Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
15.3 g of protein in 6 nuggets (96 g) of chicken nuggets, or 5.2 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.2 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 15.9 g |
| Protein per serving | 15.3 g in 6 nuggets (96 g) |
| Calories from protein | 21% |
| Protein to fat | 0.8 g per 1 g fat |
| Rank in meats, per 100 kcal | 124th of 133 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 342nd of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 31% per serving |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
One 6 nuggets, 15.3 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of chicken nuggets brings 5.2 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 124th of the 133 meats in this database and 459th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 15.9 g per 100 g ranks 120th in its group.
Around 21% of the calories in chicken nuggets come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
By weight, fat outweighs protein in chicken nuggets: 20.4 g of fat per 100 g against 15.9 g of protein, a ratio of 0.8 to 1.
Set against beef tongue, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 1.1 g less protein (beef tongue has 16.4 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 counted by piece at 96 g, and it covers about 31% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Roughly half the weight is breading and oil rather than chicken.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 15.9 g | 307 kcal |
| 6 nuggets (serving used here) | 96 g | 15.3 g | 295 kcal |
| 1 nugget | 16 g | 2.5 g | 49 kcal |
| 1 cup | 140 g | 22.3 g | 430 kcal |
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Related
Highest-protein meats per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Quick answers
15.9 g. The 6 nuggets serving used on this page weighs 96 g and so carries 15.3 g.
5.2 g. That figure divides its 15.9 g of protein per 100 g by its 307 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Yes. The protein in chicken nuggets supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
About 31%. One 6 nuggets serving has 15.3 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #2706092 (Chicken nuggets, NFS), FNDDS survey 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.