like a carrot. Turmeric dyes everything it touches and leaves a golden color. The flavor is earthy, pungent and slightly bitter. It has numerous uses, including flavoring and coloring food.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climate and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and become hard. At this point it is ground into a textured powder comprised of black and grey dots. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, especially in Western cuisines and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because of this.
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant. These seeds are a warm beige color with a round and slightly oblong body. The seeds are commonly ground into powder and tastes citrusy, warm, and spicy.
Tandoori Chicken Nutritional Facts and Calories
Serving Size: 1 oz28.35goz
| Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value | |
| Calories | 50kcal | 3% |
| Fats | 2g | 3% |
| Sat. fats | N/A | |
| Mono. Fats | N/A | |
| Trans fats | N/A | |
| Carbs | 1g | 0% |
| Sugars | 0g | 0% |
| Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Proteins | N/A | |
| Cholesterol | N/A | |
| Sodium | N/A |
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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Information is not verified and for reference purposes only. Contact vendor directly if you have any food allergies. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs may vary.
How many carbs are in Tandoori Chicken?1 oz of Tandoori Chicken contains 1 g of carbs.
How much fat is in Tandoori Chicken?1 oz of Tandoori Chicken contains 2 g of fat.
How much sugar is in Tandoori Chicken?1 oz of Tandoori Chicken contains 5 g of sugar.
How many calories are in 1 oz of Tandoori Chicken?There are 50 calories in 1 oz of Tandoori Chicken.
How many calories are in 1 pound of Tandoori Chicken?There are 807 calories in 1 pound of Tandoori Chicken.
Tandoori Chicken | How Many Calories Are You Really Eating?
FAQ
How many calories are in a tandoori chicken breast?
One cup of Tandoori chicken breast is around 236. 6 grams and contains approximately 354. 9 calories, 59. 1 grams of protein, 7. 1 grams of fat, and 11. 8 grams of carbohydrates.
How many calories are in 1 piece of tandoori chicken?
| Protein | 20g |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 2.8g |
| Fat | 6.7g |
Can I eat tandoori chicken for weight loss?
As chicken itself is a good source of lean protein and is a must high protein diet. A plate of Chicken Tandoori could assist you in the process of weight loss. The dish contains less number of calories as-well.
Is tandoori chicken high in calories?
Tandoori chicken is considered a moderate-calorie poultry option: with only 181 calories per 100 g, it supplies plenty of flavor without an excessive calorie load. Those calories are largely linked to its 26 g of high-quality proteins, making it attractive for muscle maintenance or recovery.