Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of ground beef (97% lean) contains 22.4 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 45% 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 | 22.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 26.4 g |
| Calories per serving | 130 kcal |
| Protein density | 69% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 45% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #173112 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of ground beef (97% lean) contains 22.4 grams of protein (26.4 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 45% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 69% of the calories in ground beef (97% lean) 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 133 meats in the database, ground beef (97% lean) ranks 63rd by protein per serving, and 89th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against ground veal, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (ground veal has 21.9 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.
Leaner grinds carry more protein per calorie, since fat content is the main thing that changes between lean ratios.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #173112 - "Beef, ground, 97% lean meat / 3% fat, patty, cooked, broiled" (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
Ground beef (97% lean) has 26.4 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 22.4 g.
Yes. Ground beef (97% lean) 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 ground beef (97% lean) contains 22.4 g of protein, about 45% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Ground beef (97% lean) is a very good source of protein, and about 69% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against ground veal, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (ground veal has 21.9 g per 3 oz cooked).
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