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Chicken thigh

Gallus gallus domesticus

Also known as Dark meat chicken, Boneless thigh, Chicken leg meat

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Dark leg meat, richer in myoglobin, fat and connective tissue than breast because these are the muscles the bird actually uses. It stays moist across a much wider cooking window as a result.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceWomen's Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Moderate evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a complete protein source. The amino acid profile of dark poultry meat is close to that of breast, and trials of high-quality animal protein with resistance training report gains in lean mass.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Iron status

Women's Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a source of heme iron. Dark poultry meat carries more iron than breast, though considerably less than red meat or organ meat, and food-specific trials in poultry are few.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

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Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories121 kcal6%
Protein19.7 g39%
Total fat4.12 g5%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water76.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.1 g5%
Monounsaturated fat1.5 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.94 g—
Cholesterol94 mg31%
ALA (omega-3)0.03 g—
EPA (omega-3)0.0020 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.0070 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.0080 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.748 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A7 µg1%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.18 mg1%
Vitamin K2.9 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.088 mg7%
Riboflavin (B2)0.196 mg15%
Niacin (B3)5.56 mg35%
Vitamin B60.451 mg27%
Folate4 µg1%
Vitamin B120.61 µg25%
Choline53.6 mg10%
Minerals
Calcium7 mg1%
Iron0.81 mg5%
Magnesium23 mg5%
Phosphorus185 mg15%
Potassium242 mg5%
Sodium95 mg4%
Zinc1.58 mg14%
Copper0.062 mg7%
Manganese0.013 mg1%
Selenium22.9 µg42%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin110 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.95 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, thigh, meat only, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173627).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Campylobacter and Salmonella

    As with all raw poultry, thigh meat is a recognised carrier of Campylobacter and Salmonella. Cook through and keep raw juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

  • Too much

    Higher fat than breast

    Thigh carries several times the fat of skinless breast, more again with the skin on. That is a flavour advantage and an energy-density consideration, not a defect.

  • Allergy

    Chicken meat allergy

    Rare, and sometimes accompanies egg or bird-feather sensitisation.