Which Cut Of Chicken Has The Most Protein?

Worldwide, chicken is one of the most consumed meats. A vital animal protein, chicken is huge among athletes and fitness enthusiasts because of its high protein content. Protein, an essential macronutrient, plays a big role in physical and mental health because it's vital for building and repairing body tissue and organs, generating energy, and more. For anyone interested in incorporating more protein into their diet — whether you're a bodybuilder or aiming to lose weight — stock up on the cut of chicken that has the most protein content: the breast.

Although it's best to get protein from a variety of sources, chicken breast is a surefire way to boost intake. According to the American Heart Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid, a healthy serving size of meat is between 3 to 4 ounces. On average, 3.5 ounces of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast yields 0.8 ounces of protein according to USDA. With bones, that number goes down to roughly 0.75 ounces of protein. 

Chicken breast has the highest protein content because it's all lean muscle. Bones negatively impact both protein content and flavor, so make sure you know how to de-bone your own chicken. After the breast, the protein content of each cut of chicken becomes roughly the same. Raw, boneless, skinless chicken thighs take second place with 3.5 ounces has an average of 0.66 ounces of protein. The same amount of drumsticks and wings, with bones and skin, ties for third place with an average of around 0.65 ounces of protein. While 3.5 ounces of raw chicken thighs with bones and skin only has an average of 0.60 ounces of protein.

The healthiest way to cook chicken is poaching because it doesn't require oil or fat, and Andrew Zimmern has a method for perfectly juicy poached whole chicken you just have to try. But when poaching just the breast — boneless and skinless — it's best to completely submerge them in cold water, with an additional inch of water above them. Poaching isn't boiling, so use medium-high heat just until the liquid boils and then reduce it to just a simmer. You'll also want to skim the foam that floats to the top of the cooking water. As always, chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe consumption, so count on about 15 minutes cook time when poaching a 3.5 ounce chicken breast. 

When poaching, you can add in more flavor by substituting water for vegetable or chicken stock, and adding aromatic veggies and herbs. If poaching seems too slow and you need dinner on the table faster, grilling and sautéing are also healthy alternatives as long as you watch how much additional fat you use while cooking. The least healthy way to cook chicken is deep frying.