Protein content
20.4 g of protein in 3 oz cooked (85 g) of shrimp, or 24.2 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 24.2 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 24 g |
| Protein per serving | 20.4 g in 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
| Calories from protein | 97% |
| Rank in seafood, per 100 kcal | 1st of 121 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 189th of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 41% per serving |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
One 3 oz cooked, 20.4 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of shrimp brings 24.2 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 1st of the 121 seafood in this database and 3rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 24 g per 100 g ranks 49th in its group.
About 97% of the calories in shrimp come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
USDA lists 0.28 g of fat per 100 g of shrimp, too little for a protein-to-fat ratio to mean much.
Set against canned salmon, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (canned salmon has 20.9 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 41% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 24 g | 99 kcal |
| 3 oz cooked (serving used here) | 85 g | 20.4 g | 84 kcal |
The USDA record lists no other household measure for this food; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Related
No other seafood entry in the database gives more protein per 100 kcal than shrimp.
Highest-protein seafood per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Head to head
Quick answers
24 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 20.4 g.
24.2 g. That figure divides its 24 g of protein per 100 g by its 99 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Yes. The protein in shrimp supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
About 41%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 20.4 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #175180 (Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked), 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.