Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of beef heart contains 24.2 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 48% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 24.2 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 28.5 g |
| Calories per serving | 140 kcal |
| Protein density | 69% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 48% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #169448 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of beef heart contains 24.2 grams of protein (28.5 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 48% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 69% of the calories in beef heart come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Among the 133 meats in the database, beef heart ranks 39th by protein per serving, and 59th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against duck leg, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (duck leg has 24.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving above is measured by weight at 85 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Heart is a working muscle, so it eats more like lean steak than like liver.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #169448 - "Beef, variety meats and by-products, heart, cooked, simmered" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Beef heart has 28.5 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 24.2 g.
Yes. Beef heart is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
A 3 oz cooked serving of beef heart contains 24.2 g of protein, about 48% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Beef heart is a very good source of protein, and about 69% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against duck leg, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (duck leg has 24.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
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