Head-to-head comparison

Chicken Breast (skinless) vs Soybeans (mature, cooked): Which Has More Protein?

Both Chicken Breast (skinless) and Soybeans (mature, cooked) are common enough protein choices that they get compared directly all the time — here's what the actual numbers say.

Chicken Breast (skinless)

31.0gprotein / 100g

165 cal · 3.6g fat · $ · Quality 0.94

Soybeans (mature, cooked)

18.2gprotein / 100g

173 cal · 9.0g fat · $ · Quality 0.85

Chicken Breast (skinless) is in a different weight class here, protein-wise: 31.0g per 100g vs Soybeans (mature, cooked)'s 18.2g, a 12.8g difference that's more about food category than food quality.

Chicken Breast (skinless) also carries the stronger amino acid profile (high-DIAAS complete animal protein), while Soybeans (mature, cooked) is DIAAS-adjusted, complete plant protein.

Cost is roughly comparable between the two ($), so budget isn't the deciding factor here.

The dietary-restriction question settles this for a lot of people before the macros even matter: Soybeans (mature, cooked) is vegan, Chicken Breast (skinless) isn't.

Chicken Breast (skinless)'s typical serving also delivers more leucine (2400mg vs Soybeans (mature, cooked)'s 1400mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.

Verdict

The real deciding factor is dietary fit, not macros: choose Soybeans (mature, cooked) if you need it to be plant-based, choose Chicken Breast (skinless) otherwise — the protein numbers are close enough that diet compatibility should lead.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gChicken Breast (skinless)Soybeans (mature, cooked)
Protein31.0g18.2g
Calories165173
Fat3.6g9.0g
Carbs0.0g8.4g
Fiber0.0g6.0g
Quality score0.940.85
Relative cost$$
Prep time20 min90 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, chicken breast (skinless) or soybeans (mature, cooked)?

Chicken Breast (skinless) has 31.0g of protein per 100g compared to Soybeans (mature, cooked)'s 18.2g.

Which is lower in calories?

Chicken Breast (skinless) is lower in calories per 100g, at 165 vs the other's 173.