A 3-oz cooked beef serving delivers about 22–26 grams of protein; leaner cuts land near 25 grams per serving.
When you’re planning meals around protein, beef makes the math easy. Most cooked cuts sit in a tight range for protein density, so you can estimate fast, then refine by cut and cooking method. Below you’ll find a clear table of beef protein grams by popular cuts, a rule-of-thumb per ounce, and simple ways to adjust for leanness and moisture loss. This page sticks to cooked weights, since that’s how most of us eat and track portions.
Beef Protein Grams: Quick Guide Table
This table shows protein per 100 g cooked and a 3-oz (85 g) cooked serving for common cuts. Values come from standard nutrient datasets and reflect typical cooked, trimmed portions.
| Cut (Cooked, Trimmed) | Protein / 100 g | Protein / 3 oz (85 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Top Round Steak, Grilled | ~29.7 g | ~25.2 g |
| Top Sirloin Steak, Lean, Broiled | ~31.0 g | ~26.4 g |
| Chuck Pot Roast, Lean Only, Braised | ~33.4 g | ~28.4 g |
| Brisket, Braised | ~26.8 g | ~22.8 g |
| Filet/Tenderloin, Grilled | ~26.0 g | ~22.1 g |
| T-Bone/Porterhouse, Grilled | ~25–27 g | ~21–23 g |
| Ground Beef 80% Lean, Patty, Broiled | ~25.8 g | ~22.0 g |
| Ground Beef 90–95% Lean, Patty, Broiled | ~26–27 g | ~22–23 g |
| Stew Meat, Lean Only, Simmered | ~24–26 g | ~20–22 g |
Short version: most lean steaks cluster around 25–31 g per 100 g cooked, and a deck-of-cards 3-oz cooked portion lands near 22–26 g. If you only remember one thing, that’s it.
What Changes The Protein Number In Cooked Beef?
Cut And Leanness
Protein is dense in the lean, red portion. Fattier cuts have more fat by weight, so protein per 100 g slides down. That’s why a trimmed top round shows higher protein than a marbled brisket point.
Cooking Method And Moisture Loss
Heat drives off water. When weight drops during cooking, the same protein is packed into fewer grams of food, so protein per cooked 100 g looks higher. Pan-broiling and grilling shed more moisture than quick searing; braises keep moisture but still concentrate protein as collagen breaks down.
Trim, Bone, And Yield
Protein counts assume you’re weighing edible lean plus any attached fat you keep. Boneless, well-trimmed portions push protein per 100 g higher than bone-in cuts weighed before trimming.
Cooked Weight Beats Raw Weight For Tracking
If you track macros, weigh the cooked portion on the plate. Raw-to-cooked yield varies a lot by cut and method, which can throw off totals if you log raw numbers against cooked servings.
How Many Protein Grams Per Ounce?
A handy rule works across the board: cooked beef averages about 7 grams of protein per ounce. That rule comes from the same ranges in the table above. Multiply ounces by seven and you’re close enough for meal planning.
Lean Cuts For More Protein Per Calorie
If your goal is higher protein with fewer calories, pick leaner steaks and roasts. Top round, eye of round, and well-trimmed sirloin deliver more protein per bite than fattier rib and brisket. Many nutrition pros use a simple screen: a 3-oz cooked beef serving that gives around 25 g protein is right on target. The beef industry’s consumer-facing nutrition page states the same 25 g figure for a 3-oz cooked serving, which lines up with federal datasets (beef protein page).
Beef Protein Grams In Real-World Servings
Here’s how the numbers shake out for the portions you’re most likely to eat at home, in a packed lunch, or from a restaurant order. Values below assume cooked, trimmed beef.
| Portion | Typical Cooked Weight | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz steak slice | 28 g | ~7 g |
| 3 oz steak (deck-of-cards) | 85 g | ~22–26 g |
| 4 oz steak | 113 g | ~28–31 g |
| 6 oz steak (restaurant light order) | 170 g | ~39–45 g |
| 8 oz steak | 227 g | ~56–62 g |
| Quarter-pound burger patty | ~113 g cooked | ~25–30 g |
| Half-pound burger patty | ~227 g cooked | ~50–60 g |
How The Numbers Were Chosen (And How To Be Precise)
To keep this page practical, ranges reflect common cooked, trimmed entries from nutrient databases used by dietitians. If you need precision for a plan or a research log, check the exact cut and method in a federal database search, then match your plate weight. A good starting point is the searchable federal database that houses beef entries by cut and cooking method (FoodData Central search). You can also confirm the frequent claim that a 3-oz cooked beef serving gives around 25 g protein across multiple entries in federal tables and industry summaries (USDA protein table).
Cut-By-Cut Notes You’ll Actually Use
Top Round And Eye Of Round
These are classic high-protein, low-fat picks. Grill or roast and slice thin against the grain. Protein per 3-oz cooked serving routinely lands in the mid-20s.
Top Sirloin
Balanced and budget-friendly. Trim the rim fat and you’ll often see protein per 100 g at the top of the range. Great for skewers and quick broils.
Brisket (Flat Versus Point)
The flat has less fat than the point. Both bring solid protein, but the point’s extra fat drops protein per 100 g a bit. Weigh the cooked slices you’ll eat, not the whole brisket weight.
Chuck Roasts
Trimmed chuck that’s braised and cooled for slicing can deliver protein numbers similar to lean steaks. Shredded dishes vary more, since weight can include extra cooking liquid and fat.
Ground Beef
Lean percent changes protein density. An 80% patty stays near 25–26 g per 100 g cooked; 90–95% pushes a touch higher. Patties lose moisture fast on grills and in broilers, which concentrates protein per cooked 100 g.
Simple Math For Meal Planning
- Pick a target — if you’re aiming for ~30 g protein at a meal, a cooked 4-oz lean steak or a third-pound burger patty gets you there.
- Use the 7 g/oz rule — quick way to size portions by eye.
- Adjust for leanness — if the cut is fattier, add an ounce or two to hit the same protein goal.
- Log cooked weight — weigh the portion on the plate for clean tracking.
Cooking Tips That Protect Protein
Go Hot, Then Finish Gently
High heat to sear, then finish at a lower temp. You’ll keep moisture inside, so your cooked weight (and your protein per serving) stays more predictable.
Trim After Cooking For Roasts
Leaving a small fat cap on during the cook can help with moisture. Trim it after slicing so your logged serving reflects mostly lean.
Let It Rest Before Slicing
Resting keeps juices in the meat. Cut too soon and you’ll spill flavor and weight onto the board.
Label Clues When You’re Buying
For ground beef, “% lean” tells you roughly how much of the package weight is lean tissue. More lean usually means more protein per 100 g cooked. For steaks and roasts, words like “top round,” “eye of round,” and “sirloin” are safe, high-protein bets.
Two Questions People Ask All The Time
Is A Burger Lower In Protein Than A Steak Of The Same Cooked Weight?
Not by much. Lean percent matters more than “burger versus steak.” A 90% burger patty can match a lean steak ounce for ounce. An 80% patty lands a touch lower per 100 g cooked, but it still sits near the 7 g/oz rule.
Does Grass-Fed Change Protein Grams?
Protein grams per cooked 100 g are similar. Fat profile and flavor change more than protein density. Portion size and cooking loss still drive your final count.
Put It All Together
Use the first table to pick your cut, the second to size your serving, and the 7 g/oz rule to sanity-check your plate. If you track macros, jot the cooked weight. If you need a lab-level number for a specific cut and method, pull the exact entry from the federal database and match your serving weight. With that, you’ll hit your protein goals meal after meal without guesswork. You can mention beef protein grams in a recipe or meal plan and know the math holds up. And when you need the exact term in content, weave in beef protein grams naturally a couple of times across the page for clarity and search match.