Calories in Chicken Thigh
How many calories are in a chicken thigh? A skinless boneless cooked thigh has about 180 calories, while skin-on is about 280. See a full chicken thigh macros table.
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Quick answer
A boneless, skinless cooked chicken thigh (about 85 grams) has roughly 180 calories. With the skin on, the same thigh has about 280 calories. Thighs are higher in fat and calories than chicken breast.
How Many Calories Are in a Chicken Thigh?
Chicken thigh is dark meat, which means it carries more fat — and therefore more calories — than chicken breast. A boneless, skinless cooked thigh (about 85 grams, or 3 ounces) has roughly 180 calories. Leave the skin on, and that figure rises to about 280 calories because chicken skin is largely fat. The extra fat is also what gives thighs their richer flavor and juicier texture.
The size of a thigh varies a lot, so per-100-gram figures are the most reliable for comparison: skinless cooked thigh is about 209 calories per 100 grams, with around 26 grams of protein.
Chicken Thigh Calories by Preparation (Cooked)
| Chicken thigh | Serving | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless | 1 thigh (~85 g) | ~180 | 25 | 8 |
| Bone-in, skinless | 1 thigh (~95 g meat) | ~185 | 26 | 8 |
| Bone-in, skin-on | 1 thigh (~110 g) | ~280 | 19 | 22 |
| Skinless, per 100 g | 100 g | ~209 | 26 | 11 |
| Skin-on, per 100 g | 100 g | ~247 | 25 | 16 |
| Fried (skin-on, breaded) | 1 thigh | ~330 | 21 | 24 |
The single biggest lever is the skin: removing it cuts roughly 90 to 100 calories per thigh and significantly lowers the fat content while keeping nearly all the protein.
Macros and Nutrition in Chicken Thigh
Chicken thigh is a protein-and-fat food with no carbohydrates (unless breaded). A skinless thigh delivers about 25 grams of complete protein with 8 grams of fat. Compared to breast, thigh meat contains more iron and zinc, and many people find dark meat more flavorful and forgiving to cook because the extra fat keeps it from drying out. It is also typically cheaper than breast, making it a budget-friendly protein source.
Chicken Thigh vs Chicken Breast
The two cuts serve different goals. Thigh offers richer taste and stays juicy, at the cost of more fat and calories. Breast is leaner — about 165 calories and 31 grams of protein per 100 grams skinless — making it the pick for the highest protein-per-calorie ratio. For most people, both are excellent; thighs are great when flavor and moisture matter, while breast wins when you are minimizing fat and calories.
Cutting Calories on Chicken Thighs
To keep thighs lean, remove the skin before or after cooking and choose baking, grilling or air-frying over deep-frying. Skipping breading and heavy sauces avoids hidden calories, while a marinade of citrus, herbs and spices adds flavor for almost nothing. With the skin off and a low-fat cooking method, a chicken thigh is a juicy, high-protein option at roughly 180 calories — a small step up from breast in exchange for a big step up in flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a boneless skinless chicken thigh?
A boneless, skinless cooked chicken thigh (about 85 grams, or 3 ounces) has roughly 180 calories, with about 25 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat. Per 100 grams, skinless thigh is about 209 calories.
How many calories are in a chicken thigh with skin?
A bone-in, skin-on cooked chicken thigh has about 280 calories, with roughly 19 grams of protein and 22 grams of fat. The skin adds significant fat and roughly 90 to 100 extra calories per thigh.
Is chicken thigh higher in calories than chicken breast?
Yes. Chicken thigh is higher in fat and calories than breast. Skinless thigh has about 209 calories per 100 grams versus about 165 for skinless breast, because thigh meat contains more fat.
How much protein is in a chicken thigh?
A boneless skinless chicken thigh has about 25 grams of protein per 85-gram serving, or roughly 26 grams per 100 grams cooked. Thighs are a strong protein source, just with more fat than breast meat.
Is chicken thigh healthy?
Yes. Chicken thigh is a nutritious, high-protein food rich in iron, zinc and B vitamins. The dark meat is slightly higher in fat than breast, so removing the skin is an easy way to cut calories while keeping the protein.
Sources
- FoodData Central — food composition database — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)