Vitamin B7, commonly called biotin, is found in the highest concentrations in organ meats, eggs, and certain fish. Adults need about 30 mcg per day, and a single serving of beef liver (30.8 mcg) covers that entirely. Most people eating a varied diet get enough biotin without trying, but knowing which foods pack the most can help if you’re looking to optimize your intake.
The Richest Sources: Liver and Eggs
Organ meats dominate the biotin rankings. A 3-ounce serving of cooked beef liver delivers roughly 31 mcg of biotin, which is 100% of the daily value for adults. Chicken liver is even more concentrated, providing about 460% of the daily value in the same serving size. Kidney is another strong source, though it’s less commonly eaten.
A single whole cooked egg provides about 10 mcg, or 33% of the daily value. That makes eggs one of the most practical everyday sources, since most people eat them far more often than liver. One detail worth knowing: raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that binds tightly to biotin and blocks its absorption. Cooking to at least 100°C (212°F) denatures avidin and releases the biotin. In a whole raw egg, the avidin in the white roughly cancels out the biotin in the yolk, so the net benefit is minimal until you cook it.
Meat and Fish
Beyond organ meats and eggs, other animal proteins contribute moderate amounts. A 3-ounce cooked pork chop provides about 3.8 mcg (13% daily value), and a hamburger patty delivers the same. Canned pink salmon offers around 5 mcg per 3-ounce serving (17% daily value), making it one of the better non-organ-meat options. Canned tuna is lower at 0.6 mcg per serving.
None of these individually hits the full daily target, but they add up across a day of meals. A lunch with a hamburger and a dinner with salmon, for example, gets you close to 9 mcg from those two foods alone.
Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes
For plant-based options, nuts and seeds are the strongest performers. A quarter cup of roasted sunflower seeds provides 2.6 mcg (9% daily value), and the same amount of roasted almonds delivers 1.5 mcg (5% daily value). Peanuts are notably higher at about 16% of the daily value per quarter cup, making them one of the best plant sources available.
These aren’t going to cover your full daily needs on their own, but they’re easy to incorporate as snacks or toppings, and their biotin adds up alongside other foods throughout the day.
Vegetables, Grains, and Dairy
Sweet potatoes stand out among vegetables. A half cup of cooked sweet potato provides 2.4 mcg (8% daily value). Canned mushrooms offer a similar amount at about 9% of the daily value per 4-ounce serving. Spinach (0.5 mcg per half cup boiled) and broccoli (0.4 mcg per half cup fresh) contribute smaller amounts.
Dairy and grains fall toward the bottom of the list. A cup of 2% milk has 0.3 mcg, a cup of plain yogurt has 0.2 mcg, and a cup of oatmeal provides 0.2 mcg. A banana comes in at 0.2 mcg per half cup. Cheddar cheese offers 0.4 mcg per ounce. These foods aren’t biotin powerhouses, but they’re part of the cumulative picture if you’re eating a mixed diet.
Your Gut Bacteria Also Make Biotin
Humans can’t produce biotin on their own, but bacteria living in the large intestine can. Species like Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium varium synthesize significant amounts of the vitamin. This internal production supplements what you get from food, though the exact contribution is hard to quantify because biotin produced in the large intestine may not be absorbed as efficiently as biotin from food, which is primarily taken up in the upper small intestine.
Interestingly, research in animal models has shown that a high-fat diet can shift the gut microbiome in ways that reduce the number of bacteria capable of making biotin. Obese mice on high-fat diets had lower biotin synthesis and lower blood levels of the vitamin, suggesting that gut health and diet quality influence biotin status beyond just what’s on your plate.
How Much You Actually Need
The recommended adequate intake for adults 19 and older is 30 mcg per day. Pregnant women need the same amount, while breastfeeding women need slightly more at 35 mcg. Children’s needs scale with age, from 5 mcg for infants up to 25 mcg for teenagers.
True biotin deficiency is rare in people eating a varied diet, but when it does occur, the signs are distinctive: hair loss, a scaly red rash concentrated around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital area, and neurological symptoms including numbness, tingling, depression, and lethargy. People at higher risk include those on prolonged courses of certain medications, those with genetic conditions affecting biotin metabolism, and heavy consumers of raw egg whites over long periods.
Putting It Together
If you’re trying to hit 30 mcg from food alone, the math is straightforward. One cooked egg (10 mcg), a quarter cup of peanuts (roughly 5 mcg), a serving of salmon (5 mcg), and a half cup of sweet potato (2.4 mcg) gets you past 22 mcg, with your remaining foods and gut bacteria likely covering the rest. Add liver to the rotation even once a week and you’re well above the target on that day, with a buffer that carries metabolic benefit forward.
No single plant food comes close to meeting the full daily value, so vegetarians and vegans benefit from combining multiple sources: peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms across meals. Since biotin is water-soluble and your body doesn’t store large reserves, consistent daily intake matters more than occasional large doses.