The Healthiest Ways to Eat Chicken if You Have Gout
Updated on July 31, 2025
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Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that develops when a substance called urate (uric acid) builds up in the blood and forms needle-shaped crystals in your joints.
It causes pain and swelling in the joints, often starting in the lower limbs. Urate is formed after chemical compounds called purines are broken down in the body. Purines are found in your body’s tissues, and also in food. For this reason, dietary changes can be beneficial in managing this particularly painful form of arthritis.
Chicken, like all other types of poultry, meat, fish, and shellfish (and some plant-based foods), is a source of purines. You can still eat chicken if you have gout, but to keep flares at bay you should use certain preparation methods and limit your portions.
Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you design a balanced gout diet to manage your condition.
High Purine Foods
Foods with a moderately high concentration of purines have between 100 and 200 milligrams (mg) of the compounds in every 3.5-ounce (oz) serving. All cuts of chicken fall into this category, except for the liver. Chicken is similar in purine content to lean beef and pork (aside from their organ meats), most types of fish, most shellfish, and dried beans.
Chicken and Gout
It’s recommended that people with gout eat moderate amounts (about 4 to 6 oz) of lean proteins like chicken each day. Limit yourself to 2- or 3 oz servings at any given meal. Drink at least 64 oz of water each day. Adequate fluid intake helps prevent the buildup of urate in your body. If your gout symptoms have recently worsened, eliminate chicken from your diet until your flare-up has resolved.
Chicken Preparation Tips
Don’t serve cooked chicken with certain sauces or gravies. The broth, bouillon, and organ meats used to prepare some sauces and gravies for chicken dishes are high-purine foods and should be avoided. Grill, broil, roast, stir-fry or poach chicken instead, using small amounts to add flavor to your meal instead of making a large portion the focus. Serve chicken with complex carbohydrates — research shows that foods like whole grains and starchy vegetables may lower urate levels in your blood.
The Takeaway
- Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by the buildup of urate (uric acid) crystals in the joints, leading to pain and swelling.
- Chicken contains purines, which break down into urate, but it can still be part of a gout-friendly diet in moderation (4 to 6 ounces daily).
- To minimize the risk of a gout flare, pair chicken with complex carbs.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Gout. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. December 2023.
- All About Gout and Diet. UK Gout Society.
- Larashinda M et al. Identification of Purine Content in Various Processed Foods of Chicken as Specialty Food of West Sumatra. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2021.
- Kaneko K et al. Total Purine and Purine Base Content of Common Foodstuffs for Facilitating Nutritional Therapy for Gout and Hyperuricemia. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2014.
- Gout and Diet. Gout Education Society.
- Low Purine Diet — Gout Diet Treatment. Myrtue Medical Center.
- Lakhani S. Gout and kidney disease symptoms, causes and prevention. American Kidney Fund. May 6, 2025.
- Low Purine Diet— Gout Diet Treatment. Myrtue Medical Center.
- Mao D et al. Analysis of different plant- and animal-based dietary patterns and their relationship with serum uric acid levels in Chinese adults. Nutrition Journal. October 27, 2023.
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