• 1 unit equals 52 grams.
• .5 breast equals 86 grams.

In the category of poultry, we included whole products in the Top 10 list. Foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list. The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:

Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, fried

Read more about iron in meat or visit our iron-rich foods list.

• 1 cup equals 140 grams.

In the category of poultry, we included whole products in the Top 10 list. Foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:

Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, roasted

Read more about iron in meat or visit our list of iron-rich foods.

Chicken Thigh (Dark Meat Chicken) And Iron

Chicken thigh and other dark meat cuts of chicken are great sources of iron. One cup of dark meat chicken provides about ten percent of the daily required iron of a woman aged twenty to fifty and about twenty percent of the daily iron required by a small child. Dark meat chicken has quite a bit more iron than chicken breast, so it is the better poultry choice. Chicken in general also contains a form of iron (heme iron) that is the most readily absorbed by your body — iron inhibitors in grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds do not interfere with the absorption of iron in your chicken. Muscle meat such as chicken may also enhance your absorption of iron from plant-based foods.

For more information on the iron content of your favorite foods, explore the resources on this website including the food group information. Use the search function to find some of the less common foods.

In the category of poultry, we included whole products in the Top 10 list. Foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:

Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried

Read more about iron in meat or visit our list of iron-rich foods.

Chicken liver is one of nature’s best iron rich foods. It is loaded with iron and can be a key tool in fighting iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. With chicken liver, we recommend that you buy organic. There have been studies that show an increase in arsenic in chicken liver from non-organic chicken because of the level of arsenic in non-organic chicken feed. If you can find it, we also recommend that you buy liver from free range chickens. This liver is likely to be higher in beneficial fatty acids such as the health Omega 3 fats. Here are three quick chicken liver recipe ideas to add to your collection.

Liver Canapes
Set up your food processor and add one-half cup of cooked livers, one-quarter of a diced onion, a pat of butter, and a dash of salt and cayenne. Process until the mixture because a smooth paste, adding soup stock or water as necessary to get the proper consistency. Add olive to taste as well. Serve on toast or crackers.

Chicken Livers On Toast
Soak a dozen livers in milk overnight to reduce the strong flavor. Rinse the milk and cut the livers into about four pieces each. Cut bacon strips in square pieces and skewer the bacon and liver pieces, alternating each one. Put the skewers in a baking dish or on the grill. Bake in a 425 degree over making sure that the bacon gets crisp. Serve the skewers (about three per person) along with toaste and a side of marinated tomato salad.

Skirt Steaks With Chicken Livers
Cut a dozen livers into small pieces and fry them in a skillet. Broil or fry four skirt steaks until both sides are done. Sprinkle each steak with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on a hot platter and cover with the liver pieces. To the skillet, add a pat of butter and a tablespoon of water or stock. When the sauce is dissolved, pour it over the steak. Serve with potatoes and your favorite vegetable.

• 1 cup equals 140 grams.

In the category of poultry, we included whole products in the Top 10 list. Foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:

Duck, domesticated, meat and skin, cooked, roasted

Read more about iron in meat or visit our list of iron-rich foods.

Duck And Iron

Duck is an excellent source of iron. A one hundred gram serving (which is about two-thirds of one cup of duck meat) provides fifteen percent of the daily required iron for a woman aged twenty to fifty. Duck is nearly all “dark meat” (as opposed to chicken that has both white meat and dark meat), accounting for its richness in nutrients. The iron in duck is a form of iron called heme iron which is more easily absorbed by your body than is the iron in plant-based foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Furthermore, there may be an additional benefit to duck meat in the context of iron absorption — there is some evidence that muscle meats like duck help you absorb more iron from your plant-based foods. In this way, duck is an iron enhancer.

For more information on the iron content of your favorite food, check out the food group analyses on this website or use the search function to find more unusual foods.