Meat and poultry

Turkey breast nutrition, raw, cooked and everything between.

129 calories and 27 g of protein: that is 4 oz of raw turkey breast. Those numbers describe “Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, raw” in USDA FoodData Central. Cook it differently and that moves: the spread across the forms below is 114 to 147 calories per 100 g. Use the selector that follows to match your own portion; the panel and the nutrient table track it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (171098, 171496); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

How many calories does turkey breast have?

4 oz of raw turkey breast supplies 129 calories, which scales to 114 per 100 g. Each serving listed underneath was weighed by USDA rather than estimated.

Protein in turkey breast, measured

4 oz of raw turkey breast carries 27 g of protein, which is 53 percent of the 50 g Daily Value. Few foods beat it on density. 83 percent of the energy in turkey breast is protein, so almost nothing else comes along for the ride.

By calories rather than by weight the split is 87 percent protein, 12 percent fat and 1 percent carbohydrate, so in practice it is a protein food rather than anything else.

Turkey breast, method by method

Go from raw to roasted and 100 g of turkey breast climbs from 114 to 147 calories. That 29 percent rise is down to evaporation, which packs more of the food into each gram.

The table holds the weight constant at 113 g, which leaves the preparation as the single variable.

Choosing and cooking turkey breast

This large poultry cut is sold bone-in or boneless, sometimes with the skin still attached. You can buy it raw as whole joints, pre-sliced steaks, or minced. Look for plump, pale pink flesh with no dry edges. Avoid breasts pre-treated with saline injections, which dilute the natural bird flavour.

Turkey breast dries out quickly because of its dense, uniform structure. High heat cooks the exterior fast, but overcooking makes the fibres woody and tough. The common mistake is roasting it uncovered. Gentle poaching, or baking under a buttered foil tent, preserves the natural moisture. Always let it rest before carving.

Cold sliced breast belongs in British sandwiches with cranberry sauce or mustard. In Mexican kitchens, shredded turkey breast absorbs rich, spiced mole sauces. Alternatively, thin escalopes can be coated in breadcrumbs and fried, mimicking Austrian schnitzel. Pair it with earthy herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary.

Turkey breast: the full nutrient profile

Top of the list for 4 oz of raw turkey breast: niacin at 70 percent of a day, vitamin B6 at 54 percent of a day, selenium at 47 percent of a day. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Turkey breast and your daily targets

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 4 oz of raw turkey breast accounts for 6 percent of them, and for 53 percent of the 50 g protein benchmark. To replace 2,000 with your real number, use the TDEE calculator; to turn that into targets, the macro calculator.

Recipes that start with turkey breast

The Calorie Counter Team wrote these. Under every recipe the numbers are added up from the USDA record for each ingredient and split across the servings.

Dinner · Asian

Turkey and Broccoli Stir-Fry

A quick stir-fry using turkey breast and broccoli.

15 min · serves 2

249kcal

38gprotein

7.6gfat

6.6gcarbs

Ingredients

• Turkey breast, cut into strips 300 g
• Broccoli florets 150 g
• Soy sauce 15 g
• Sesame oil 10 g
• Ginger root, grated 5 g
• Garlic, minced 6 g

Method

1. Slice the raw turkey breast into 1 centimetre strips.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan over high heat.
3. Add the turkey, garlic, and ginger, then stir-fry for 4 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli and soy sauce, then cook for 3 minutes until the broccoli is tender.

Summed from 6 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Lunch · British

Turkey Salad Wrap

A cold wrap filled with sliced cooked turkey breast and fresh salad.

10 min · serves 1

520kcal

51gprotein

19gfat

33gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cooked turkey breast, sliced 150 g
• Wheat tortilla 60 g
• Mayonnaise 15 g
• Romaine lettuce 30 g
• Tomato, sliced 50 g

Method

1. Spread the mayonnaise evenly over one side of the tortilla.
2. Layer the lettuce, sliced tomato, and cooked turkey breast in the centre.
3. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and roll the tortilla tightly.
4. Cut the wrap diagonally in half to serve.

Per serving, from 5 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Breakfast · Mediterranean

Turkey and Spinach Frittata

A baked egg dish with chopped cooked turkey breast and spinach.

20 min · serves 2

270kcal

27gprotein

17gfat

1.7gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cooked turkey breast, diced 100 g
• Whole eggs 120 g
• Olive oil 10 g
• Cheddar cheese, grated 30 g
• Fresh spinach 50 g
• Table salt 2 g

Method

1. Whisk the eggs and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat and wilt the spinach for 1 minute.
3. Stir the chopped turkey breast into the pan and pour the whisked eggs over the mixture.
4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes until set.

Summed from 6 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

One meal, costed: turkey breast

One way to build a meal around turkey breast, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Turkey breast beside its neighbours

Here is how turkey breast sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

Turkey breast: common questions

How many calories does 4 oz of raw turkey breast have?

USDA measures 4 oz of raw turkey breast at 129 calories, or 114 calories for each 100 g. The record used is “Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, raw” (FDC 171098).

Is there much protein in turkey breast?

You get 27 g from 4 oz of raw turkey breast, equal to 53 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 24 g.

Does cooking change the calories in turkey breast?

Yes, by a measurable amount: 113 g goes from 129 calories (raw) to 166 (roasted), depending on preparation.

Does turkey breast fit a calorie deficit?

No food causes or prevents weight loss on its own. The useful facts are that 4 oz of raw turkey breast is 129 calories with 27 g of protein, which makes 83 percent of its calories protein; which is a favourable trade when calories are tight.

How do you stop turkey breast from drying out in the oven?

Keep the skin on during cooking to shield the meat. Slather butter under the skin, roast the breast upside down to let juices run into the breast, and wrap it loosely in foil during roasting.

Can you cook turkey breast from frozen?

Always thaw the joint completely in the refrigerator before cooking. Roasting from frozen causes the outer layers of the thick breast to dry out completely before the icy centre can finish cooking through.

Sources

• Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171098
• Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171496
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9