Cooked beef lung provides about 20 g of protein per 100 g (≈17 g per 3 oz), with low fat and zero carbs.
Curious how much protein sits in beef lung and how it stacks up to other cuts? This guide lays out the numbers per 100 g and per cooked serving, the amino acids you get, and how cooking and sourcing affect the final plate.
Beef Lung Protein By Weight And Serving Sizes
From lab-sourced nutrition files, cooked beef lung clocks in at ~20.3% protein by weight and ~3.7% fat, with no carbohydrates. A standard 3 oz (85 g) cooked portion lands near 17.3 g protein and ~102 kcal. These figures come from datasets that mirror USDA analyses for “beef, lungs, cooked, braised.”
Quick Comparison At A Glance (Per 100 g)
The table below gives context by pairing beef lung with common organ meats and a couple of familiar muscle cuts. Values are for cooked forms where available.
| Food (Cooked Form Where Noted) | Protein (g/100 g) | Calories (kcal/100 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Lung, Braised | ~20.3 | ~120 |
| Beef Liver, Braised | 28.8 | 189 |
| Beef Heart, Simmered | ~27.3 | 140 |
| Beef Kidney, Simmered | 27.3 | 134 |
| Beef Tripe, Simmered | 11.7 | 94 |
| Beef Tongue, Simmered | ~19.3 | ~224 |
| Top Sirloin Steak, Cooked | 25–26 | 160–186 |
| Ground Beef 90/10, Cooked | ~25 | ~182–204 |
Sources for the row values above: lungs (protein % and per-serving macros) and calories share the same reference; liver, kidney, heart, tripe, tongue, sirloin, and ground beef entries are pulled from the same database family and matching cooked styles where available.
Protein In Beef Lung: Per 100 g, Per 3 oz, And What It Means
Per 100 g cooked, you net ~20 g protein; per 3 oz cooked, roughly 17 g. This puts beef lung in the same ballpark as many lean steaks per bite, with fewer calories than higher-fat cuts. The macronutrient split from the lab record shows ~71% of calories from protein in a typical cooked serving.
Amino Acids You’re Getting
Protein quality isn’t only the gram count. The cooked lung record lists a wide spread of indispensable amino acids per 3 oz (85 g) serving. Here are the headline numbers.
| Amino Acid (Per 3 oz Cooked) | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Leucine | 1,273 mg | 47% |
| Lysine | 1,229 mg | 59% |
| Valine | 854 mg | 47% |
| Isoleucine | 827 mg | 59% |
| Threonine | 647 mg | 62% |
| Phenylalanine | 705 mg | 81% |
| Methionine | 347 mg | 48% |
| Tryptophan | 158 mg | 56% |
| Histidine | 527 mg | 75% |
The same record lists conditionally indispensable and non-indispensable amino acids, including arginine (~1,049 mg), proline (~1,776 mg), alanine (~1,071 mg), and glutamic acid (~1,848 mg) per cooked 3 oz.
How Beef Lung Compares To Other Beef Cuts
Against liver: beef liver is a protein heavyweight per 100 g (≈29 g) but also brings more calories per 100 g. Against heart and kidney: both land in the high-20s for protein per 100 g with modest calories. Against tripe: protein is far lower. Against common steaks and lean ground beef: lung sits a bit below top sirloin and 90/10 patties on a pure per-100 g basis, yet it remains lean for the protein delivered.
Micros Worth Noting
Beyond protein, a 3 oz cooked lung serving shows meaningful B12 (~2.2 µg), selenium (~42.8 µg), and iron (~4.6 mg). Vitamin C also appears in this organ record, which is uncommon among beef cuts.
Availability, Rules, And What That Means For Your Menu
In the United States, federally inspected plants are not permitted to save livestock lungs for use as human food. The prohibition sits in 9 CFR § 310.16. This limits retail availability in the U.S., even though nutrition data for beef lung is maintained in food composition systems.
If you live in a region where beef lung is sold, sourcing typically runs through specialty butchers or wet markets. Where retail sale is barred, you’ll see lung show up only in older cookbooks or in data tables rather than at the counter.
Buying, Handling, And Cooking Tips
If buying beef lung is allowed where you shop, treat it like other organ meats: chill promptly, cook the day you buy, or freeze. When seeking doneness guidance, U.S. consumer-facing materials advise 160 °F (71 °C) for organs from red meats. You can read that target in the USDA’s public “Ask USDA” note on organ meats and on federal partner pages that publish safe-temperature charts. Link text below opens in a new tab:
Cooking notes: soak to rinse residual blood; simmer gently before any high-heat step to avoid chewiness; finish in a flavorful braise or quick sauté. Aim for thin slices across obvious grain to keep the bite tender.
Ways To Use Lung Protein In Meals
Lean Protein Slot
With ~17 g protein per cooked 3 oz and low fat, beef lung works as a high-protein filler in stews, soups, or minced with lean ground beef for texture. A half-and-half mince still keeps macros tight while adding collagen-rich bits that thicken sauces without starch.
Macro Planning
For a 2,000 kcal day targeting ~120–140 g protein, two 3 oz servings cover roughly a quarter of that aim while staying under ~210 kcal. Pair with fibrous vegetables and a starch source for balance. If you’re trimming calories, choose broths and dry-heat finishes over heavy gravies.
Health Notes And Trade-Offs
Cholesterol Load
Lung’s cholesterol per 3 oz serving sits above many steaks. That’s typical for organ meats. People under care for lipid management should match intake to clinician advice and total diet patterns.
Iron And B12
Beef lung brings heme iron and B12 in one package, which supports red blood cell production and energy metabolism. The numbers per 3 oz in the lab record are competitive with other organs and ahead of many muscle cuts on a per-calorie basis.
Where Beef Lung Protein Fits Best
beef lung protein shines when you want high protein at a lower calorie cost and you can source it legally. It’s handy in slow cooks, mixed minces, and small-dice sautés where strong aromatics lead the flavor.
Practical Takeaway
beef lung protein lands near ~20 g per 100 g cooked (≈17 g per 3 oz), with lean macros and a robust amino acid spread. Access varies by country; in the U.S., retail sale is restricted by federal rule. If you live where it’s sold, keep handling tight, cook to organ-meat temperatures, and use thin slices or small dice for tender results.