How many calories in roast chicken
A roast chicken leg with skin has about 350 kcal, with 38 g of protein.
Portion
To burn it off
Roast chicken is the centre of a Sunday roast and the easy rotisserie dinner from the supermarket. No carbs in the meat itself, it's all protein and fat.
A whole leg is 350 kcal, with 38 g of protein and 22 g of fat. A breast is 275, with 42 g of protein and only 11 g of fat, so it's the leaner of the two.
Most of the fat sits in and under the skin. The roast potatoes, stuffing and gravy are extra, and they're where a Sunday dinner adds up.
Tips
- 1Take the breast if you want the most protein for the fewest calories.
- 2Leave some of the skin on the side of the plate.
- 3Fill half the plate with veg and have a few roast potatoes, not a mountain.
Where it comes from
Every roast chicken goes back to the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia. A 2022 study puts the first clearly domestic chickens in central Thailand around 1650 to 1250 BC, probably drawn to villages by stored rice and millet. When chickens reached Europe they seem to have been revered rather than eaten at first, since butchery marks on their bones only appear centuries later.
Where does our food come from? · Source: PNAS, The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens (2022)
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Questions
Is chicken breast or leg lower?
The breast. It's 275 kcal against 350 for a leg, with more protein too.
How much protein is in a roast chicken breast?
About 42 g.
Does the skin add a lot?
Yes, most of the fat sits there. Without it, both cuts come in lower.
How many calories in a roast chicken wing?
One roast wing with the skin on is about 100 kcal. There isn't much meat on it, so a fair share of that is the skin.
How long does leftover roast chicken keep?
Get it in the fridge within two hours of cooking, covered, and eat it within two days. Reheat it until it's piping hot, or have it cold in a sandwich.
