Food database · Seafood

Protein content

Protein in Blue crab

A 3 oz cooked serving of blue crab contains 15.2 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 30% of the 50 g Daily Value.

15.2 g
per 3 oz cooked

Protein breakdown

Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.

Protein 86% of caloriesOther 14%
Protein and calorie figures for Blue crab, per 3 oz cooked serving and per 100 g.
Serving3 oz cooked (85 g)
Protein per serving15.2 g
Protein per 100 g17.9 g
Calories per serving71 kcal
Protein density86% of calories
Share of 50 g Daily Value30%
Protein qualityComplete protein
CategorySeafood
Food typeWhole food
USDA recordFoodData Central #174205
Open tracker

How much protein is in blue crab?

A typical 3 oz cooked serving of blue crab contains 15.2 grams of protein (17.9 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 30% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.

About 86% of the calories in blue crab 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 121 seafood in the database, blue crab ranks 98th by protein per serving, and 246th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against ocean perch, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (ocean perch has 15.7 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.

Source: USDA FoodData Central #174205 - "Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked, moist heat" (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

Blue crab protein FAQ

How much protein is in blue crab per 100 g?

Blue crab has 17.9 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 15.2 g.

Is blue crab a complete protein?

Yes. Blue crab 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.

How much of the Daily Value does a serving of blue crab cover?

A 3 oz cooked serving of blue crab contains 15.2 g of protein, about 30% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.

Is blue crab a good source of protein?

Blue crab is a very good source of protein, and about 86% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against ocean perch, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (ocean perch has 15.7 g per 3 oz cooked).

Related

More seafood by protein