Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of crab contains 16.5 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 extremely protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 16.5 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 19.4 g |
| Calories per serving | 82 kcal |
| Protein density | 80% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 33% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #174202 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of crab contains 16.5 grams of protein (19.4 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.
About 80% of the calories in 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, crab ranks 84th by protein per serving, and 212th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against haddock, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (haddock has 17 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 #174202 - "Crustaceans, crab, alaska king, 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
Crab has 19.4 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 16.5 g.
Yes. 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.
A 3 oz cooked serving of crab contains 16.5 g of protein, about 33% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Crab is a very good source of protein, and about 80% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against haddock, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (haddock has 17 g per 3 oz cooked).
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