Meats compared

Chicken, beef, lamb, bison, turkey, pork and salmon, on the same scale.

Short answer

Raw weights. Per 100 calories, Chicken Breast has the most protein (18.8g). Chicken Thigh has the fewest calories per 100g (119).

Every figure here is for raw meat, so it is fair between the cuts. Search answers and most recipes quote cooked meat, which has less water and more protein per 100g: chicken breast is about 22g raw and about 31g cooked. Compare the cuts here, then use the cooked number when you weigh a finished portion.

The numbers

Raw rows, per 100g and per 100 calories. Sorted by protein per 100 calories.
Foodkcal /100gProtein /100gFiber /100gProtein /100 kcalFiber /100 kcal
Chicken Breast12022.5g—18.8g—
Pork Tenderloin12020.6g—17.2g—
Chicken Thigh11919.7g0g16.5g0g
Top Sirloin Steak15022g—14.7g—
Ground Bison14620.2g—13.8g—
Ground Turkey14819.7g0g13.3g0g
Salmon20820.4g0g9.8g0g
Grass-Fed Ground Beef19819.4g0g9.8g0g
Ribeye Steak29118.7g—6.4g—
Ground Lamb28216.6g0g5.9g0g

Source: USDA FoodData Central rows, as listed on each food's page.

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Every head-to-head

Chicken Breast

vs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Chicken Thigh

vs Chicken Breastvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Grass-Fed Ground Beef

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Ground Bison

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Ground Lamb

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Ground Turkey

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Pork Tenderloin

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Salmon

Ribeye Steak

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Salmon

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Top Sirloin Steakvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloin

Top Sirloin Steak

vs Chicken Breastvs Chicken Thighvs Ground Lambvs Grass-Fed Ground Beefvs Ground Bisonvs Ground Turkeyvs Ribeye Steakvs Pork Tenderloinvs Salmon

Common questions

Which has the most protein per 100g: meats?

Chicken Breast has the most protein per 100g among the 10 raw foods compared here, at 22.5g.

Which has the most protein for the calories?

Chicken Breast: 18.8g of protein per 100 calories. Counting per calorie, not per gram, keeps dry and cooked foods comparable.

Which has the fewest calories?

Chicken Thigh has the fewest calories per 100g, at 119.

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