For gout and uric acid · Updated October 2026
Is chicken bad for gout?
Yes, in a dinner portion. Cloche estimates a 6 oz grilled chicken breast at 629 mg of purines, more than the 400 mg a day Japan’s gout guidance sets as a ceiling. The purines in chicken vary: the USDA and NIH tables measure chicken breast at 131 to 369 mg per 100 g, so the same breast could read anywhere from about 222 to 627 mg.
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Estimated purines · 629 mg purines
Which chicken plates carry the most purines?
6 of the 8 chicken plates in Cloche’s food data carry more than 200 mg, the amount the demo uses for one meal. Chicken tacos and chicken noodle soup stay under it, and Cloche writes no purine warning under them.
| Chicken plate | Portion | Estimated purines | Of 400 mg reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Breast | 6 oz | 629 mg | 157% |
| Chicken Curry with Rice | 1 plate | 381 mg | 95% |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | 1 large bowl | 380 mg | 95% |
| Chicken Fried Rice | 1 plate | 318 mg | 80% |
| Chicken Shawarma Wrap | 1 wrap | 275 mg | 69% |
| Chicken Burrito | 1 burrito | 218 mg | 54% |
| Chicken Tacos | 2 tacos | 180 mg | 45% |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | 1 bowl | 153 mg | 38% |
Estimates for a typical portion, with purines from the USDA and NIH purine tables (March 2025 release). Recipes and portions vary.
Is dark meat lower in purines than white meat?
Yes, by about 30 mg per 100 g. In the US measurements, roasted or stewed breast reads 179 to 184 mg per 100 g and roasted or stewed thigh 146 to 149 mg.
| Food, as measured | Purines per 100 g | In 6 oz (170 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, raw | 131 to 289 mg | 222 to 491 mg |
| Chicken breast, roasted or stewed | 179 to 184 mg | 303 to 312 mg |
| Chicken breast, cooked, boneless and skinless | 369 mg | 627 mg |
| Chicken thigh, roasted or stewed | 146 to 149 mg | 249 to 253 mg |
| Chicken drumstick, raw | 133 mg | 226 mg |
| Chicken liver, raw | 236 to 243 mg | 401 to 413 mg |
| Ground turkey, raw | 96 mg | 163 mg |
| Egg, boiled | under 1 mg | 1 mg |
The breast samples disagree with each other more than the cuts do. Cooking drives out water, so the same piece of meat carries more purines per gram once it is cooked. Cloche uses the cooked, boneless and skinless sample for a grilled breast, which puts its estimate at the high end of the range.
Why does the portion matter more than the cut?
The body breaks purines down into uric acid, and meat, fish and organ meats carry the most. A 3 oz grilled breast reads about 315 mg, half the 6 oz plate. Choosing thigh over breast saves about 50 mg in the same 6 oz.
The American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 gout guideline recommends limiting purines without setting a number. Japan’s gout guidance sets 400 mg a day, which the demo uses for the day, and half of it for one meal. They are sample amounts for reading a plate, not your target.
What makes a chicken dinner easier on a gout diet?
Gout diets build the plate around vegetables, with eggs or dairy for protein and meat as a side rather than the whole plate. Water or coffee to drink, and fruit whole rather than juiced. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases names alcohol, sweet drinks and purine-rich food as the three to limit.
The drink counts. Beer adds purines from the yeast on top of its alcohol. The alcohol slows how fast the kidneys clear uric acid, and Cloche counts both. Eggs carry almost none: boiled egg white and yolk measure under 1 mg per 100 g.
A takeout chicken burrito carries more sodium than the 1,500 mg a day Cloche’s blood pressure demo uses.
A chicken burrito reads 2,267 mg of sodium in Cloche and chicken fried rice 1,523 mg, against 126 mg for the plain grilled breast. If your doctor watches your blood pressure too, the free sodium calculator reads any meal you type.
Questions people ask
What is the safest meat to eat with gout?
No meat is free of purines. In the US measurements, raw ground turkey reads about 96 mg per 100 g, chicken breast 131 to 369 mg, and chicken liver 236 to 243 mg.
Are eggs ok for gout?
Eggs carry almost no purines. Boiled egg white and yolk both measure under 1 mg per 100 g in the USDA and NIH purine tables, so eggs are a common protein on a gout diet.
Is chicken soup bad for gout?
A bowl of chicken noodle soup reads about 153 mg of purines in Cloche, under the 200 mg the demo uses for one meal. It carries 1,343 mg of sodium.
Log your own chicken dinner and see its purines.
Tell Cloche what you ate or take a photo, and it shows the purines in the plate next to your day so far. Cloche is on TestFlight by invitation and free while it is. To check one meal right now, try the free purine calculator.
For the rest of a gout diet, read the food journal for gout or whether shrimp is bad for gout.