Is Roast Chicken (with Skin) Acidic or Alkaline?
Roast chicken (with skin) (prepared) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Roast chicken is concentrated protein. Roasting removes water from the meat, and the skin adds fat but no minerals to offset it, which results in +12.5. That puts it even above fried sausage, although it's considered the lighter choice. Even a large serving of vegetables only partly offsets half a chicken. Oven-roasted potatoes and a big salad on the side help the most.
In the Meat & Sausages category, roast chicken (with skin) (prepared) ranks #53 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Chicken liver (+12.3), Beef mince (+12.1), Veal (+12.1). More acid-forming are Rabbit meat (+12.8), Roast beef (+12.9), Turkey breast (+13.0).
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 roast chicken (with skin)
A serving (125 g) of roast chicken (with skin) adds +15.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is roast 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: Roast chicken (with skin) (prepared) has a PRAL of +12.5 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a serving (125 g) of roast chicken (with skin)?
A serving (125 g) of roast chicken (with skin) adds +15.7 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 130 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid roast chicken (with skin) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Roast chicken (with skin) is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Roast Chicken (with Skin) logged, balance checked.
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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.