A plain slice of deli turkey — about one ounce, or 28 grams — has roughly 30 to 35 calories. That number holds for most sliced turkey breast you buy at the deli counter or in a package. Change the slice thickness, the cut, or the brand, and the count moves. A thicker slice can push past 50 calories. A honey-glazed or oven-roasted variety with added sugar and oil can land higher still. The meat itself is not the variable. What gets added to it is.
Turkey is one of the leanest meats in the deli case, which is why it shows up in so many sandwiches, wraps, and salads. But “lean” and “low calorie” are not the same thing, and the nutrition label on the package tells a more accurate story than the word “turkey” on the front.
How Many Calories Is a Slice of Turkey?
For plain roasted turkey breast, the calories come almost entirely from protein. A one-ounce slice delivers about 30 to 35 calories, 6 to 8 grams of protein, and roughly 1 gram of fat. That is the baseline.
Most deli turkey is sliced between 0.5 and 1.5 ounces. That range alone accounts for a lot of the confusion people run into when they try to count calories from sandwiches.
Packaged sliced turkey sold in stores is required to carry a Nutrition Facts panel, and the serving size is usually listed in grams, not slices. This matters. Two brands can both say “2 oz serving” while one slice is thinner than the other, so the number of slices per serving varies. Weighing the meat on a kitchen scale is the only way to know exactly what you are eating. Eyeballing slices is unreliable, even for people who do it often.
Here is a rough guide to calories by slice weight for plain turkey breast:
| Slice weight | Approximate calories | Approximate protein |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 oz (14 g) | 15–18 | 3–4 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 30–35 | 6–8 g |
| 1.5 oz (42 g) | 45–53 | 9–12 g |
| 2 oz (56 g) | 60–70 | 12–16 g |
These figures come from USDA nutritional data for roasted turkey breast meat. They apply to plain meat. Once flavorings, glazes, or broths are added, the numbers shift.
Why Do Some Turkey Slices Have More Calories Than Others?
The single biggest factor is added ingredients, not the turkey itself. Many deli meats are injected with a solution of water, salt, sugar, and flavorings to keep them moist and extend shelf life. That solution adds calories, mostly from sugar, and it also adds sodium.
Honey-roasted, maple-glazed, and brown-sugar varieties are the clearest examples. A slice of honey-roasted turkey breast can carry several grams of added sugar per serving, which adds calories on top of the protein. Smoked and peppered varieties usually add less. Plain roasted breast adds almost nothing.
Fat content also varies by cut. Turkey breast is very lean. Dark meat from the thigh and leg has more fat and therefore more calories — often 15 to 25 percent more per ounce than breast meat. Most sliced deli turkey is breast meat, but some products blend light and dark meat, and those blends run higher in calories and fat.
Self-basting turkeys and pre-seasoned whole birds are another category. These are injected with oils or broth before packaging. The calories per ounce go up, sometimes noticeably, compared with a plain roasted bird.
Does White Meat or Dark Meat Change the Count?
Yes, and the difference is meaningful. White meat from the breast is the leanest part of the bird. Dark meat from the thigh and leg contains more fat, which raises the calorie count per ounce.
USDA data for roasted turkey shows the gap clearly:
- Roasted turkey breast, meat only: about 125 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Roasted turkey thigh, meat only: about 160 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Roasted turkey wing, meat only: about 190 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)
Per slice, that difference is small — maybe 10 to 20 calories. Over a week of sandwiches, it adds up. For most people watching calories, breast meat is the lower-calorie choice. That said, dark meat has more iron and zinc, so the trade-off is not purely about calories.
How Do Calories in Turkey Compare to Other Deli Meats?
Turkey breast is among the leanest options at the deli counter, but it is not the only one. The comparison depends heavily on the specific product, since added ingredients vary so much between brands.
Roughly speaking, per one-ounce slice of plain sliced meat:
- Turkey breast: about 30 to 35 calories
- Chicken breast: about 30 to 35 calories
- Lean ham: about 30 to 40 calories
- Roast beef: about 40 to 50 calories
- Salami: about 80 to 100 calories
- Bologna: about 70 to 90 calories
These are general ranges, not exact figures, because processing and added ingredients move the numbers. A honey-glazed turkey can have more calories than a plain roast beef. A low-sodium ham can have fewer than a seasoned turkey. The label, not the meat name, is the reliable source.
One thing worth knowing: turkey’s reputation as the “healthy” deli meat is largely about protein-to-fat ratio, not calories alone. Salami and bologna are higher in both fat and calories. Turkey and chicken breast sit at the low end of both.
What About Sodium and Other Nutrients in a Slice?
Sodium is the nutrient most people overlook when they think about deli turkey. A single one-ounce slice of packaged deli turkey can contain 150 to 300 milligrams of sodium, depending on the brand. Some products are higher.
Federal dietary guidance recommends keeping sodium under 2,300 milligrams per day for most adults. A sandwich with three or four slices of deli turkey can supply a large share of that before you add cheese, bread, or condiments. Low-sodium and no-salt-added turkey products exist, but they are less common and often cost more.
Protein is the main nutritional strength of turkey. A one-ounce slice gives 6 to 8 grams. Protein helps with satiety — the feeling of being full — which is one reason turkey sandwiches are popular for lunch. Fat content is low in breast meat, usually around 1 gram per slice. Carbohydrates are near zero in plain turkey, but can reach 2 to 4 grams per slice in sweetened or glazed varieties.
Turkey also provides some B vitamins, particularly niacin and B6, along with selenium and zinc. These are present in modest amounts per slice. They are not a reason to choose turkey over other meats, but they are part of what you get.
Does Cooking Method Change the Calories?
Cooking method affects calories mainly through what is added during cooking, not through the cooking itself. Roasting, grilling, and poaching a plain turkey breast add no calories. Frying, basting with butter or oil, or cooking with a sugary glaze adds calories.
For whole turkeys, the skin is where much of the fat sits. A roasted turkey breast with skin has noticeably more calories and fat per ounce than the same meat without skin. Removing the skin before eating cuts those numbers substantially. For deli meat, this is mostly irrelevant because the skin is already removed.
Ground turkey is a separate case. It comes in different fat ratios, often labeled as 85 percent lean, 93 percent lean, or 99 percent lean. The leaner the grind, the lower the calories and fat. A 4-ounce serving of 99 percent lean ground turkey has roughly 130 to 150 calories, while the same amount of 85 percent lean can exceed 200. For deli slices, this does not apply, but it matters if you are cooking with ground turkey at home.
One clarification worth making: turkey does not contain enough tryptophan to make you sleepy. The drowsiness people feel after a big Thanksgiving meal comes mostly from eating a large, high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal, not from the turkey. Tryptophan is an amino acid present in turkey, but also in chicken, beef, and many other foods, at similar levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in one slice of deli turkey?
A plain one-ounce slice of deli turkey breast has about 30 to 35 calories. Glazed, honey-roasted, or thicker slices can run higher, so check the package label for the exact figure.
Is turkey lunch meat high in calories?
No. Plain turkey breast is one of the lowest-calorie deli meats, at roughly 30 to 35 calories per ounce. Sweetened or glazed varieties add calories from sugar, and dark meat blends add calories from fat.
How many calories are in a turkey sandwich?
It depends on the bread and toppings, not just the turkey. Two slices of bread add about 140 to 200 calories, and cheese, mayo, or spreads can add 50 to 150 more, so a basic turkey sandwich often lands between 250 and 400 calories.
Does dark meat turkey have more calories than white meat?
Yes. Dark meat from the thigh and leg has more fat, so it carries roughly 15 to 25 percent more calories per ounce than breast meat. The difference per slice is small, but it adds up over time.
