Beef vs pork protein is close: lean sirloin and pork loin/tenderloin give ~26–30 g per 100 g cooked, with pork tenderloin slightly better per calorie.
If you’re sizing up dinner for protein, both meats can pull their weight. Cooked lean beef and cooked lean pork often land in the same range per bite, while fat level and cut choice swing the numbers. Below, you’ll see how common cuts compare by cooked serving, what 3 ounces really delivers, and where you get the most protein for your calories. The goal: pick the cut that fits your macro target without guesswork.
Beef Or Pork- More Protein? Cuts And Cooking Changes
The short answer is that lean-on-lean, the gap is tiny. Beef top sirloin (cooked, broiled) sits around 29 g protein per 100 g, and pork loin chops or pork tenderloin are right there as well. Ground versions vary more since fat percentage changes protein density after cooking. Water loss during cooking also nudges grams per portion, which is why “per 100 g cooked” and “per 3 oz cooked” don’t always tell the same story.
Protein By Popular Cuts (Cooked, 3 Oz)
Here’s a quick, scan-friendly table to compare real plate portions. Use it to answer “beef or pork- more protein?” at a glance for the cuts you actually buy.
| Cut (Cooked, 3 oz) | Protein (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Top Sirloin, Broiled | ~24–26 | Very lean trim raises protein per ounce. |
| Beef Sirloin Strip, Broiled | ~22–25 | Trimmed strip sits close to sirloin. |
| Ground Beef 85% Lean, Patty | ~22–24 | More fat = fewer grams per 3 oz. |
| Pork Loin Chop, Boneless, Broiled | ~24–26 | Lean loin is consistently high. |
| Pork Tenderloin, Roasted | ~22–25 | Strong protein with low fat per calorie. |
| Ground Pork (Typical Retail) | ~19–22 | Fat content varies by brand and grind. |
| Ham, Cooked | ~23–25 | Protein is solid; watch sodium if that matters. |
What A “3-Ounce” Serving Really Means
Confused by serving sizes? A 3-ounce cooked portion is roughly a deck-of-cards slab, and it lands near 21 grams of protein on average, regardless of beef or pork. That rule of thumb comes from clinical handouts used in hospital nutrition programs and aligns with the U.S. ounce-equivalents concept for protein foods.
You’ll still see shifts. A well-trimmed sirloin or a pork loin chop pushes toward the high 20s per 3 ounces; a fattier grind pulls the number down. That’s not a meat-type flag; it’s a fat-ratio effect.
Beef Versus Pork Protein—By Cut And Serving
Lean Steak Vs. Loin Chop
Cooked top sirloin steak and cooked boneless loin chops trade blows gram for gram. On a per-100 g cooked basis, both cluster near 29 g protein. In practice, portion size is the tie-breaker: if your plate holds more steak than chop, the steak “wins,” and vice versa.
Pork Tenderloin Vs. Sirloin
Per 100 g cooked, pork tenderloin often shows ~26 g protein—right beside sirloin. Where tenderloin stands out is protein per calorie: it’s quite lean, so you’ll reach a target like 30–35 g with fewer calories than a fattier steak cut.
Ground Beef Vs. Ground Pork
Grinds are the wild card. Protein tracks with leanness. An 85% lean beef patty cooked ends up near ~26 g per 100 g; higher-fat blends dilute protein per bite. Ground pork shows the same pattern. When comparing these two, match the lean percentage first, then compare flavor and price.
Cooking Loss, Fat Trim, And Why Labels Seem Off
Meat shrinks on heat. Water leaves the muscle; some fat renders. That changes “per 100 g cooked” math because 100 g cooked started life as a larger raw piece. So two packages with the same raw weight can finish with different cooked protein per forkful. This is why charts that pin numbers to cooked weight are more useful for meal planning than raw-weight stats.
Trim matters as well. Tight trimming raises the proportion of lean tissue in each bite, which nudges up protein per ounce even if the cut name stays the same.
Protein Quality: Do Both Count As “Complete”?
Yes—both beef and pork provide complete proteins with all essential amino acids. The more practical question is the full “protein package”: calories, fat, and sodium riding along. Lean cuts from both animals deliver plenty of protein without a big calorie load. Processed choices like ham add sodium, which some people track closely.
Smart Shopping: The Lean Picks That Stretch Your Macros
Beef Cuts To Favor When You Want More Protein
- Top sirloin steaks trimmed close; reliable protein per ounce.
- Sirloin strip with external fat trimmed after cooking.
- Ground beef 90–93% lean for higher protein per calorie than 80–85%.
Pork Cuts To Favor When You Want More Protein
- Loin chops or center-cut roasts, lean and consistent.
- Pork tenderloin, among the leanest options in the case.
- Ground pork labeled “lean”, which bumps protein density.
Portion Math You Can Use Tonight
If you like quick mental math, use the classic protein rule from clinical handouts: each cooked ounce of lean meat gives roughly 7 g protein. That means a 4-ounce cooked piece lands near 28 g, and a 6-ounce cooked piece around 42 g. It works the same for beef and pork if the cut is comparably lean. You can cross-check this with the USDA’s ounce-equivalents table for protein foods.
Protein Per 100 Calories (Lean Winners)
Calories matter for many readers. Compare how many grams you bank per 100 calories. Pork tenderloin and trimmed sirloin climb fast here.
| Item (Cooked) | Protein Per 100 kcal (g) | Why It Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Pork Tenderloin | ~18–19 | Low fat, strong protein yield per bite. |
| Beef Top Sirloin | ~15–17 | Lean trim boosts protein per calorie. |
| Pork Loin Chop | ~16–17 | Comparable to sirloin when trimmed. |
| Ground Beef 85% Lean | ~10–12 | Extra fat lowers protein density. |
| Ham, Cooked | ~15–16 | Good protein; sodium varies by brand. |
How To Decide Fast In The Store
Step 1 — Match The Cut
Compare lean steak cuts to lean pork cuts. If you’re picking between sirloin and loin chop, call it a draw and buy on price or taste. That answers “beef or pork- more protein?” for most shoppers.
Step 2 — Check Leanness
For ground meat, scan the label. A jump from 85% to 93% lean swings protein per calorie in your favor, no matter which animal you pick.
Step 3 — Plan The Serving
Use the 7-grams-per-ounce cue to hit your target. If you need 35 g, serve about 5 ounces cooked of a lean cut. That habit removes guesswork at mealtime and keeps your totals steady day to day.
A Quick Word On The Whole Package
Protein isn’t the only box to tick. Trimmed beef and trimmed pork both give you complete protein along with B-vitamins and minerals. Processed options like ham bring sodium; fattier grinds pack more calories. If you want the simplest path to high protein with fewer extras, build around pork tenderloin, pork loin chops, sirloin steak, and lean ground labels from either meat case.
Bottom Line
On pure protein, beef and pork are peers when you compare lean cuts by cooked weight. A trimmed sirloin and a pork loin chop both deliver around mid-20s grams per 3 ounces. If you want the best protein per calorie, pork tenderloin edges ahead; if you want iron and the flavor of beef, sirloin is a solid pick. Match the cut, match the leanness, and size the cooked portion to your macro goal—that’s the simple plan that works week after week.
Helpful reference for serving size and choices: the Protein Foods ounce-equivalents chart from MyPlate. For cut-specific numbers, see the pork loin chop nutrient page and the beef top sirloin profile, which compile USDA FoodData Central values.