Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of beef tongue contains 16.4 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 33% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 16.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 19.3 g |
| Calories per serving | 241 kcal |
| Protein density | 27% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 33% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #170598 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of beef tongue contains 16.4 grams of protein (19.3 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 33% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Around 27% of the calories in beef tongue come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
Among the 133 meats in the database, beef tongue ranks 100th by protein per serving, and 215th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against chorizo, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.9 g more protein (chorizo has 15.5 g per 1 link).
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.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #170598 - "Beef, variety meats and by-products, tongue, 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 tongue has 19.3 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 16.4 g.
Yes. Beef tongue 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 tongue contains 16.4 g of protein, about 33% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Beef tongue is a very good source of protein, and about 27% of its calories come from protein, which makes it moderately protein-dense. Set against chorizo, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.9 g more protein (chorizo has 15.5 g per 1 link).
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