Food database · Meat & poultry

Protein content

Protein in Turkey breast

25.1 g of protein in 3 oz cooked (85 g) of turkey breast, or 21.7 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.

25.1 g
per 3 oz cooked

Protein by the numbers

Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.

Protein 87% of caloriesOther 13%
Protein figures for Turkey breast, per serving, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
Protein per 100 kcal21.7 g
Protein per 100 g29.5 g
Protein per serving25.1 g in 3 oz cooked (85 g)
Calories from protein87%
Protein to fat15 g per 1 g fat
Leucine per serving2.07 g
Rank in meats, per 100 kcal2nd of 133
Rank of all foods, per 100 g68th of 796
Share of 50 g Daily Value50% per serving
Protein qualityComplete protein

One 3 oz cooked, 25.1 g protein.

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Protein rank and density: turkey breast

Every 100 kcal of turkey breast brings 21.7 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 2nd of the 133 meats in this database and 16th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 29.5 g per 100 g ranks 30th in its group.

About 87% of the calories in turkey breast 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.

Weight for weight, turkey breast has 15 g of protein for each gram of fat (29.5 g against 1.97 g per 100 g).

Set against elk, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (elk has 25.7 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 50% 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 turkey breast

Protein and calories in Turkey breast for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
PortionWeightProteinCalories
100 g100 g29.5 g136 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)85 g25.1 g116 kcal
1 breast863 g254.6 g1174 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 turkey breast

The nine essential amino acids in Turkey breast, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acidPer 100 gPer servingmg per g protein
leucine2.44 g2.07 g83
lysine3.04 g2.58 g103
valine1.11 g0.94 g38
isoleucine1.06 g0.9 g36
threonine1.28 g1.09 g43
phenylalanine1.07 g0.91 g36
methionine0.823 g0.7 g28
histidine0.904 g0.77 g31
tryptophan0.364 g0.31 g12

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
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

Head to head

Compare turkey breast against other foods

Quick answers

Turkey breast protein questions

How much protein is in 100 g of turkey breast?

29.5 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 25.1 g.

How much protein do you get per 100 calories of turkey breast?

21.7 g. That figure divides its 29.5 g of protein per 100 g by its 136 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.

Is the protein in turkey breast complete?

Yes. The protein in turkey breast 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 turkey breast?

About 50%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 25.1 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.

Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #174516 (Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted), 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.