Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of salmon contains 18.8 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 38% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 18.8 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 22.1 g |
| Calories per serving | 175 kcal |
| Protein density | 43% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 38% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #175168 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of salmon contains 18.8 grams of protein (22.1 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 38% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 43% of the calories in salmon, 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, salmon ranks 74th by protein per serving, and 185th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against striped bass, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (striped bass has 19.3 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.
Rich in leucine, the amino acid that most strongly triggers muscle-protein synthesis.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #175168 - "Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, 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
Salmon has 22.1 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 18.8 g.
Yes. 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.
A 3 oz cooked serving of salmon contains 18.8 g of protein, about 38% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Salmon is a very good source of protein, and about 43% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against striped bass, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (striped bass has 19.3 g per 3 oz cooked).
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