Most cooked meats deliver between 22 and 31 grams of protein per serving, but the exact amount depends on the type of meat, the cut, and how much fat it carries. A standard serving of meat is 3 ounces (85 grams), roughly the size of a deck of cards. Here’s how the most common meats compare.
Beef Protein by Cut
Beef is one of the most protein-dense meats available, especially when you choose leaner cuts. After cooking, most beef steaks land between 25 and 31 grams of protein per 100 grams, with leaner portions sitting at the higher end of that range because fat takes up less of the total weight.
USDA data for broiled steaks (per 100 grams cooked) breaks down like this:
- Top sirloin: 27g with fat, 29 to 30g lean only
- Filet mignon (tenderloin): 26g with fat, 29g lean only
- Ribeye (small end): 25 to 27g with fat, 28 to 31g lean only
The difference between a “select” and “choice” grade is mostly about marbling. Choice-grade ribeye, which has more fat running through the meat, comes in a couple grams lower in protein per 100 grams than select-grade. For sirloin and tenderloin, the difference between grades is negligible.
Ground Beef
Fat percentage has a real but modest effect on protein. Extra-lean ground beef (95% lean) contains about 21 grams of protein per 100 grams raw, while regular ground beef (80% lean) drops to around 17 grams. The reason the gap isn’t larger is that ground beef is mostly water, not protein or fat. In 80/20 ground beef, water makes up 62% of the weight while protein accounts for 17%. In 95% lean, water climbs to 73% and protein reaches 21%. So swapping to leaner ground beef gives you a moderate protein boost, but the biggest shift is actually in water content replacing fat.
Chicken and Turkey
Poultry is often considered the go-to lean protein, and the numbers back that up. Per 3-ounce (84g) roasted serving, USDA figures show:
- Chicken breast: 24g
- Chicken thigh: 25g
- Turkey breast: 24g
The surprise for many people is that chicken thigh actually matches or slightly edges out chicken breast in protein per serving. Thighs do carry more fat and calories overall, but if your primary concern is hitting a protein target, dark meat holds its own. Turkey breast is nearly identical to chicken breast, making the two essentially interchangeable from a protein standpoint.
Pork and Lamb
Pork and lamb are often overlooked in protein conversations, but they’re competitive with poultry. Per 3-ounce roasted or broiled serving:
- Pork tenderloin: 22g
- Pork loin top loin chop (boneless): 22g
- Pork rib chop: 22g
- Lamb loin chop: 22g
These cuts all cluster right at 22 grams per serving, putting them slightly below chicken and turkey but still firmly in the high-protein category. Pork tenderloin in particular is one of the leanest cuts of any meat, comparable in fat content to a skinless chicken breast.
Organ Meats
Organ meats pack solid protein along with an unusually dense nutrient profile. Per 100 grams raw:
- Beef liver: 20.4g
- Beef heart: 17.7g
- Beef kidney: 17.4g
Liver leads the group and is comparable to raw steak in protein density. Heart and kidney fall a bit lower but still offer more protein per gram than most plant-based sources. These numbers are for raw organ meats, so cooked values will be higher as water evaporates during cooking, typically concentrating the protein by 25 to 35 percent.
Processed Meats
Processed options like bacon and deli meats deliver protein in smaller, less efficient packages. Three slices of pork bacon (about 35 grams) contain 12 grams of protein, but nearly as many of those calories come from fat. That’s a decent protein-to-weight ratio on paper, but because standard serving sizes are small, you’re getting less total protein per meal compared to a cut of whole meat.
Deli turkey and ham typically fall in the range of 9 to 12 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving (about 4 slices), depending on the brand and how much water has been added during processing. Products labeled “honey-glazed” or “brown sugar” varieties tend to have slightly less protein per serving because added sugars and water displace some of the meat content.
Raw vs. Cooked Numbers
One thing that trips people up is comparing raw and cooked values. Meat loses roughly 25% of its weight during cooking, mostly from water evaporating. That means 100 grams of raw chicken breast becomes about 75 grams cooked, but the actual protein stays the same. The protein just becomes more concentrated per gram. A raw beef tenderloin has about 20 grams of protein per 100 grams, but after broiling, that same cut measures 26 to 29 grams per 100 grams cooked.
If you’re tracking protein, weigh your meat consistently, either always raw or always cooked, and use the matching nutritional data. Mixing raw weights with cooked protein values will throw your numbers off by 20 to 30 percent.
Comparing Meats Side by Side
When you standardize everything to a 3-ounce cooked serving, the practical differences between meats are smaller than most people expect. Chicken breast, turkey breast, and lean beef cuts all land in the 24 to 27 gram range. Pork and lamb sit around 22 grams. The biggest variable isn’t the animal but the fat content of the specific cut. Fattier cuts like ribeye or chicken thigh have slightly less protein per gram because fat is displacing some of the protein by weight.
For anyone trying to maximize protein per calorie, the standouts are skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, pork tenderloin, and lean beef cuts like top sirloin or eye of round. For those less concerned about calories and simply aiming for a protein floor at each meal, virtually any whole-meat cut will deliver 20 or more grams in a standard serving.