Food database · Seafood

Protein content

Protein in Pink salmon

A 3 oz cooked serving of pink salmon contains 20.9 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 42% of the 50 g Daily Value.

20.9 g
per 3 oz cooked

Protein breakdown

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

Protein 64% of caloriesOther 36%
Protein and calorie figures for Pink salmon, per 3 oz cooked serving and per 100 g.
Serving3 oz cooked (85 g)
Protein per serving20.9 g
Protein per 100 g24.6 g
Calories per serving130 kcal
Protein density64% of calories
Share of 50 g Daily Value42%
Protein qualityComplete protein
CategorySeafood
Food typeWhole food
USDA recordFoodData Central #172001
Open tracker

How much protein is in pink salmon?

A typical 3 oz cooked serving of pink salmon contains 20.9 grams of protein (24.6 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 42% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.

About 64% of the calories in pink salmon 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, pink salmon ranks 35th by protein per serving, and 130th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against shrimp, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (shrimp has 20.4 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 #172001 - "Fish, salmon, pink, 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

Pink salmon protein FAQ

How much protein is in pink salmon per 100 g?

Pink salmon has 24.6 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 20.9 g.

Is pink salmon a complete protein?

Yes. Pink salmon 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 pink salmon cover?

A 3 oz cooked serving of pink salmon contains 20.9 g of protein, about 42% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.

Is pink salmon a good source of protein?

Pink salmon is a very good source of protein, and about 64% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against shrimp, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (shrimp has 20.4 g per 3 oz cooked).

Related

More seafood by protein