A typical 3 oz drained serving of canned shrimp contains 17.3 grams of protein (20.4 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 35% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 82% of the calories in canned shrimp 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, canned shrimp ranks 80th by protein per serving, and 201st out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against pacific herring, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (pacific herring has 17.9 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 #171972 - "Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, canned" (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
Canned shrimp protein FAQ
How much protein is in canned shrimp per 100 g?
Canned shrimp has 20.4 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz drained serving (85 g) provides 17.3 g.
Is canned shrimp a complete protein?
Yes. Canned shrimp 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 canned shrimp cover?
A 3 oz drained serving of canned shrimp contains 17.3 g of protein, about 35% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Is canned shrimp a good source of protein?
Canned shrimp is a very good source of protein, and about 82% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against pacific herring, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (pacific herring has 17.9 g per 3 oz cooked).