Every 100 kcal of salmon brings 10.7 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 102nd of the 121 seafood in this database and 237th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 22.1 g per 100 g ranks 78th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 43% of the calories in salmon, 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, salmon has 1.8 g of protein for each gram of fat (22.1 g against 12.4 g per 100 g).
Set against striped bass, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (striped bass has 19.3 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 38% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Rich in leucine, the amino acid that most strongly triggers muscle-protein synthesis.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of salmon
Protein and calories in Salmon for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
22.1 g
206 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
18.8 g
175 kcal
0.5 fillet
178 g
39.3 g
367 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 salmon
The nine essential amino acids in Salmon, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
1.8 g
1.53 g
81
lysine
2.03 g
1.73 g
92
valine
1.14 g
0.97 g
52
isoleucine
1.02 g
0.87 g
46
threonine
0.969 g
0.82 g
44
phenylalanine
0.863 g
0.73 g
39
methionine
0.654 g
0.56 g
30
histidine
0.651 g
0.55 g
29
tryptophan
0.248 g
0.21 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.
Related
Other seafood by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Gefilte fish - 10.8 g per 100 kcal, 3.8 g per 1 piece
Chinook salmon - 11.1 g per 100 kcal, 21.8 g per 3 oz cooked
Eastern oysters - 11.2 g per 100 kcal, 9.7 g per 3 oz cooked
Closest in protein per calorie
Abalone - 10.4 g per 100 kcal, 16.7 g per 3 oz fried
22.1 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 18.8 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of salmon?
10.7 g. That figure divides its 22.1 g of protein per 100 g by its 206 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in salmon complete?
Yes. The protein in salmon 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 salmon?
About 38%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 18.8 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #175168 (Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, 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.