Is Chicken Breast Acidic or Alkaline?
Chicken breast (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw chicken breast is in the acid-forming range at +10.2 because it's almost entirely lean muscle protein with the phosphorus that comes with it, and potassium can't keep up. Cooked, the value rises to +13.2 because it loses water in the pan. For your balance, what counts is the cooked weight on your plate, not the raw weight on the package.
In the Meat & Sausages category, chicken breast (raw) ranks #41 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Duck meat (without skin) (+10.1), Turkey meat (+10.1), Rabbit meat (+10.0). More acid-forming are Bierschinken (ham sausage) (+10.3), Pork schnitzel (+10.4), Pork belly (+10.8).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Chicken breast: raw, prepared
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| raw | +10.2 |
| prepared | +13.2 |
What balances chicken breast
A serving (125 g) of chicken breast adds +12.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chicken breast acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Chicken breast (raw) has a PRAL of +10.2 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a serving (125 g) of chicken breast?
A serving (125 g) of chicken breast adds +12.8 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 110 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid chicken breast on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Chicken breast is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Chicken breast, raw or prepared: which is more alkaline?
Chicken breast (raw) is at +10.2, Chicken breast (prepared) at +13.2. So the "raw" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Chicken Breast logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Meat & Sausages: Meat & Sausages table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.