Skin vs Skinless Chicken: Which Is Best for Flavour and Health?

Choosing between skin and skinless chicken affects both flavour and health. While chicken skin adds taste, skinless chicken is lower in fat and calories. Learn the benefits of each before buying for your meal.

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Should you remove the skin or not?

Meat lovers have a special fondness for chicken, and for many, a Sunday meal feels incomplete without it. Yet one question often sparks debate: should the skin be removed? Some believe it’s unhealthy, while others enjoy its rich flavour. Let’s take a closer look at the facts.

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What's in chicken skin?

Nutritionists say two-thirds of chicken skin is fat. Surprisingly, most is unsaturated fat. It has heart-healthy omega-6 fatty acids, which help balance blood cholesterol levels.

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How to count calories?

If you don't want to gain weight, be careful with chicken skin.
Skinless chicken (170g): Has just 280 calories.
Chicken with skin (170g): Has about 380 calories.
This means chicken with skin adds about 100 extra calories.

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Do this to enhance the taste

Cooking chicken with skin has a big plus. The skin's natural oils make the meat tender. A great tip: cook with the skin on, then remove it before eating. This adds flavor without the extra fat.

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These people should not eat skin

Some should avoid chicken skin: 

Weight loss seekers: Extra calories. 

Heart patients: Clot risk. 

Diabetics: Need low-fat protein. 

High cholesterol: Stick to skinless.

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Now you decide

Gym-goers building muscle get great protein from chicken. Any food is healthy in moderation. You should decide whether to eat the skin or not based on your personal health.