Every 100 kcal of herring brings 11.3 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 96th of the 121 seafood in this database and 220th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 23 g per 100 g ranks 67th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 45% of the calories in herring, 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, herring has 2 g of protein for each gram of fat (23 g against 11.6 g per 100 g).
Set against albacore tuna (canned in water), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (albacore tuna (canned in water) has 20.1 g per 3 oz drained).
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 39% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of herring
Protein and calories in Herring for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
23 g
203 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
19.6 g
173 kcal
1 fillet
143 g
32.9 g
290 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in herring
The nine essential amino acids in Herring, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
1.87 g
1.59 g
81
lysine
2.12 g
1.8 g
92
valine
1.19 g
1.01 g
52
isoleucine
1.06 g
0.9 g
46
threonine
1.01 g
0.86 g
44
phenylalanine
0.899 g
0.76 g
39
methionine
0.682 g
0.58 g
30
histidine
0.678 g
0.58 g
29
tryptophan
0.258 g
0.22 g
11
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.
23 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 19.6 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of herring?
11.3 g. That figure divides its 23 g of protein per 100 g by its 203 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in herring complete?
Yes. The protein in herring 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 herring?
About 39%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 19.6 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #175117 (Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat), 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.