One cooked quarter-pound Angus beef patty lands near 22 g of protein; a full burger shifts with bun, cheese, and extras.
Curious about the protein you get from an Angus burger? Here’s a clear, data-backed breakdown that shows how much protein sits in the patty itself and how the number changes once you add a bun, cheese, and sauces. You’ll also see quick ways to push your total higher without sending calories soaring.
Protein Content In An Angus Beef Burger: By Patty And Build
Start with the meat. Angus is a breed and, when you’re talking numbers, its patty behaves like any beef patty with the same leanness and cook method. The big driver of protein isn’t the label; it’s lean percentage, patty size, and cooking loss. Below is a quick table for typical cooked patties made from common lean levels. Values come from cooked, broiled ground-beef patties in the USDA-sourced database most dietitians use.
| Patty Lean Level | Protein (per 100 g cooked) | Protein (~3 oz cooked patty) |
|---|---|---|
| 80% Lean / 20% Fat | ~25.8 g | ~22 g |
| 85% Lean / 15% Fat | ~25.9 g | ~22 g |
| 90% Lean / 10% Fat | ~26.1 g | ~22 g |
| 95% Lean / 5% Fat | ~26.6 g | ~23 g |
Why do the “per patty” numbers look so close? Protein sits mostly in the lean portion; as fat drops, protein density per 100 g rises a touch, but cooked patty weight also shifts with moisture and fat loss. Net effect: a standard cooked patty from a quarter-pound raw portion tends to land around 22 g either way.
What Counts As “One Patty” In Real Life?
Restaurants and recipes often shape patties from a quarter-pound (4 oz / 113 g) raw ball. During grilling or broiling, water and some fat leave the meat, so that 4 oz raw commonly finishes near 3 oz cooked (about 85 g). The USDA’s cooking-yield tables document these losses across cuts and methods, which is why professional databases already reflect cooked values. If you want the primary source for those yield factors, see the USDA’s Cooking Yields.
Where The Angus Label Fits
“Angus” tells you about cattle lineage and the brand standard a processor follows, not a special protein boost. A Certified Angus program screens carcasses for quality traits like marbling and maturity. Flavor and juiciness can be affected by those specs, but gram-for-gram protein mirrors comparable ground beef. If you want to read the brand standards, the Certified Angus Beef site lays them out under 10 quality specifications.
Build-Outs: From Plain Patty To Full Burger
Once you add a bun, cheese, and sauces, the total changes. The meat still carries most of the protein, while the bun can add a small bump and a slice of cheddar adds a solid chunk. Typical values:
- Plain patty (cooked, ~3 oz): ~22 g protein.
- White hamburger bun: about 5 g protein per bun (51 g). Data varies a bit by brand and size.
- Cheddar slice (1 oz): about 7 g protein.
Those bun and cheese figures come from USDA-sourced references used by nutrition professionals: cooked beef patty pages at MyFoodData (sourced to USDA FoodData Central) and staple items like a white hamburger bun. For the beef patty nutrient profiles, see the cooked patty entries like 80/20 patty, broiled and 90/10 patty, broiled.
Quick Math You Can Use At The Table
Want a fast estimate without an app? Use this back-of-napkin math:
- Add 22 g per cooked single patty. Two patties? Call it ~44 g.
- Add 7 g per cheddar slice. Two slices? ~14 g.
- Add 5 g for a standard white bun. Whole-grain buns run close, sometimes a tad higher per bun size.
Example builds using that simple rule are shown later in the second table, so you can pick the combo that fits your target.
How Patty Size And Lean Level Change Protein
Size drives the biggest swing. A 6-oz cooked double packs about double the protein of a 3-oz cooked single. Lean level has a smaller impact on grams of protein per patty, because most of the weight difference shows up as fat and moisture, not protein. Where lean levels matter more is calories and fat grams per bite. If you want a higher protein-to-calorie ratio, the leaner grind wins.
Practical Sizes You’ll See
- “Quarter-pound raw” single: ~3 oz cooked, ~22 g protein.
- “Third-pound raw” single: ~4.5 oz cooked, lands near ~33 g protein.
- Double stack (two quarter-pound raw patties): ~6 oz cooked, ~44 g protein.
These cooked weights match common yields documented in federal references; the USDA Cooking Yields table linked above is the go-to guide used by database curators and menu planners.
Chain And Restaurant Variations
Restaurants build Angus burgers in different ways. One place might use a slightly larger patty or a buttery bun; another might stack crisp toppings but keep cheese light. Expect the protein to track with the number and size of patties first, then cheese count. If you’re scanning a menu board, look for “single,” “double,” or listed patty weights, and count 22 g protein per cooked single as a solid ballpark.
Second Table: Typical Builds And Approximate Protein
Use these quick picks for planning. The assumptions match the numbers above: ~22 g per cooked single patty, ~7 g per cheddar slice, ~5 g per bun.
| Burger Build | What’s Inside | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Single, No Cheese | 1 patty + bun | ~27 |
| Single, With Cheese | 1 patty + bun + 1 cheddar slice | ~34 |
| Double, No Cheese | 2 patties + bun | ~49 |
| Double, With Cheese | 2 patties + bun + 1 cheddar slice | ~56 |
| Bunless Double | 2 patties, lettuce wrap | ~44 |
| Patty Melt-Style | 1 patty + cheese; bread types vary | ~29–34 |
How To Raise Protein Without Blowing Up Calories
Go Double On Lean
Choose a leaner grind when you want two patties. You’ll pull in a bigger protein total with a tighter calorie hit compared with stacking two higher-fat patties.
Swap Sauces For An Extra Slice
One slice of cheddar brings ~7 g of protein. If your target is protein, that swap beats creamy sauces that add calories with almost no protein.
Pick A Light Bun Or Go Bunless
Most of the protein sits in the meat and cheese. If you’re chasing grams per calorie, a lettuce wrap or a lighter bun helps you keep totals tidy.
Add A Protein-Forward Side
Pair the burger with cottage cheese, a cup of Greek yogurt on the side, or a simple bean salad. Those sides can tack on 10–20 g without changing the burger build at all.
Label Reading Tips For Grocery Patties
Buying raw Angus patties? Check three lines on the pack:
- Lean / fat ratio: 90/10 and 93/7 trims will be denser in protein per 100 g cooked than 80/20.
- Raw weight per patty: Common options are 4 oz, 5.3 oz (third-pound), and 6 oz. Bigger raw weight means more cooked protein.
- Added ingredients: Some patties include binders or seasonings. That can nudge protein density down a hair compared with pure beef.
Cooking Notes That Affect Your Final Number
Cook Method
Grilling and broiling shed more drippings than pan-searing in a tight skillet. That changes cooked weight, but the meat’s protein concentrates as water leaves. The per-patty protein estimate for a quarter-pound raw patty still clusters near ~22 g across methods.
Doneness
Well-done patties lose more water, so the same protein ends up in a lighter patty. Per 100 g, protein looks higher; per patty, it’s similar because the raw starting portion didn’t change.
Seasonings And Mix-ins
Breadcrumbs, onions, or eggs shift totals slightly. Pure meat patties keep the math simple and the protein estimate consistent.
Why The Tables Use Cooked Numbers
Most diners care about what lands on the plate. That’s why dietitians favor cooked entries from USDA FoodData Central when they pull protein counts for burgers. The cooked patty pages factor in real-world cooking losses, and the federal yield tables back that approach. You can browse those cooked patty entries here: 80/20 patty and 90/10 patty, both curated from FoodData Central. For the methodology behind converting raw to cooked, see USDA’s Cooking Yields.
Handy Cheat Sheet
- Single cooked patty: ~22 g protein.
- Cheddar slice: ~7 g protein.
- Standard white bun: ~5 g protein.
- Double stack with one cheese on a bun: ~56 g protein.
- Lettuce-wrapped double, no cheese: ~44 g protein.
Bottom Line For Meal Planning
Think in units. Count ~22 g protein per cooked single, add 7 g per cheese slice, and toss in ~5 g for the bun you pick. That quick mental math keeps your build on target, whether you’re chasing 30 g for a meal or loading up to hit a higher daily number.