Every 100 kcal of ground beef (80% lean) brings 9.6 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 99th of the 133 meats in this database and 261st of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 25.8 g per 100 g ranks 80th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 38% of the calories in ground beef (80% lean), making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Weight for weight, ground beef (80% lean) has 1.4 g of protein for each gram of fat (25.8 g against 17.8 g per 100 g).
Set against chicken hearts, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (chicken hearts has 22.4 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by weight at 85 g, and it covers about 44% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of ground beef (80% lean)
Protein and calories in Ground beef (80% lean) for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
25.8 g
270 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
21.9 g
230 kcal
The USDA record lists no other household measure for this food; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in ground beef (80% lean)
The nine essential amino acids in Ground beef (80% lean), per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
2.01 g
1.71 g
78
lysine
2.13 g
1.81 g
83
valine
1.26 g
1.07 g
49
isoleucine
1.14 g
0.97 g
44
threonine
0.996 g
0.85 g
39
phenylalanine
1 g
0.85 g
39
methionine
0.662 g
0.56 g
26
histidine
0.836 g
0.71 g
32
tryptophan
0.131 g
0.11 g
5
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
Related
Other meats by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Beef tenderloin - 9.9 g per 100 kcal, 22.5 g per 3 oz cooked
How much protein is in 100 g of ground beef (80% lean)?
25.8 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 21.9 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of ground beef (80% lean)?
9.6 g. That figure divides its 25.8 g of protein per 100 g by its 270 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in ground beef (80% lean) complete?
Yes. The protein in ground beef (80% lean) supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of ground beef (80% lean)?
About 44%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 21.9 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #171797 (Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, patty, cooked, broiled), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.