Whether you are shedding your fat or relying on chicken breasts for food-based fowl forays, you need to know the weight of the boneless chicken breast. On an average scale, the weight of raw boneless chicken breast lies between 3 to 8 ounces.
You might be familiar with the fact that chicken comes in different cuts. The chicken breast is rich in proteins and makes a perfect choice for you if you want to consume a protein-rich diet.
Since it contains low fats and low calories, it is globally known as the healthy animal protein meat.
Variables that Determine the Weight of Boneless Chicken Breast
Do bear in mind that the two factors determine the weight and size of boneless chicken breast:
- Where is it produced?
- Homegrown chicken
- Factory-farmed/Supermarket chicken
- Mass-produced
- Type of chicken breast
- Boneless and Skinless chicken
- Boneless and Skin-on chicken
Does Factory-farmed Chicken Have More Weight Than Homegrown Chicken?
Talking about the poultry breasts, they are larger and typically range between 8 – 10 oz. Since chicken farms use hormones, antibiotics, and special techniques, chicken breasts tend to be heavier and larger than homegrown and mass-produced chicken.
You can see a visible difference in the weight of chicken breasts available at butcher’s shops compared to those present in supermarkets.
Type of Chicken Breast
- Boneless (Skinless) chicken breast weight in ounces, grams, and pounds is 6-10 oz, 170-283g, and 0.3-0.6 lb respectively.
- Boneless (Skin-On) chicken breast weight in ounces, grams, and pounds is 7-12 oz, 198-340 g, and 0.4-0.7 lb respectively.
Where, 1 ounce = 28 grams and 1 ounce = 0.06 pound.
What is the Average Weight of the Chicken Breast?
Typically in grocery stores, you have seen chicken packs containing three or four boneless breasts. There’s no denying that the weight of each pack is different.
So, how to measure the average weight is a big concern. Well, you can estimate the weight of each pack by dividing the package’s total weight by the number of breast pieces present in it.
This way, you can get a rough idea of each breast’s weight.
Want to get an idea of the weight of each breast while cooking? Don’t fret!
You just need to be very experienced in judging the weight of each chicken breast.
The chicken comes in servings no bigger than a human hand. And their serving size is 3 – 4 ounces. If it is bigger than your hand, you can assume its weight is up to 10 ounces or more.
Amount of Chicken Breasts in a Pound?
Different packages of chicken breasts come in different sizes. The package should provide the weight of each chicken breast.
Considering a pack contains two chicken breasts weighing 8 ounces each, we can assume that the pack contains one pound (16 ounces = 1 pound) and is priced per pound.
Also, you might have seen four or five chicken breasts in a pack. Typically they weigh up to 2 pounds.
Let’s make it more simple:
Note the weight of each breast and divide it by 16. Now multiply it by the total number of chicken breasts in the pack. The answer would be the number of breasts in a pound.
Estimating Boneless Chicken Breast Weight by its Size
It would become easier to estimate the weight of the breast by its size. The size of a 4-ounce breast is similar to the size of a deck of cards.
Multiplying the 4 ounces of breast gives you the 16 ounces in a pound. A large breast that ranges between 8-12 ounces in size relates to the large iPhone size.
Number of Chicken Breasts in a Kg
Applying the rule of thumb, we assume four chicken breasts with an average weight of 8 oz. in a pack, we find out that 1 Kg (1 Kg = 35.2 oz) contains four chicken breasts.
After knowing the number of chicken breasts in a kilogram, you surely want to know their weight in one kg. This requires finding the weight of the package that is labeled on its wrapper.
Now convert this weight into kilograms. Then divide it by the number of chicken breasts.
How Boneless Chicken Breast Weight Increased Nowadays?
Curious to know the weight of chicken breasts that were present in the past? Here is a section of this write-up to help you know this.
Chicken breast weight in the 1920s was 2.5 pounds. After 30 years, in the 1950s it increased a bit up to 3.07 pounds. And in this era, chicken breast weight is nearly 6 pounds.
Fast forward to today, the typical weight of chicken breasts has increased significantly compared to the past 40 years. Technological advancements have involved every field of life, and health care is no exception.
Therefore, the health care sector focusing on the factory-farmed chicken is directed to fattening and careful production of chicken in poultry.
This leads to an increased weight of chickens than their earlier predecessors. In the long run, it increases the chicken producer’s revenue.
What are the Simplest Ways to Measure the Weight Of A Chicken Breast?
- Choose a reliable scale to measure weight. The scale can be electric or mechanical. The latter being more authentic gives you accurate measurements.
- Keep a conversion table or Google unit converter to get the measurements in your desired units.
- Set the units on an electric scale. Using a mechanical scale, measuring the bowl’s weight before placing chicken breast is better. Also, don’t forget to clean the surface of the scale to avoid contact with chicken breasts from bacteria.
- For accurate measurements, you must be very cautious to clean the chicken breasts thoroughly. Extra water, fats, and the skin of the chicken can increase its weight. So, removing them can lead to more efficient measurements.
Does Frozen Chicken Breast have the Same Weight As for Thawed Chicken?
The frozen chicken has a layer of ice contributing to its extra weight. So, its weight is more than the thawed chicken. While making a recipe, you are advised to keep the frozen chicken at room temperature for some time before putting it in the meal.
Putting this frozen chicken directly in the food increases the water content and disturbs your recipe.
How Much Chicken Weight is Lost During Cooking
When you cook the chicken, its fat content is reduced, and water is evaporated. So, its weight falls to 2-5 ounces. In other words, cooking shrinks the meat and decreases its weight by 25% on average.
It is important to know that different cooking methods reduce the weight of the chicken breast to a different extent. For instance, deep-frying reduced the weight of chicken breasts by 20-30%.
The sauteing decreases its weight to 15-20%, whereas the weight loss percentage during boiling chicken breast is 2-5%.
Bringing it all together
Chicken breast is a delicious yet popular source of protein content and makes a perfect choice for those on a protein diet. Without knowing the boneless chicken’s weight, you can’t estimate the amount of chicken you need to add to your meal, and monitoring the nutrient intake becomes a hassle.
Hopefully, this write-up helps you count the weight of boneless chicken breasts in different units and with or without scales.