# How Much Protein Is in Ground Beef?

URL: https://kibora.app/protein-in/ground-beef/
Language: en
Page type: food protein reference
Last Updated: 2026-09-16
Description: Raw 85/15 ground beef has about 18.6 g protein per 100 g. A 3 oz portion has about 15.8 g. See common portions, calories, and why fat percentage matters.
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## How Much Protein Is in Ground Beef?

A 3 oz (85 g) portion of raw 85/15 ground beef contains about 15.8 g of protein.

Per 100 g, raw 85% lean / 15% fat ground beef contains approximately 18.6 g of protein.

## Protein in ground beef by serving

Protein changes almost directly with portion weight, while calories vary more noticeably with the fat percentage. These figures use raw 85% lean / 15% fat ground beef.

| Serving | Protein | Calories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 oz raw · 85 g | 15.8 g | 183 kcal |
| 100 g raw | 18.6 g | 215 kcal |
| 6 oz raw · 170 g | 31.6 g | 366 kcal |
| 8 oz raw · 227 g | 42.2 g | 488 kcal |

## Is ground beef a high-protein food?

Yes. Ground beef provides a substantial amount of complete animal protein.

Raw 85/15 ground beef provides about 18.6 g of protein per 100 g.

Using the standard 4 kcal per gram estimate for protein, roughly 35% of its calories come from protein; leaner ground beef generally raises the protein-to-calorie ratio.

### High in protein

35% of calories from protein

## How much 85/15 ground beef provides 20–30 g of protein?

### ~20 g protein

108 g

20.1 g protein

### ~25 g protein

135 g

25.1 g protein

### ~30 g protein

161 g

29.9 g protein

These values use raw 85% lean / 15% fat ground beef. Leaner or fattier ground beef will have different calories and slightly different protein per 100 g.

## One serving is easy. The whole day gets harder.

Kibora helps you log meals quickly by photo, voice, barcode, text, or favorites, then shows how protein, calories and the rest of your nutrition add up across your day.

## Nutrition data and methodology

Nutrition values use USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy record 171796 for raw ground beef that is 85% lean meat and 15% fat. It reports 18.59 g of protein, 215 kcal and 15 g of fat per 100 g.

Ground beef varies by fat percentage. Cooking also reduces water and renders some fat, so cooked values per 100 g differ from raw values. Match the nutrition record to the lean/fat ratio and whether you weigh the meat raw or cooked.

### Sources

[USDA FoodData Central — Ground beef, 85% lean / 15% fat, raw (FDC 171796)](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171796/nutrients)

[EU “High Protein” definition — Regulation (EC) 1924/2006](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32006R1924)

## Compare protein in similar foods

### Chicken

24.2 g protein per 100 g grilled chicken

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/chicken/)

### Steak

20.6 g protein per 100 g raw flank steak

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/steak/)

### Salmon

20.4 g protein per 100 g raw farmed Atlantic salmon

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/salmon/)

### Shrimp

14 g protein per 100 g

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/shrimp/)

### Chicken breast

22 g protein per 100 g

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/chicken-breast/)

## Common questions about protein in ground beef

### How much protein is in 3 oz of ground beef?

A 3 oz (85 g) portion of raw 85/15 ground beef contains approximately 15.8 g of protein.

### How much protein is in 100 g of ground beef?

Raw 85% lean / 15% fat ground beef contains approximately 18.6 g of protein per 100 g.

### How much protein is in 6 oz of ground beef?

Six ounces (about 170 g) of raw 85/15 ground beef contains approximately 31.6 g of protein.

### Does leaner ground beef have more protein?

Usually it provides more protein per calorie and often slightly more protein per 100 g because less of the weight is fat. Exact values depend on the lean/fat ratio.

### Should I weigh ground beef raw or cooked?

Either can work, but use a nutrition record that matches the state you weigh. The values on this page are for raw 85/15 ground beef; cooked meat loses water and may lose rendered fat, so the per-100-g values change.

## How much protein should you eat per day?

Knowing that 100 g of 85/15 ground beef has about 18.6 g of protein is useful. Knowing how that fits into your own daily protein and macro targets is more useful.