Chicken vs. Eggs: Which Has More Protein?

Chicken and eggs are popular protein sources that are full of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

They are both excellent sources of protein and can support your health by helping you feel full after eating and promoting healthy blood sugar regulation. But which is a more concentrated protein source?

Protein Comparison

Depending on the cut, chicken has 23–31 grams of protein per 100 grams. Cooked eggs has 12.6 grams of protein per 100 grams. That means that chicken is a more concentrated protein source.

That said, both chicken and eggs are considered “complete” proteins. Animal proteins, like chicken and eggs, contain all nine essential amino acids. Though you need 20 amino acids, only nine—histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine— are essential. This means your body can’t produce them, and you must obtain them from dietary sources.

Though both animal and plant proteins provide protein, plant-based sources are considered “incomplete” proteins because they are low in (or missing) one or more essential amino acids.

Your body can also use the protein from animal proteins more efficiently. In fact, eggs and chicken are digested at a rate above 90%, while plant proteins have a digestion rate ranging between 45–80%. This makes chicken and eggs "high-quality proteins" because the protein in these foods is easily absorbed, broken down, and used by your body for important processes such as building muscle and creating hormones and neurotransmitters.

Although chicken has more protein than eggs, studies show that eggs are digested better than chicken. Eggs digest at a rate of 97%, and chicken digests at a rate of 94%. This means your body is more able to digest and use the amino acids in eggs than in chicken.

That said, chicken and eggs are both full of protein, and both are great options for increasing your protein intake.

Nutrition Comparison

Here’s the nutrition comparison between a small, 105-gram chicken breast and two, large, 50-gram eggs.

Eggs and chicken are good sources of other vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, zinc, and selenium. Both contain B6, but chicken breast is a much more concentrated source. They also both provide B12, which is required for red blood cell production, metabolism, DNA synthesis, and more.

Chicken and eggs are also rich in minerals, including zinc and selenium. Zinc is needed for immunity, cell division, and protein and DNA synthesis. Selenium is important for immune health and thyroid function and acts as a powerful antioxidant.

Eggs are a better source of iron than chicken, which is needed to grow, transport oxygen, produce energy, and more. Eggs are also higher in choline, a nutrient that plays a critical role in fetal growth and development and is involved in metabolism, cellular health, and more.

Though chicken and eggs contain different levels of vitamins and minerals, they’re both highly healthy and can be incorporated into many diets, including paleo diets and keto diets. 

Health Benefits of Chicken

Chicken breast has essential nutrients like protein, B vitamins, and minerals. 

Protein is the most filling macronutrient (a nutrient that your body needs in large quantities). Including protein-rich foods in your diet can help you reach a healthy weight. Protein stimulates the release and increases levels of hormones that help you feel full, such as cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). These hormones signal to your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. Protein also decreases levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates your appetite. This is why increasing protein intake has been shown to be an effective and easy way to boost weight loss and improve feelings of fullness.

Foods rich in protein can also support better blood sugar control. Protein slows digestion and the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar after a meal and supporting better blood sugar regulation.

Chicken is high in protein and free of carbs, making it a good choice for people who are trying to manage their blood sugar, such as those with type 2 diabetes. While research on how eating chicken impacts your health is limited, some evidence suggests that adding chicken to your diet may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. That said, more studies are needed to confirm this.

Health Benefits of Eggs

Eggs are a rich source of protein and important vitamins and minerals like B12 and choline.

Eating eggs has been shown to improve body composition (the relative amounts of fat, bone, and muscle in your body) by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat mass. It may also improve certain markers of heart health, such as HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that removes cholesterol from the blood and carries it to the liver, where it’s broken down and excreted from the body.

Eating eggs can also increase your diet's nutrition by providing vitamins and minerals like B12 and selenium. Like chicken, eggs are carb-free, making them a great choice for those on low-carb diets.

Though eggs are very healthy, they are high in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and certain foods. Though high-cholesterol foods aren’t a problem for most people, they can be for people with certain conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes high levels of LDL cholesterol.

If you have heart disease or have risk factors like high LDL cholesterol, it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider.

Tips For Eating Chicken and Eggs

Chicken and eggs are versatile protein sources that can be paired with other healthy foods to make healthy meals and snacks. 

Here are a few ways to eat chicken and eggs:

• Add fried, poached, hard-boiled, or scrambled eggs to grain dishes and salads
• Combine chopped chicken or eggs with mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and chopped herbs for a simple, high-protein salad
• Use ground chicken in place of beef in recipes like chili, meatballs, and burgers
• Use eggs in baked goods like quick breads and cakes to increase their protein content
• Add chopped chicken to egg dishes like frittatas and quiches to bump up their protein content even more
• Snack on hard-boiled eggs and fruit for a complete and filling snack
  

Chicken and eggs are good for meal prepping. They can be prepared ahead of time and stored in your fridge for a quick meal or snack. For example, you can make a large batch of hard-boiled eggs or egg muffins to enjoy throughout the week for an easy breakfast or snack option. 

Which Is Better?

Chicken and eggs are both healthy, but chicken is a more concentrated source of protein. Some people may have to avoid chicken or eggs for dietary or health reasons. For example, people with high cholesterol may have to limit their intake of high-cholesterol foods, like eggs, while people following vegetarian diets choose to avoid chicken.

It’s also possible to be allergic to eggs and chicken, though egg allergies are more common. If you’re allergic to eggs or chicken, avoid these foods completely, since eating them could trigger an allergic reaction.

A Quick Review

Chicken and eggs are concentrated protein sources that also have other important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.

Though chicken is higher in protein than eggs, they can both be used to increase the protein content of your diet.