How Much Chicken is 3oz (How Big is 3 Ounces of Chicken Breast)

How much is 3 ounces of chicken? 3oz chicken is as big as a deck of playing cards or the palm of your hand. This is true for 3 oz chicken breast, chicken thighs, wings, or other pieces of chicken. Learn what 3 ounces of chicken breast weighs in grams, get protein and other nutrition info, and more! It’s easy to figure out how much is a serving size of chicken breast and other types of chicken.

3 ounces (AKA 3oz) is often listed as a healthy serving size of skinless chicken breast and other lean proteins (source). But how big is 3 oz of chicken?

In the U.S., the average chicken breast contains 6-12 ounces of meat. This is 2-4 times the recommended 3 oz chicken breast size! So, you’ll likely need to cut your chicken into smaller pieces to get a 3 ounce portion.

That said, the 3-ounce recommended serving is just a general guideline for making a healthy plate. It may not be enough chicken if you have a weight loss goal, high energy needs, or with certain types of diets, such as keto or low carb. If you practice intermittent fasting, you may also need a larger serving size, since you need to fit more calories into fewer meals.

When considering how much chicken is 3 oz, ask yourself whether it’s the right portion size for you. When I see how big 3 ounces is, I know it's not much meat, and won’t keep me satisfied with filling protein. The Dietary Guidelines recommends 5–7-ounce equivalents of protein per day for adults, but I see this as a minimum.

Jump to:

• How do I measure 3 ounces of chicken?
• How much visually is 3 oz of chicken?
• How much is 3 oz of chicken in cups?
• How much is 3 oz chicken breast in grams?
• 3 oz Chicken Breast Protein
• 3 Ounces of Chicken Calories
• 3 oz Chicken Breast Nutrition Facts
• How many chicken strips is 3 oz?
• How many chicken wings is 3oz?
• How much rotisserie chicken is 3oz?
• How many chicken legs is 3 ounces?
• Should you eat chicken every day?
• FAQs
• Other Cooking Tips
• The Disclaimer…
• 📖 Recipe

How do I measure 3 ounces of chicken?

Here are 4 ways to measure 3 ounces chicken:

1. Kitchen scale: Using a kitchen scale is the most precise method to measure the weight of chicken. Keep in mind that 4 ounces of raw chicken equals about 3 ounces of cooked chicken.

2. Compare to deck of playing cards: The length, width, and thickness of a deck of cards equals about 3-4 ounces of chicken visually. This is a good item to use for a visual estimate, since it has a consistent size.

3. Compare to palm of your hand: Another way to visually estimate portions of chicken is to compare to the palm of your hand. A piece of chicken that’s palm-size should be 3-4 ounces. If you have an extremely small or large hand size, this will not be a good way to measure, of course.

4. Measuring cup: The least accurate way to estimate the weight of your chicken is to use measuring cups. That’s because the volume of chicken can vary significantly depending on how small it’s chopped.

How much visually is 3 oz of chicken?

As you can see, one piece of boneless skinless chicken thigh is about 3 ounces. I needed to cut the chicken breast in half to make it the size of a deck of cards.

Raw chicken will have cooking losses of course, so 3 ounces of raw chicken isn’t what ends up on your plate. You’ll get a little over 2 ounces of cooked chicken from 3 ounces of raw chicken.

How much is an ounce of chicken?

One ounce of chicken is visually equivalent in size to three stacked dice or one thumb. (We’ll call this one the “rule of thumb”- haha.) You can also weigh your chicken on a food scale if you’d like to be more precise.

How much is 6 oz of chicken?

Six ounces of chicken (170 grams) is simply double the visual representations of 3 ounces of chicken. In other words, it is equivalent to two decks of playing cards, or both palms of your hands.

How much is 3 oz of chicken in cups?

3 ounces of chicken is how many cups? Three ounces of chicken equals about ½-⅔ cup. Keep in mind that this is a general guideline that can vary by how small you chopped the chicken.

How do you convert from ounces to cups when measuring chicken breast?

How much is 3 oz chicken breast in grams?

Three ounces chicken breast is 85 grams. This weight conversion holds true regardless of the type of chicken we’re talking about (thighs, legs, wings, etc.).

3 oz Chicken Breast Protein

Here is a chart listing grams of protein for 3 ounces chicken breast and other types of chicken (per Cronometer):

Type of Chicken	Protein (g) in 3oz	Calories in 3oz
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Raw)	19	102
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Cooked)*	26	128
Skin On Chicken Breast (Raw)	17.7	146
Skin On Chicken Breast (Cooked)*	25.3	168
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh (Raw)	16.7	103
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh (Cooked)*	21.1	152
Skin On Chicken Thigh (Raw)	14.1	188
Skin On Chicken Thigh (Cooked)*	19.8	197
Skinless Chicken Drumstick (Raw)	16.5	99
Skinless Chicken Drumstick (Cooked)*	20.6	132
Skin On Chicken Drumstick (Raw)	15.4	137
Skin On Chicken Drumstick (Cooked)*	19.9	162
Skin On Chicken Wings (Raw)	14.9	162
Skin On Chicken Wings (Cooked)*	20.2	216

You get the most concentrated protein content in skinless white breast meat. That’s because it’s a leaner protein than higher fat chicken thighs and wings. Skin on chicken wings and thighs have the least protein by weight.

3 Ounces of Chicken Calories

3 ounces of chicken ranges in calories from 99-216 calories. This is for plain chicken. Breading, frying, leaving the skin on chicken, and dark meat chicken are higher in calories.

Skinless chicken breast and skinless chicken drumsticks are the lowest calorie chicken options. Skin on chicken wings are the highest calorie chicken option. This makes sense, since there’s such a high skin to meat ratio with chicken wings.

3 oz Chicken Breast Nutrition Facts

Here is the nutrition information for 3 ounces of chicken breast (raw):

	Skinless Chicken Breast	Skin On Chicken Breast
Calories	102	146
Total Fat	2g	8g
Saturated Fat	0g	2g
Cholesterol	62g	54g
Sodium	38mg	54mg
Total Carbohydrate	0g	0g
Fiber	0g	0g
Total Sugar	0g	0g
Protein	19g	18g
Thiamin	5.3% DV	3.6% DV
Riboflavin	8.9% DV	4.3% DV
Niacin	40.8% DV	42.1% DV
Vitamin B5	12.7% DV	6.8% DV
Vitamin B6	34.5% DV	22.5% DV
Vitamin B12	3% DV	4.8% DV
Choline	12.7% DV	10.4% DV
Folate	1.9% DV	0.9% DV
Vitamin A	0.5% DV	1.4% DV
Vitamin C	0% DV	0% DV
Potassium	284mg	187mg
Iron	2% DV	3.5% DV
Calcium	0% DV	1% DV
Phosphorus	18% DV	14.8% DV
Zinc	4% DV	4.5% DV

How many chicken strips is 3 oz?

The number of chicken strips in 3 oz of chicken strips will vary by brand and the size of the pieces. I highly recommend weighing your portion if you want an accurate answer. In general, you will get 1.5-5 chicken strips per meal.

Banquet buffalo chicken breast tenders are listed at 5 per 3 ounces. Tyson chicken strips are larger, so you may only get 2 per 3-ounce serving.

How many chicken wings is 3oz?

2-3 chicken wings are about 3 ounces. If the chicken wings are oversized, this number may vary. One chicken wing and one small drummette weigh about 3 ounces together:

This is a cooked weight, but includes the bones. You actually only get 2.2 ounces of chicken meat and skin after the bones are removed.

How much rotisserie chicken is 3oz?

Rotisserie chicken can be measured like other types of chicken. 3 ounces equals a piece of chicken breast or thigh about the size of your palm. 2-3 wings or 2 small rotisserie chicken drumsticks equals 3 ounces.

How many chicken legs is 3 ounces?

Chicken leg quarters are quite large, weighing up to 8 ounces, and will need to be divided for 3-ounce portions. One chicken thigh without skin and bones will yield about 3 ounces of cooked meat. A large drumstick will also yield about 3 oz of meat, after the skin and bones are removed.

Should you eat chicken every day?

It’s best to enjoy a variety of protein group foods, including seafood, eggs, pork, beef, tofu, and other beans. That said, you can safely enjoy some chicken, turkey, or other poultry daily if you like the taste. I would stick to portions of chicken that don’t crowd out healthy foods from other food groups, such as vegetables.

I would also continue to make sure to eat other sources of protein daily. Chicken does not provide complete nutrition by itself, so it’s important to eat other nutrient-rich foods.

FAQs

Other Cooking Tips

Here are some other cooking and baking tips that will help you have success in the kitchen:

• 8 Ounces to Cups Conversion
• Corn Flour Substitute Ideas
• Is All Purpose Flour Plain Flour?
• Best Applesauce Substitute (Great in Baking!)

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The Disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!

📖 Recipe