Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of oxtail contains 22 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 44% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 22 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 25.9 g |
| Calories per serving | 218 kcal |
| Protein density | 40% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 44% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #2705843 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of oxtail contains 22 grams of protein (25.9 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 44% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 40% of the calories in oxtail, making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Among the 133 meats in the database, oxtail ranks 71st by protein per serving, and 103rd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against pork shoulder, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (pork shoulder has 21.5 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.
Mostly bone and connective tissue before cooking; the edible yield from a whole tail is small.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #2705843 - "Beef, oxtails" (Survey (FNDDS), published 10/31/2024). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Oxtail has 25.9 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 22 g.
Yes. Oxtail 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 oxtail contains 22 g of protein, about 44% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Oxtail is a very good source of protein, and about 40% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against pork shoulder, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (pork shoulder has 21.5 g per 3 oz cooked).
Related