Poultry Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest

Lowest Purine Poultry

Highest Purine Poultry

#22chicken thigh, raw141.7 mg

#21chicken gizzard, raw142.9 mg

#20chicken thigh, roasted148.9 mg

#19chicken breast, roasted178.5 mg

#18chicken heart, raw224.0 mg

#17luncheon meat, turkey, ready-to-eat235.2 mg

#16chicken, ground, raw235.6 mg

#15chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw289.0 mg

#14chicken liver, raw302.6 mg

#13chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cooked4368.6 mg

Category Average: 162.0 mg/100g

The average across 22 Poultry foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

This comparison scores every food on three independent axes — purine content, fructose, and alcohol. Purine figures rely on the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148); fructose data comes from USDA SR28. Ratings follow ACR 2020: Safe when purine is under 50 mg and fructose under 2 g with no alcohol, Moderate between these, Avoid beyond, or whenever alcohol appears. Per-food data quality is flagged T1 (lab-measured), T2 (measured plus consensus), or T3 (category estimate).

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which poultry is lowest in purines?

Among 22 poultry items with measured purine values, the lowest options include poultry, mechanically deboned, from backs and necks with skin, raw at 72.9 mg/100g. White meat cuts like breast tend to run lower than dark meat and skin.

Is chicken safe for gout?

Chicken is generally a moderate-purine food. Breast meat typically sits in the 50-150 mg/100g range, which is moderate, while darker cuts and skin-on preparations run higher. The ranking above shows exact values — portion size and cut choice are the main levers for people with gout.

Which poultry should I avoid with gout?

The highest-purine poultry items in our database include chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cooked4 at 368.6 mg/100g. Organ parts of poultry, processed poultry products, and skin-heavy preparations are the higher-risk choices to limit.

Poultry Ranked by Purine Content