Every 100 kcal of mackerel brings 9.1 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 107th of the 121 seafood in this database and 272nd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 23.8 g per 100 g ranks 50th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 36% of the calories in mackerel, 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, mackerel has 1.3 g of protein for each gram of fat (23.8 g against 17.8 g per 100 g).
Set against ahi tuna (raw), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (ahi tuna (raw) has 20.7 g per 3 oz raw).
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 40% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of mackerel
Protein and calories in Mackerel for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
23.8 g
262 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
20.2 g
223 kcal
1 fillet
88 g
20.9 g
231 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 mackerel
The nine essential amino acids in Mackerel, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
1.94 g
1.65 g
82
lysine
2.19 g
1.86 g
92
valine
1.23 g
1.05 g
52
isoleucine
1.1 g
0.94 g
46
threonine
1.04 g
0.88 g
44
phenylalanine
0.931 g
0.79 g
39
methionine
0.706 g
0.6 g
30
histidine
0.702 g
0.6 g
29
tryptophan
0.267 g
0.23 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.
23.8 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 20.2 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of mackerel?
9.1 g. That figure divides its 23.8 g of protein per 100 g by its 262 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in mackerel complete?
Yes. The protein in mackerel 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 mackerel?
About 40%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 20.2 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #175120 (Fish, mackerel, 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.