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Home » Kitchen Tips and Info

How Much Chicken? Converting Between Pounds, Grams and Cups for Recipes

Last Modified: Mar 10, 2023. Originally Published: Mar 10, 2023 by Janessa.

So a recipe calls for a cup of chicken? Or a pound of chicken is on your ingredient list and you're wondering what the exact amount of pieces of boneless chicken breasts you need is? The next time you're looking at a recipe and wondering "but how much chicken is that??", this post is here to help you figure out the exact amount- no kitchen scale required.

Jump to:
  • Types of Chicken Meat
  • How Much is One Serving of Chicken
  • How Many Servings Per Pound of Chicken
  • How Many Cups per Pound of Chicken
  • How Many Pounds (and Grams) In a Cup of Chicken
  • How Many Pieces Per Pound
  • How Much is a Single Piece of Chicken (by type)
  • How Many Per Serving (by type)
  • Summary
  • Printable Reference Chart
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Comments
Images showing raw bone in and boneless chicken.

Types of Chicken Meat

Let's first start off by talking about the most commonly used types of chicken in recipes.

Boneless

Boneless chicken means that the bones (and usually the skin) have already been removed.

Therefore, the weight of chicken listed on the package is essentially what you will yield for meat.

Your options for boneless are:

  • Chicken breasts (white meat)
  • Chicken thighs (dark meat)
  • Ground chicken (can be a combination)

The advantages of using boneless chicken are:

  • Convenience
  • Chicken cooks faster
  • Can easily be added to recipes (like this Yellow Thai Chicken Curry)

However, it does tend to be more expensive.

Bone In

When buying bone-in, the weight of chicken on the package includes the bone, so you won't yield that amount of meat like you will with boneless.

Your options for boneless are:

  • Chicken breasts (white meat)
  • Chicken thighs (dark meat)
  • Drumsticks (dark meat)
  • Wings (considered white meat)
  • Whole Chicken (combination)

The advantages of using bone-in chicken are:

  • Often more flavorful
  • Cheaper

However, it does have a longer cook time and is a bit more work.

How Much is One Serving of Chicken

A single serving of chicken meat is generally considered to be about approximately:

  • 100 grams
  • ¼ pound
  • 4 ounces
  • ¾ cup

While it can be easy to figure out with boneless chicken meat, it can be a bit trickier with bone in meat.

A good rule of thumb is that you need twice the amount (by weight) of bone-in chicken to yield the same amount of meat. So for bone-in chicken meat, one serving is equal to approximately:

  • 200 grams
  • ½ pound
  • 8 ounces
Chicken breasts cut into individual serving sizes cooking in a skillet with onions.

How Many Servings Per Pound of Chicken

So based on the above sizes for servings, we can calculate the amount of servings per pound (450 grams) or chicken.

Boneless- 4 servings

Ground- 4 servings

Bone-In- 2 servings

*Note: servings does not necessarily mean it will serve 4 people. It depends on the dish the chicken is being used in and dietary needs. I am referring to serving size as a standard measurement that is typically used on nutrition labels.

How Many Cups per Pound of Chicken

Now what if your recipe is calling for a number of cups of chicken (like in this Chimichurri Chicken Sandwich). How much meat do you need to buy in order to have the right amount?

Whether your recipe calls for chicken that is shredded or diced into bite-size pieces, they have around the same volume and weight.

An average pound of uncooked chicken equals approximately:

Boneless- 3 cups of cooked meat

Ground- 2 and ½ cups of cooked meat

Bone In- 1 and ½ cups of cooked meat

How Many Pounds (and Grams) In a Cup of Chicken

Boneless-

  • ⅓ pound
  • 5 ounces
  • 150 grams

Ground-

  • ⅖ pound
  • 6 and ½ ounces
  • 180 grams

Bone In- (Weight including bone that will yield 1 cup of meat)

  • ⅔ pound
  • 10 ounces
  • 300 grams

How Many Pieces Per Pound

One pound of chicken equals (assuming medium sized pieces- this can definitely vary depending on the size of the chicken!):

  • Boneless:
    • 2 average sized chicken breasts
    • 4 average sized chicken thighs
  • Bone In:
    • 1 chicken breast
    • 2 thighs
    • 4 drumsticks
    • 8 wings
Cooked chicken on a plate with sweet potatoes and kale.

How Much is a Single Piece of Chicken (by type)

  • Boneless:
    • Chicken breasts- ½ lb, 2 servings
    • Chicken thighs- ¼ lb, 1 serving
  • Bone In:
    • Chicken Breast- 1 lb, 2 servings
    • Thighs- ½ lb- 1 serving
    • Drumsticks- ¼ lb- ½ serving
    • Wings- ⅛ lb- ¼ serving

How Many Per Serving (by type)

It may be helpful to envision the size of a deck of cards to give yourself an idea of a what a serving size looks like for boneless meat.

In order to have one serving, you would need the following amount of pieces of chicken.

  • Boneless:
    • Chicken breasts- ½
    • Chicken thighs- 1
  • Bone In:
    • Chicken Breast- ½
    • Thighs- 1
    • Drumsticks- 2
    • Chicken Wings- 4

Summary

So to summarize:

  • 1 pound of chicken meat is equal to approximately 3 cups
  • As a general rule, for bone in chicken you need twice as much to yield the same amount of meat
  • 1 serving of chicken is equal to about 4 oz/ 100 grams/ ¾ cup
  • There is ⅓ pound chicken per cup of meat
  • 1 chicken breast is approximately 1.5 cups of chicken

Printable Reference Chart

Want to print this to reference for later? Download this chart! >>>

Chart outlining different chicken measurements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is 2 pounds of chicken breasts?

Assuming an average chicken breast, 4 boneless breast weighs about 2 pounds.

How much protein is in a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts?

According to the nutrition facts listed on Healthline, one pound of boneless chicken breast would contain 139 grams of protein.

How many cups of chicken in a pound?

There are approximately 3 cups of cooked chicken per pound of boneless chicken breast or thighs. There are approximately 1 and ½ cups of cooked meat per pound of bone-in breast chicken.
A full pound of meat uncooked yields 3 cups cooked.

How many pounds of chicken in a cup?

A cup of chicken is equal to approximately ⅓ pound or 5 ounces of uncooked chicken.

Chicken Recipes

These different recipes are the perfect way for you to put your extra chicken to use!

  • Chicken skewers on a baking sheet.
    Oven Baked Chicken Skewers
  • Sweet and spicy stir fry in a bowl topped with green onions.
    Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
  • Hand grabbing a cheesy nacho chip.
    Shredded Chicken Nachos (With the BEST Easy Taco Chicken)
  • Sheet pan of nachos topped with chicken, peppers and cheese.
    Easy Chicken Fajita Nachos
« 23 Delicious Healthier Toppings for Pancakes (Or Waffles)
Apple Crisp Storage »

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  1. Wanda says

    March 10, 2023 at 10:31 am

    I always make too much when I cook so this is an awesome post to help with planning meals! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      March 10, 2023 at 11:15 am

      I'm glad you found it helpful, Wanda.

      Reply
  2. Kathleen says

    March 10, 2023 at 10:34 am

    Very informative post. I really appreciate all the information and how you broke it down. Have bookmarked for future reference.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      March 10, 2023 at 11:15 am

      Thank you, Kathleen!

      Reply
  3. Kushigalu says

    March 10, 2023 at 10:36 am

    Very useful guide. Pinned this post.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      March 10, 2023 at 11:15 am

      I'm glad you found it helpful, Kushigalu.

      Reply
  4. Jessica says

    March 10, 2023 at 10:57 am

    What an awesome, informative post! So much good info, and I'm definitely saving for when I need it.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      March 10, 2023 at 11:16 am

      I'm glad you found it helpful, Jessica!

      Reply
  5. Alison Saalbach Corey says

    March 10, 2023 at 11:11 am

    I appreciate how you provide detailed information and tips to ensure the right amount of chicken. Thank you!

    Reply
Janessa

Hi, I'm Janessa and I'm passionate about sharing recipes that are made with wholesome ingredients, are quick and easy and most importantly, delicious!

More about me →

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