Head-to-head comparison

Chicken Breast (skinless) vs Pork Tenderloin: Which Has More Protein?

Chicken Breast (skinless) and Pork Tenderloin show up in a lot of the same meal-planning conversations, and the honest comparison depends on which specific number you're optimizing for.

Chicken Breast (skinless)

31.0gprotein / 100g

165 cal · 3.6g fat · $ · Quality 0.94

Pork Tenderloin

26.0gprotein / 100g

143 cal · 3.5g fat · $$ · Quality 0.92

Chicken Breast (skinless) delivers a clearly higher protein density than Pork Tenderloin — 31.0g vs 26.0g per 100g, a gap of 5.0g that adds up fast across multiple servings.

Neither has a meaningful edge on protein quality; they're close enough on amino acid profile that it isn't a differentiator here.

Chicken Breast (skinless) is also the cheaper option ($ vs $$), which matters if you're eating either one regularly rather than occasionally.

Chicken Breast (skinless)'s typical serving also delivers more leucine (2400mg vs Pork Tenderloin's 2100mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.

Verdict

These two are closer than the comparison headline suggests. Either Chicken Breast (skinless) or Pork Tenderloin works well in most contexts — let cost, prep time, and personal preference decide rather than the macros.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gChicken Breast (skinless)Pork Tenderloin
Protein31.0g26.0g
Calories165143
Fat3.6g3.5g
Carbs0.0g0.0g
Fiber0.0g0.0g
Quality score0.940.92
Relative cost$$$
Prep time20 min25 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, chicken breast (skinless) or pork tenderloin?

Chicken Breast (skinless) has 31.0g of protein per 100g compared to Pork Tenderloin's 26.0g.

Which is lower in calories?

Pork Tenderloin is lower in calories per 100g, at 143 vs the other's 165.