A typical pound of lean bison meat provides about 90–120 grams of protein, depending on fat level, cut, and whether it is raw or cooked.
Bison has a reputation as a lean red meat with plenty of protein, yet numbers around bison protein per pound can feel a bit blurry. Different cuts, fat levels, and cooking methods all change the total. If you cook for macros, strength, or general wellness, you need clearer figures than a vague “high in protein” label.
This guide breaks bison protein down by pound in plain terms. You will see how the numbers come from trusted nutrition databases, how to adjust for raw or cooked weight, and how bison compares with beef and chicken. By the end, you can weigh a package, scan the label, and estimate your protein intake with solid confidence.
Bison Protein Per Pound Basics
Most nutrition databases list bison values per 100 grams, not per pound. That makes quick mental math tricky. A pound of meat weighs about 454 grams, so you can turn any “per 100 gram” number into “per pound” by multiplying by 4.54.
Data from USDA FoodData Central and other nutrition tools shows that lean bison usually lands around 20–26 grams of protein per 100 grams, depending on cut and cooking method. Raw lean meat tends to sit near the lower end of that range, while cooked lean ground meat edges toward the upper end because water and some fat cook off.
The table below pulls those ranges together into one quick view. Values are rounded, so treat them as helpful estimates, not lab results.
| Bison Cut Or Style | Protein Per 100 g (Approx) | Protein Per 1 lb (Approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Ground Bison, 90% Lean | 19 g | 86 g |
| Cooked Ground Bison, Grass-Fed | 25 g | 113 g |
| Raw Bison Steak, Lean Only | 21 g | 95 g |
| Cooked Bison Steak, Medium Doneness | 26 g | 118 g |
| Raw Bison Roast, Lean Trim | 20 g | 91 g |
| Cooked Bison Stew Meat | 24 g | 109 g |
| Bison Burger Mix, 80% Lean, Cooked | 23 g | 104 g |
| Cooked Bison Ribeye | 22 g | 100 g |
These values line up well with detailed entries for lean, cooked ground bison that list about 25.45 grams of protein per 100 grams. That works out to around 115 grams of protein per pound once you scale the numbers up. Lean roasted cuts that stay closer to 20–21 grams per 100 grams will sit nearer 90–96 grams per pound.
Bison Protein In Each Pound Of Meat
To understand bison protein per pound, it helps to walk through the simple math once. One pound equals 453.6 grams. Most home cooks round that to 454 grams. If a nutrition entry lists 22 grams of protein per 100 grams of bison, then:
- Multiply 22 by 4.54 to scale from 100 grams to 454 grams.
- 22 × 4.54 ≈ 100 grams of protein per pound.
Using that structure, you can create a quick mental range for bison protein per pound:
- 20 g per 100 g → about 91 g protein per pound.
- 23 g per 100 g → about 104 g protein per pound.
- 25 g per 100 g → about 113 g protein per pound.
- 26 g per 100 g → about 118 g protein per pound.
If you regularly buy lean cuts, a simple rule works well: treat one pound of bison as giving roughly 100–110 grams of protein. When labels or databases show particularly lean roasted meat near 20 grams per 100 grams, expect closer to 90–95 grams per pound. When data matches fatty ground blends, expect numbers near the bottom of that range.
When people talk about bison protein per pound, they sometimes forget that a package weight often includes raw fat and moisture that later drip into the pan. Actual protein on the plate comes from the cooked weight, so raw numbers always carry a bit of slack.
Factors That Change Bison Protein Per Pound
Two one-pound packs of bison might look similar on the shelf yet deliver very different protein totals. Fat level, cooking method, and how you measure each portion all change the figure on your plate.
Fat Percentage And Lean Content
Fat displaces protein gram for gram. A pound of 90% lean ground bison carries far more protein than a pound of 80% lean ground bison because the lean portion takes up more of the weight. That is why many labels share both total weight and lean percentage.
Lean-only cuts, such as trimmed steaks or roasts without large fat caps, can match or beat the lean percentage of “90% lean” ground meat. In those cases, protein per pound rises. A fattier ribeye or burger blend brings more flavor and tenderness but trims the protein figure a bit.
Raw Versus Cooked Weight
Most databases list either raw values or cooked values, sometimes both. Raw entries assume no moisture loss. Cooked entries capture the way water and some fat leave the meat.
If you weigh a raw pound of ground bison, then cook it in a pan, you will not finish with a full pound of cooked meat. Even though total protein grams hardly change, the cooked portion now weighs less, so it appears denser in protein. That is why cooked values per 100 grams often look higher than raw values for the same cut.
The safest approach is to match like with like. If your data source lists cooked values, weigh cooked meat. If it lists raw values only, weigh the raw portion and accept that the final plate will look smaller than the starting weight.
Cut, Bone, And Trim
Ground bison blends lean and fat more evenly, while steaks, roasts, and rib cuts include sections with less meat. Bone-in cuts lower protein per pound of the total purchase because some of that weight is bone. Heavy surface fat and gristle have the same effect.
When you buy boneless, lean-only cuts, nearly all the listed weight comes from edible meat. That pushes protein per pound upward. With bone-in ribeye, shank cuts, or short ribs, the full pound on the scale might yield only three quarters of a pound in trimmed cooked slices.
Home Measurement Habits
Kitchen habits can swing numbers just as much as lab data. Scooping cooked crumbles with a spoon, eyeballing stew portions, or counting burger patties instead of weighing them will add some drift.
A simple gram scale fixes that problem. Weigh cooked meat portions in grams, then divide by 100 and multiply by the protein per 100 gram figure from a reliable entry. It takes a few seconds and gives far more clarity than guessing.
How Bison Protein Per Pound Compares To Other Meats
The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that bison tends to carry less fat and fewer calories than similar beef cuts while still offering strong protein, iron, and vitamin B12 levels. That gives bison a lean profile that fits many training and wellness plans without giving up red meat flavor.
The comparison table below places bison beside beef, chicken, pork, and salmon, using typical values for lean cooked portions. Numbers will shift a little from brand to brand, yet the pattern stays consistent.
| Meat (Lean, Cooked) | Protein Per 100 g (Approx) | Protein Per 1 lb (Approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Bison, Ground Or Lean Steak | 24–26 g | 109–118 g |
| Beef, 90% Lean Ground | 23–25 g | 104–113 g |
| Chicken Breast, Skinless | 30–31 g | 136–141 g |
| Pork Loin, Trimmed | 25–26 g | 113–118 g |
| Salmon Fillet | 24–25 g | 109–113 g |
Compared with beef, bison usually matches or slightly beats protein per pound while cutting back on fat and calories. Compared with chicken breast, bison gives a bit less protein per pound but brings a richer flavor and more iron. Official resources such as the FSIS bison guidance and Nutrition.gov’s links into FoodData Central show similar trends across many cuts.
For anyone who enjoys red meat but wants lean macros, that balance feels attractive. You can keep iron and B vitamins high while steering away from very fatty beef blends.
Using Bison Protein Per Pound For Meal Planning
Once you have a sense of the numbers, bison becomes easier to slot into day-to-day meals. Think in terms of total daily protein targets first, then divide that across meals and snacks.
Setting A Daily Protein Target
Nutrition guidance for healthy adults often suggests around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight as a bare minimum, with higher intakes common for people who lift weights, do intense training, or eat higher protein diets. Many lifters and active folks aim for 1.2–2.0 grams per kilogram, depending on goals and medical history.
Bison fits those ranges well. If someone weighs 75 kilograms and aims for 120 grams of protein per day, one pound of cooked lean ground bison at dinner could supply around 100–110 grams. The rest can come from eggs, dairy, beans, or other meats earlier in the day.
Portion Ideas Based On Bison Protein Per Pound
Here are some handy ballpark portions built from the ranges above:
- 4 ounces (about 113 g) cooked ground bison: around 25–28 g protein.
- 6 ounces (about 170 g) cooked lean steak: around 35–40 g protein.
- 8 ounces (about 227 g) cooked ground bison: around 50–55 g protein.
Use these as starting points, then refine with exact nutrition labels or a trusted database entry. With practice, you will learn how much bison on your plate lines up with your daily target.
Shopping, Storage, And Food Safety Notes
Because bison is lean, it can dry out if cooked too long. Gentle heat and shorter cooking times help preserve juiciness while keeping protein intact. Many cooks treat ground bison much like extra-lean beef, pulling burgers or crumbles off the heat as soon as they reach a safe internal temperature.
Safe handling rules match other red meats: keep bison cold before cooking, avoid cross-contamination on cutting boards, and cook to safe temperatures. Federal guidance on safe meat handling, including specific notes on bison, appears through the FSIS and related USDA pages linked above. When in doubt, a probe thermometer and clean storage habits remove a lot of guesswork.
Quick Takeaways On Bison Protein Per Pound
Bison earns its reputation as a lean, protein-dense red meat. Most lean cuts give somewhere between 90 and 120 grams of protein per pound, with cooked ground bison often landing near the upper edge of that range. A simple rule of thumb works well for busy kitchens: treat a pound of lean bison as roughly 100–110 grams of protein and adjust up or down based on fat level and cooking loss.
If you keep a kitchen scale handy, weigh portions, match them to reliable entries from USDA-linked databases, and track your intake. With that habit and a basic sense of bison protein per pound, you can build meals that match your goals while still enjoying rich, flavorful red meat.