Protein Showdown: Chicken or Eggs? Which Packs More Punch?

Chicken and eggs are popular animal-derived protein sources that are packed with nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

Chicken and eggs are excellent sources of protein and can support your health by improving feelings of fullness after eating and promoting healthy blood sugar regulation. But which is a more concentrated protein source?

Depending on the cut, chicken contains 23–31 grams of protein per 100 grams. Cooked eggs contain 12.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, making chicken a more concentrated protein source.

However, 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 to function, 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 protein and plant proteins, like beans and soy, provide protein, plant-based sources are considered “incomplete” proteins because they're 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' since 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 contains more protein than eggs, studies show that eggs have a higher digestibility value than chicken. Eggs have a digestibility rate of 97% compared to chicken’s 94%, meaning your body is more able to digest and use the amino acids in eggs than chicken.

Nonetheless, chicken and eggs are packed with highly bioavailable protein, and both are excellent options for increasing your protein intake.

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

In addition to protein, eggs and chicken breast are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, zinc, and selenium.

Eggs and chicken breast both contain B6, a vitamin that’s required for more than 100 enzymatic reactions in the body, but chicken breast is a much more concentrated source.

These protein sources also provide B12, which is required for red blood cell production, neurological function, metabolism, and DNA synthesis.

Chicken and eggs are also rich in minerals, including zinc and selenium. Zinc is needed for immune function, cell division, and protein and DNA synthesis, while selenium plays essential roles in immune health and thyroid function and acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body, protecting cells against oxidative damage.

Eggs are a better source of iron than chicken, which is needed for oxygen transportation, growth, energy production, hormone synthesis, and neurological development. 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 neurotransmitter synthesis.

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

Chicken breast provides your body with essential nutrients like protein, B vitamins, and minerals.

Protein is the most filling macronutrient, and including protein-rich foods in your diet, like chicken breast, can help you reach a healthy weight.

Protein stimulates the release and increases levels of satiety hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which signal to your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. Protein also decreases levels of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. 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.

Protein-rich foods like chicken can also support better blood sugar control, since protein slows digestion and the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream. This lowers post-meal blood sugar and supports 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 the health outcomes related to eating chicken is limited, some evidence suggests that adding chicken to your diet may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, though more studies are needed to confirm this potential benefit.

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 by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat mass. It may also improve certain heart health markers, 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 the nutritional quality of your diet by providing vitamins and minerals like B12 and selenium. Like chicken, eggs are virtually carb-free, making them a great choice for those on low-carb diets.

Though eggs are highly nutritious, 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, some populations, such as those with familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes high levels of LDL cholesterol, may have to reduce their consumption of high-cholesterol foods, like eggs.

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

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

Here are a few ways to eat chicken and eggs:

Chicken and eggs are smart protein choices for meal prep. 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.

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, it’s important to avoid these foods completely, as ingesting them could trigger an allergic reaction.

Chicken and eggs are concentrated protein sources that also provide 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.