Every 100 kcal of ground beef (90% lean) brings 12 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 80th of the 133 meats in this database and 203rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 26.1 g per 100 g ranks 74th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 48% of the calories in ground beef (90% 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 (90% lean) has 2.2 g of protein for each gram of fat (26.1 g against 11.8 g per 100 g).
Set against ground bison, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g more protein (ground bison has 21.6 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 (90% lean)
Protein and calories in Ground beef (90% lean) for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
26.1 g
217 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
22.2 g
184 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 (90% lean)
The nine essential amino acids in Ground beef (90% lean), per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
2.04 g
1.73 g
78
lysine
2.16 g
1.84 g
83
valine
1.28 g
1.09 g
49
isoleucine
1.15 g
0.98 g
44
threonine
1.01 g
0.86 g
39
phenylalanine
1.02 g
0.87 g
39
methionine
0.671 g
0.57 g
26
histidine
0.848 g
0.72 g
32
tryptophan
0.133 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
Goose - 12.2 g per 100 kcal, 24.7 g per 3 oz cooked
Turkey sausage - 12.2 g per 100 kcal, 20.3 g per 3 oz cooked
How much protein is in 100 g of ground beef (90% lean)?
26.1 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 22.2 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of ground beef (90% lean)?
12 g. That figure divides its 26.1 g of protein per 100 g by its 217 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in ground beef (90% lean) complete?
Yes. The protein in ground beef (90% 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 (90% lean)?
About 44%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 22.2 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #174031 (Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% 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.