Cooked chicken calories come to 266 for a cup of chopped meat (140 g) and 190 per 100 g, based on the USDA row for roasted chicken, meat only. Protein supplies 63% of those calories, and with zero carbs and zero sugar, portion size is almost the only thing that moves your total.
266kcal
1 cup, chopped · 140 g, roasted, meat only
63%protein
41 gProtein
0 gCarbs
10.4 gFat
How to burn off 266 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Roasted, meat only · per 140 g
Calories
266 kcal
Protein
41 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
10.4 g
Saturated fat
2.9 g
Cholesterol
125 mg
Sodium
120 mg
Potassium
340 mg
Iron
1.7 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified October 2026. How we verify our data →
Cooked chicken: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 cup chopped (140 g)
266
40.5 g
0 g
10.4 g
120 mg
13%
3 oz portion (85 g)
162
24.6 g
0 g
6.3 g
73 mg
8%
Fried, 1 cup (140 g)
307
42.8 g
2.4 g
12.8 g
127 mg
15%
100 g
190
28.9 g
0 g
7.4 g
86 mg
10%
3 × 1 cup chopped (140 g)
798
121.5 g
361 mg
5 × 1 cup chopped (140 g)
1,330
202.5 g
602 mg
A cup of chopped chicken is a 266-calorie serving
The cup is the measure most recipes and meal-prep containers use. One cup chopped (140 g) brings 266 calories, 40.5 g of protein and 10.4 g of fat. That is 13% of the daily value for calories but 81% of the daily value for protein, which is the whole appeal of chicken in one line.
A 3 oz portion (85 g) is the lighter option at 162 calories and 24.6 g of protein, or 8% of daily calories. Scale up and the math stays clean, because there is nothing hidden in plain roasted meat. Two cups (280 g) reach 532 calories and 81 g of protein. Three cups (420 g) land at 798.
Batch cooking is where totals sneak up. Five cups, 700 g, add up to 1,330 calories and 202.5 g of protein, so divide a big tray by weight, not by eye. Chopped chicken packs loosely or tightly in a cup, and the same cup can hold quite different amounts. A kitchen scale and the 190 calories per 100 g figure give you the most honest count.
Protein carries nearly two thirds of the calories
Per 100 g, roasted chicken meat has 28.9 g of protein, 7.4 g of fat and 0 g of carbs. In calorie terms that is a 63% protein, 37% fat split. There is no sugar, no fiber and no starch, so every calorie you log comes from those two macros.
The fat side is modest. 7.4 g per 100 g is a small slice of the 78 g daily value, and saturated fat sits at 2 g against a daily value of 20 g. Because this USDA row is meat only, the numbers leave out the skin. If you eat the skin, the fat share climbs and the protein share drops, so log it separately.
That split explains why chicken shows up in so many high-protein plans. You get a large protein dose for a moderate calorie cost, and the fat is low enough that cooking oil and sauces often matter more than the bird itself. Watch what goes into the pan as closely as the meat.
Frying pushes a cup from 266 to 307 calories
Cooking method is the biggest swing you control. A cup of fried chicken (140 g) comes to 307 calories, with 12.8 g of fat and 2.4 g of carbs from the coating, compared with 10.4 g of fat and no carbs for the roasted cup. Fried chicken still delivers 42.8 g of protein, so frying adds calories without taking away the protein.
Fried meat moves daily value numbers too: 15% of daily calories per cup versus 13% roasted. Sodium edges up to 127 mg from 120 mg. Neither gap is dramatic for a single cup, but it compounds across a week of fried lunches.
Plain roasted chicken is low in sodium at 86 mg per 100 g, just 4% of the daily value. Seasoning, brines and store cooking change that fast. Rotisserie chicken lists 343 mg per 100 g, roughly four times the plain roasted figure. If you watch sodium, roast it yourself and salt at the table.
Chicken needs a fiber partner on the plate
Chicken covers protein and little else. It has 0 g of fiber and 0 g of carbs, and potassium is 243 mg per 100 g against a daily value of 4700 mg. Vegetables, beans, whole grains or fruit fill the gaps that the meat leaves open.
Cholesterol is the one row worth a glance: 89 mg per 100 g, against a daily value of 300 mg. A 3 oz portion keeps that number smaller, which is one more reason the 85 g serving works well when chicken appears at more than one meal.
For a simple plate, build around a 3 oz portion or a cup of chopped meat, then add a starch and a big pile of vegetables. Sauces and dressings deserve their own line in your log, since the chicken itself is so predictable. BodyPal can log the food from a photo, which helps when the chicken is mixed into a salad or bowl.
How does cooked chicken compare?
Here is how roasted chicken meat stacks up against rotisserie chicken, ground chicken and drumstick, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: Calories barely separate these four, all between 189 and 196 per 100 g, so pick roasted chicken meat for the most protein at 28.9 g. If you watch sodium, ground chicken at 75 mg and roasted meat at 86 mg beat rotisserie at 343 mg and drumstick at 353 mg.
Most popular cooked chicken brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Crazy Cuizine Chicken Bites1 cup · 140 g200 kcal
2Archer Farms Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast5 oz · 140 g186 kcal
Packaged chicken products add sauce, coating or bacon, so their labels read differently from plain roasted chicken meat. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Cooked chicken FAQs
How many calories are in a cup of cooked chicken?
About 266 calories in 1 cup of chopped roasted chicken meat (140 g), or 190 calories per 100 g.
Is cooked chicken good for weight loss?
Roasted chicken meat has 190 calories, 28.9 g protein and 0 g carbs per 100 g, so a 266-calorie cup carries 40.5 g protein.
Cooked chicken vs rotisserie chicken: which has fewer calories?
Roasted chicken meat has 190 calories per 100 g and rotisserie chicken 196, so the difference is small.
How much protein is in cooked chicken?
28.9 g protein per 100 g of roasted meat, or 40.5 g in a chopped cup (140 g), with 10.4 g fat.
How many calories are in 100 grams of cooked chicken?
100 g of cooked chicken has 190 calories, with 28.9 g of protein and 7.4 g of fat. This USDA figure covers roasted chicken meat without skin, not breast meat alone.
How many calories are in a 3 oz serving of cooked chicken?
A 3 oz portion (85 g) of roasted chicken meat has 162 calories. It also gives 24.6 g of protein, 6.3 g of fat and 73 mg of sodium, with no carbs.
Does fried chicken have more calories than roasted chicken?
Yes. A cup of fried chicken (140 g) has 307 calories versus 266 for a roasted cup. Frying raises fat to 12.8 g from 10.4 g and adds 2.4 g of carbs.
How much sodium is in cooked chicken?
Plain roasted chicken has 86 mg of sodium per 100 g, 4% of the daily value. A cup chopped (140 g) has 120 mg, or 5%. Seasoned or rotisserie chicken runs much higher.
How many calories are in two cups of cooked chicken?
Two cups of chopped cooked chicken (280 g) have 532 calories and 81 g of protein. Sodium for that amount is 241 mg if the meat is plain roasted.
