Every 100 kcal of chicken dark meat brings 13.4 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 69th of the 133 meats in this database and 183rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 27.4 g per 100 g ranks 56th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 53% of the calories in chicken dark meat, making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Weight for weight, chicken dark meat has 2.8 g of protein for each gram of fat (27.4 g against 9.73 g per 100 g).
Set against tri-tip roast, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (tri-tip roast has 22.8 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by weight at 85 g, and it covers about 47% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Dark meat has more myoglobin and fat than breast but a very similar amino acid profile.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of chicken dark meat
Protein and calories in Chicken dark meat for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
27.4 g
205 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
23.3 g
174 kcal
1 cup, chopped or diced
140 g
38.4 g
287 kcal
1 unit (yield from 1 lb ready-to-cook chicken)
81 g
22.2 g
166 kcal
0.5 chicken, bone and skin removed
136 g
37.3 g
279 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in chicken dark meat
The nine essential amino acids in Chicken dark meat, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
2.05 g
1.74 g
75
lysine
2.32 g
1.97 g
85
valine
1.36 g
1.16 g
50
isoleucine
1.44 g
1.22 g
53
threonine
1.16 g
0.99 g
42
phenylalanine
1.09 g
0.93 g
40
methionine
0.757 g
0.64 g
28
histidine
0.849 g
0.72 g
31
tryptophan
0.32 g
0.27 g
12
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
Related
Other meats by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Ground turkey - 13.5 g per 100 kcal, 23.3 g per 3 oz cooked
Pheasant - 13.6 g per 100 kcal, 27.5 g per 3 oz cooked
How much protein is in 100 g of chicken dark meat?
27.4 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 23.3 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of chicken dark meat?
13.4 g. That figure divides its 27.4 g of protein per 100 g by its 205 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in chicken dark meat complete?
Yes. The protein in chicken dark meat supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of chicken dark meat?
About 47%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 23.3 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #171069 (Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, meat only, cooked, roasted), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.