We Ranked Meats by Protein Content — Find Out Which Meats Have the Most
Diet & NutritionFood & Ingredients

Which Meat Has the Most Protein?

Which Meat Has the Most Protein?
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Published on November 10, 2025
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Protein is a macronutrient that supports a variety of key bodily processes, including muscle growth, immune health, and metabolism. While it’s also found in plant foods, animal sources like meat, poultry, and fish typically pack more digestible protein and provide your body with all nine of the essential amino acids it requires to function properly.


Protein from animal sources provides an easy way to meet your daily protein needs, but they all vary in how much protein they contain. And with some animal proteins, there are other nutrition considerations, too.

Protein by Meat Type

Nutrition guidelines recommend that people eat a variety of animal and plant protein sources to cover a broader range of nutrients.

 As for protein, chicken takes the top spot, but most types of meat have roughly comparable amounts of protein.

“For poultry, I typically recommend choosing lean cuts and removing the skin some of the time, which helps to decrease the saturated fat content,” says Lena Bakovic, RD, a registered dietitian at VNutrition in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Here’s how the protein content in different varieties of meat and some fish breaks down.

Protein Content in 4 oz of Raw Meat

Food
Cut
Protein
Chicken
Breast, skinless, boneless
25.4 g
Salmon
Sockeye
25.2 g
Pork chop
Pork loin
24.4 g
Steak
Top sirloin beef
22.5 g
Ground turkey
93% lean / 7% fat
22.3 g
Tuna
Light, canned, in water
22 g
Ground beef
90% lean meat / 10% fat
21.9 g
Ham
Sliced, cured
18.6 g
Lamb
Loin chop, lean and fat
17.5 g
Bacon
Pork, cured
15.4 g

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The recommended amount of daily protein varies according to age, body size, activity level, and health goals. For most healthy adults, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) — which is the necessary amount to prevent a nutrient deficiency — is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram (kg) of your body weight, or 0.36 g per pound.

 This amount may be slightly higher for someone with more intense physical activity levels or other health circumstances.

While recommendations for protein intake aren’t broken down by meal or snack, a 150-pound person with normal activity levels should be aiming for around 55 g of protein per day.


Incorporating lean cuts of animal protein into your daily diet can help you meet those goals while offering additional health benefits that plant protein doesn’t always provide, says Frédéric Leroy, PhD, a research expert on animal-sourced foods and professor of food science and biotechnology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.

Other Nutrition Facts About Animal Protein

Red and many types of processed meat can contain high levels of saturated fat, which may increase cholesterol levels, leading to a higher risk for certain chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. But not all health officials think saturated fat is as dangerous as once believed.

To keep your meat intake as healthy as possible, try these expert tips.

  • Limit red and processed meat. Dietary guidelines and health organizations often recommend eating red meat judiciously and avoiding processed varieties altogether, like hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats.

     Leroy generally suggests focusing on “unprocessed or benignly processed versions” — which could include fresh cuts of protein or precut portions of fish or steak — while avoiding ultra-processed choices like deep-fried chicken nuggets. This can limit the intake of saturated fat, sodium, and other additives.

  • Opt for lean cuts. Choosing lower-fat cuts of meat, especially red meat varieties, helps maintain the protein benefits while minimizing saturated fat intake, says Bakovic. “What I typically recommend for my clients specifically pertaining to red meat consumption is one to two 3 oz servings twice a week, if they desire,” she explains.
  • Be mindful of cooking methods. Some research has suggested that grilling or charring meats at high temperatures can produce compounds that are potentially harmful to your health. To be safe, stick to baking, broiling, or roasting if possible.

The Takeaway

  • Protein is an essential macronutrient that supports a healthy body. Consuming high-quality meats like chicken breast, salmon, and steak can be an efficient way to get the protein your body needs.
  • Chicken breast ranks highest in protein content per serving, but most meat sources are relatively comparable. Most adults need a minimum of 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight every day.
  • For healthier intake, experts suggest choosing lean cuts, eating a variety of animal protein types, and avoiding processed meats whenever possible.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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  5. Pork, chop, center cut, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2025.
  6. Fish, salmon, sockeye, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2019.
  7. Beef, top sirloin steak, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2025.
  8. Pork, cured, bacon, unprepared. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2019.
  9. Ham, sliced, regular. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2019.
  10. Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2019.
  11. Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2023.
  12. Lamb, New Zealand, imported, loin chop, separable lean and fat, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2025.
  13. Turkey, ground, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. April 2019.
  14. Carbone JW et al. Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients. May 2019.
  15. Lonnie M et al. Protein for Life: Review of Optimal Protein Intake, Sustainable Dietary Sources and the Effect on Appetite in Ageing Adults. Nutrients. March 2018.
  16. Wu G. Dietary Protein Intake and Human Health. Food & Function. January 2016.
  17. Leroy F et al. Nutritionism in a Food Policy Context: The Case of ‘Animal Protein’. Animal Production Science. February 2022.
  18. Teicholz N. A Short History of Saturated Fat: The Making and unmaking of a Scientific Consensus. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity. February 2023.
  19. Protein: What’s Enough? American Heart Association. August 2024.
  20. Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2020-2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020.
  21. Making the Healthier Cut. American Heart Association. August 2024.
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Tara Collingwood, RDN, is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer, and a media spokesperson. As a sports dietitian, she has worked with the U.S. Tennis Association, the Orlando Magic, World Wrestling Entertainment, runDisney, the University of Central Florida, and numerous professional and amateur athletes. Collingwood is the author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies and a coauthor of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies.

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