Chicken Breast
Chicken in the Midwest · down 2% this week
Per a typical 140g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Chicken, broilers or fryers, meat only, raw).
- 1 SouthcentralCheapest $2.21/lb
- 2 Northeast $2.43/lb
- 3 Northwest $2.53/lb
- 4 Southeast $2.55/lb
- 5 Midwest $2.67/lb
- 6 Southwest $2.97/lb
Buying chicken breast in the Southcentral saves about 26% versus the Southwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- Look for a plump, evenly coloured breast with no grey patches and minimal liquid in the tray. Check the label for added saline solution, often listed as up to fifteen percent — you are paying meat prices for salt water, and it changes how the meat seasons and browns.
- What a good price looks like
- The default at $3 to $6 a pound, with family packs at the bottom of that range. Under $3.50 is a good price and worth freezing. It is the leanest common protein per dollar, but thighs cost less, taste better, and forgive more — the breast premium is habit as much as anything.
- What you actually get
- A pound of boneless skinless breast cooks to about 12 oz, a 25% loss, and serves three to four. Breasts have grown enormous — a single one is often 10 oz, well over one portion — so buying by the pound rather than by the piece is the only way to plan accurately.
- How to store it
- One to two days refrigerated, on the bottom shelf so it cannot drip onto anything. Freeze in individual portions rather than as a slab; it thaws far faster and you take only what you need.
- In the kitchen
- The thick end and the thin end cook at different rates, so even it out first. To butterfly, lay your palm flat on top and cut horizontally almost all the way through, then open it like a book. To pound, put it between two sheets of plastic and work from the centre outward with the flat of a mallet rather than hammering straight down.
- Getting the most out of it
- Boneless breast is the leanest common cut of chicken and the easiest to overcook. Pound it to an even thickness or butterfly thick breasts, and brine briefly if you have time. Pull it at 165F and rest it. Nothing recovers a breast cooked ten degrees past done.
- Chicken and Pumpkin SoupRecipe by Budget Bytes~$0.62 / serving 3 in-season
- Easy Chicken & Rice Meal Prep BowlsRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$0.72 / serving 1 in-season
- Quick Chicken TacosRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$0.82 / serving 3 in-season
- Chicken Cream Cheese Chili (Slow Cooker Recipe)Recipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$0.87 / serving 3 in-season
- Chicken and Lime SoupRecipe by Budget Bytes~$0.92 / serving 7 in-season
- Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese RecipeRecipe by Foodie Crush~$0.97 / serving 1 in-season
See all 1077 recipes with chicken breast →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA weekly retail meat report (conventional, per lb). Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Chicken Breast — FAQ
What's the price of chicken breast this week?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of chicken breast in the Midwest is $2.67/lb, down 2% from last week. Prices come from the USDA's weekly retail meat report.
Which region has the cheapest chicken breast right now?
The Southcentral has the cheapest chicken breast this week at $2.21/lb — about 26% less than the Southwest, where it runs $2.97/lb.
How much protein is in chicken breast?
A typical 140g serving of chicken breast has about 30g protein and 167 calories (4.3g fat), per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I cook with chicken breast?
SeasonSort indexes 1077 recipes using chicken breast, each priced per serving from this week's data — starting from about $0.30 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.