A typical 3.5-ounce (100g) serving of salmon provides roughly 700 to 1,900 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA, depending on the species and whether the fish is wild or farmed. That single serving delivers more omega-3s than most people get in an entire week from other food sources.
EPA and DHA by Salmon Species
Not all salmon is created equal when it comes to omega-3 content. USDA laboratory analyses show a wide range across species, measured in raw fillets per 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces):
- Farmed Atlantic salmon: 620 mg EPA + 1,290 mg DHA = roughly 1,910 mg total
- Coho salmon (wild): 180 mg EPA + 1,380 mg DHA = roughly 1,560 mg total
- Wild Atlantic salmon: 290 mg EPA + 1,120 mg DHA = roughly 1,410 mg total
- Chinook (king) salmon: 120 mg EPA + 710 mg DHA = roughly 830 mg total
- Sockeye (red) salmon: 40 mg EPA + 650 mg DHA = roughly 690 mg total
- Pink salmon: 100 mg EPA + 590 mg DHA = roughly 690 mg total
Farmed Atlantic salmon tops the list because farmed fish are fed omega-3-rich feed and accumulate more fat overall. Wild Atlantic and coho follow closely. Sockeye and pink salmon are leaner, so they carry less total omega-3, but they still deliver a meaningful dose in a single serving.
One pattern worth noticing: DHA consistently makes up the majority of the omega-3 content across every species. In sockeye, for example, DHA accounts for more than 90% of the combined total. This matters because DHA is the form most concentrated in your brain and retina, while EPA plays a larger role in reducing inflammation.
How Much You Actually Need
There’s no official government-set daily requirement specifically for EPA and DHA. The National Institutes of Health notes that the established adequate intake levels for omega-3s apply only to ALA, a plant-based omega-3 found in foods like flaxseed and walnuts. The FDA hasn’t set a Daily Value for omega-3s either.
That said, most major health organizations recommend somewhere between 250 and 500 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day for general health. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fatty fish per week, which works out to roughly that range. Even a single 3.5-ounce portion of the lowest-omega-3 salmon (pink or sockeye) covers two to three days’ worth at that target. A serving of farmed Atlantic salmon covers nearly four days.
Canned Salmon Holds Up Well
Canned salmon is one of the most cost-effective ways to get EPA and DHA, and the canning process doesn’t strip away the omega-3s. A 3-ounce serving of traditional canned Alaska pink salmon provides about 916 mg of combined EPA and DHA. Skinless, boneless varieties come in slightly lower at around 812 mg. Some canned pink salmon packed with its liquid delivers as much as 1,400 mg per serving.
USDA data shows canned sockeye also gets a bump compared to raw: about 150 mg EPA and 880 mg DHA per 100 grams, versus 40 mg EPA and 650 mg DHA in raw sockeye. The likely explanation is that canning concentrates the nutrients slightly as moisture is lost, and the fish is packed with skin and bones (which contain additional fat).
Does Cooking Destroy Omega-3s?
Baking salmon to the recommended internal temperature of 145°F preserves its omega-3 content. USDA research confirmed that properly baked farmed salmon retains its beneficial fatty acids. The key is not overcooking. Bringing the fish to a safe but still-tender doneness keeps the fats intact, while charring or cooking at extreme temperatures for prolonged periods breaks down more of the delicate polyunsaturated fats.
Frying is the method most likely to reduce omega-3 levels, partly because fat leaches into the cooking oil and partly because the high heat degrades some of the fatty acids. If you’re trying to maximize your omega-3 intake, baking, poaching, or steaming are your best options.
Whole Salmon vs. Fish Oil Supplements
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition compared eating two 120-gram servings of salmon per week to taking salmon oil capsules. The salmon servings provided about 820 mg of omega-3s per day across the week. Participants would have needed six capsules daily (providing roughly 690 mg) to approach similar levels. Eating the actual fish delivered more omega-3s per serving than the equivalent supplement dose, plus additional nutrients like selenium and protein that capsules don’t provide.
Salmon is also consistently low in mercury, which makes it one of the safest fish to eat regularly. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment categorizes both fresh and canned salmon as low-mercury seafood while also ranking it among the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. You don’t need to worry about balancing mercury risk against omega-3 benefit the way you might with tuna or swordfish.
Quick Reference for Meal Planning
If you eat a standard 6-ounce salmon fillet (roughly 170 grams), simply double the per-100g values above. That means a 6-ounce farmed Atlantic fillet delivers close to 3,800 mg of combined EPA and DHA, while a 6-ounce sockeye fillet provides around 1,380 mg. Either way, one or two salmon meals per week puts you well above the intake levels most health organizations recommend.