A typical 3 oz cooked serving of eel contains 20.1 grams of protein (23.6 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 40% 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 eel, 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 121 seafood in the database, eel ranks 50th by protein per serving, and 152nd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against canned clams, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (canned clams has 20.6 g per 3 oz drained).
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 #174194 - "Fish, eel, mixed species, cooked, dry 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
Eel protein FAQ
How much protein is in eel per 100 g?
Eel has 23.6 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 20.1 g.
Is eel a complete protein?
Yes. Eel 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 eel cover?
A 3 oz cooked serving of eel contains 20.1 g of protein, about 40% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Is eel a good source of protein?
Eel is a very good source of protein, and about 40% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against canned clams, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (canned clams has 20.6 g per 3 oz drained).