Chicken strips coated in honey barbecue sauce are a popular appetizer or snack food. But many people wonder just how many calories are in each chicken strip drowned in sweet and savory barbecue sauce. Getting a handle on the calorie count can help you make informed choices when planning meals and tracking your daily calorie intake.
The Calories in Chicken Strips
To determine the calories in a honey barbecue chicken strip, we first need to look at the calorie count for plain chicken strips without any breading or sauce. According to the USDA, a 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast contains about 140 calories. Chicken strips are usually cut from chicken breast meat.
Once the chicken is breaded and fried, the calorie count goes up. A typical breaded and fried chicken tenderloin or strip contains about 230 calories per 3 oz serving according to USDA data. The breading and frying adds extra calories from carbohydrates and fat.
Calories Added by Breading
Breading helps seal in moisture and provides a crispy texture and flavor, but it does increase the calorie content of chicken strips. Different types of breading add different amounts of calories:
- Light breadcrumbs: About 30 calories per 1/4 cup
- Panko breadcrumbs: Around 90 calories per 1/4 cup
- All-purpose flour: Approximately 110 calories per 1/4 cup
So the breading alone can add 50-150 calories to a serving of chicken strips depending on the type and amount of breading used.
Extra Calories from Frying
The cooking method also impacts the calorie content. Deep frying chicken strips adds a significant amount of extra fat and calories. When chicken is fried, it absorbs some of the oil, increasing the fat and calorie content. The same 3 oz serving of chicken may contain 230 calories when fried, versus only 140 calories when cooked without oil via baking, grilling or broiling.
Calories in Honey Barbecue Sauce
Now that we know the base calorie count of a plain breaded and fried chicken strip, we need to factor in the calories contributed by the honey barbecue sauce coating. Most barbecue sauces get their flavor from a blend of tomatoes, sugar or honey, vinegar, spices, and small amounts of oil or butter.
Here are the approximate calories per 2-tablespoon serving of some common brands of honey barbecue sauce:
| Brand | Calories |
|---|---|
| KC Masterpiece | 60 |
| Sweet Baby Ray’s | 90 |
| Stubb’s | 80 |
| Kraft | 140 |
As you can see, the calories can range from 60-140 per 2-tablespoon serving depending on the brand. Kraft honey barbecue sauce contains the most calories because it has added molasses and corn syrup.
Putting It All Together
Now that we’ve looked at calories in chicken strips and barbecue sauce separately, we can combine them to get an estimate of total calories in a honey barbecue chicken strip.
Let’s assume a typical chicken strip contains 230 calories before including any sauce. A light 2-tablespoon coating of barbecue sauce adds about 60-90 calories. So a reasonable estimate for a breaded and fried honey barbecue chicken strip is:
Total Calories Per Chicken Strip: 290-320 calories
The exact amount can vary slightly depending on the size of the chicken strip and thickness of the barbecue sauce coating, but the above estimate provides a reasonable approximation of calories.
Nutrition Facts for Honey BBQ Chicken Strips
While calories provide a general overview of the energy content in food, looking at the full nutrition facts label provides a more complete picture of the nutrients in honey barbecue chicken strips.
Here are the typical nutrition facts for 4 oz or about 5-6 breaded chicken tenders or strips with 2 tablespoons honey barbecue sauce added:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 320 |
| Fat | 12g |
| Carbohydrates | 29g |
| Sugar | 18g |
| Protein | 30g |
| Sodium | 870mg |
Key things to note:
- A significant portion of calories comes from fat due to the oil used for frying.
- Carbohydrate content is higher due to sugar in the barbecue sauce.
- Protein is still decent at 30g for 5-6 strips.
- Sodium is quite high at 870mg due to seasonings and salt added during processing and frying.
Ways to Make It Healthier
You can reduce the calorie, fat, and sodium content of honey barbecue chicken strips by:
- Using leaner cuts of chicken breast
- Going lighter on the breading
- Baking instead of frying
- Using lower-sodium barbecue sauce or seasoning the chicken yourself
- Skipping the sauce and using spices like chili powder, paprika, garlic, and onion powder to add flavor
How Many Chicken Strips Should You Eat?
Now that you know there are approximately 300 calories in a single honey barbecue chicken strip, how many should you eat as part of a meal or snack? Here are some guidelines:
- As an appetizer, 2-3 strips is a reasonable portion.
- As a snack or small meal, aim for 4-6 strips.
- For a main meal with sides, you can balance out 6-8 strips as part of a balanced plate, depending on your total calorie needs.
To avoid overdoing it, keep the following recommendations in mind:
- Women should aim to stay under 2000 calories daily and men under 2500 calories, so budget accordingly if chicken strips are part of your meal plan.
- Practice portion control and avoid mindless overeating by plating a serving instead of eating straight from the basket.
- Skip high-calorie dipping sauces and extra barbecue sauce to cut added calories.
- Balance out chicken strips by including lower calorie sides like a salad, steamed veggies, or air-fried potato wedges.
Children’s Portion Sizes
For children ages 4-8, 2-3 small chicken strips is an appropriate child-size portion. Ages 9-13 can have 3-4 strips as part of a meal with other foods.
How to Estimate Calories When Dining Out
If ordering honey barbecue chicken strips at a restaurant, you’ll need to do a bit of guesstimating to figure out calorie counts, since nutritional information is not always readily available.
Here are some tips:
- Look up calorie counts for similar dishes at chain restaurants online.
- Aim for about 3 oz cooked chicken per strip as a reasonable estimate.
- Add at least 60 calories per tablespoon of barbecue sauce.
- Factor in extra calories for thick breading, fried preparation, and dipping sauces.
- Overestimate rather than underestimate calories.
You can also ask your server specific questions about how menu items are prepared and request modifications like baking instead of frying or sauces served on the side.
Common Restaurant Portion Sizes
When dining out, you’ll typically get larger portion sizes with more chicken strips than you might eat at home. Expect to see:
- Appetizer portions with 3-5 strips
- Meal portions with 8-10 strips
- Family size or sharable platters with 10-15 strips
Try to share bigger portions when possible or take up to 50% home for another meal. Getting a side salad instead of fries can also help balance out a restaurant meal.
Incorporating Honey BBQ Chicken Strips into a Healthy Diet
While honey barbecue chicken strips are higher in calories, fat, and sodium compared to lean grilled chicken breast, you can still enjoy them in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet.
Here are some tips for healthy eating with honey barbecue chicken strips:
- Watch portion sizes – Stick to 1-2 strips for a snack or 3-6 as part of a meal.
- Pair with lighter sides – Fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies and save strips for just 1/4 of your plate.
- Go easy on dipping sauces – They can add hundreds more calories from sugar and fat.
- Balance with activity – Account for the extra calories by getting more exercise.
- Indulge in moderation – Enjoy strips occasionally as a treat, not everyday.
Healthy Meal Ideas
Here are some meal ideas that incorporate honey barbecue chicken strips into a balanced plate:
- Chicken strips with roasted broccoli and a side salad
- Chicken strips with air-fried sweet potato wedges and ranch beans
- Chicken strips wrapped in lettuce leaves with tomato, avocado, and chipotle ranch
- Chicken strips with stir-fried veggies and brown rice
Chicken Strip Cooking and Preparation Methods
To control calories, sodium, and maximize nutrients, consider making homemade honey barbecue chicken strips using healthy cooking techniques like:
Baking
Baking chicken strips in the oven avoids adding extra fat from frying. Coat strips lightly in breadcrumbs, spray with oil, and bake at 425°F until cooked through and browned.
Air Frying
Air fryers use rapid hot air to produce crispy chicken strips using minimal oil. Air frying is a great option for lowering fat and calories.
Grilling
Grilled chicken strips have great flavor from the barbecue sauce glaze without extra calories from frying. Grill over medium heat until charred and cooked through.
Broiling
For fast cooking with charred flavor, broil chicken strips in the oven about 5-6 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
Sheet Pan Meals
Save time and add veggies by cooking chicken strips and roasted potato wedges, broccoli, or other sides together on one sheet pan in the oven.
Conclusion
A honey barbecue chicken strip contains around 300 calories, depending on the brand of sauce and cooking method used. Eating 4-6 strips as a meal can fit into a healthy diet when balanced with lower calorie sides and other nutritious foods. Moderation is key, since the high sodium, sugar, and fat content can add up, especially when eating out where portions tend to be larger. Preparing homemade baked or grilled chicken strips using a lighter hand with breading and sauce is a great way to control nutrition and calories when craving this tasty game-day classic.