Is Whole Chicken (with Skin) Acidic or Alkaline?
Chicken, whole (with skin) (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
A whole raw chicken with skin comes in at +8.9. The muscle protein brings acid from protein and phosphorus, while the skin supplies fat that dilutes the value per 100 g without adding minerals. Roasting raises the acid load because the meat loses water. With oven potatoes, root vegetables and a big salad, your Sunday roast gets a solid counterweight.
In the Meat & Sausages category, whole chicken (with skin) (raw) ranks #26 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Beef tenderloin (+8.7), Beef steak (sirloin) (+8.7), Lamb chop (+8.6). More acid-forming are Beef, general (+9.0), Roast beef (+9.2), Lamb fillet (+9.3).
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.
What balances whole chicken (with skin)
A serving (125 g) of whole chicken (with skin) adds +11.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is whole chicken (with skin) 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, whole (with skin) (raw) has a PRAL of +8.9 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a serving (125 g) of whole chicken (with skin)?
A serving (125 g) of whole chicken (with skin) adds +11.2 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 100 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid whole chicken (with skin) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Chicken, whole (with skin) is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Chicken, Whole (with Skin) 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
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.