How much protein is in pinto beans?
Pinto beans has 6.2 g of protein per 1/2 cup (88 g) — that's 7 g per 100 g, or about 2 g per ounce. One 1/2 cup is roughly 12% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · canned, drained · FDC 174286
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup (88 g) | 6.2 g | 100 | 0.8 g | 17.8 g |
| 100 g | 7 g | 114 | 0.9 g | 20.2 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 2 g | 32 | 0.3 g | 5.7 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 174286, SR Legacy). canned, drained.
A normal scoop of pinto beans is a 1/2 cup of the drained canned beans (88 g), and that gets you about 6.2 g of protein for roughly 100 calories. Go to a full cup (176 g) — a main-dish portion, the bowl-of-beans amount — and you’re at about 12.3 g of protein. Per 100 g the figure is 7 g, which is honest but moderate: a fraction of what an equal weight of meat or tofu delivers. Like all beans, pinto beans aren’t really a high-protein food, and the smart way to read this page is to look at the protein and the fiber together, because that pairing is the whole point.
Protein and fiber, the real value
The reason pinto beans matter nutritionally is that the protein never travels alone — it comes with fiber. At about 5.5 g per 100 g, a full cup brings close to 10 g of fiber alongside its ~12.3 g of protein, and that combination is what makes a bowl of beans so filling and so steadying on blood sugar. Both protein and fiber slow digestion and blunt the spike from the carbohydrates pinto beans also carry (about 20.2 g per 100 g), so a cup keeps you satisfied in a way the protein number alone wouldn’t predict. They’re also almost fat-free (around 0.9 g per 100 g), cholesterol-free, and a source of iron and potassium. Treat pinto beans as a fiber-rich, protein-bearing staple rather than a lean protein, and you’ll use them right.
Incomplete on their own — and the classic fix
On protein quality, pinto beans have the standard legume limitation: their protein is incomplete, low in the amino acid methionine. But the fix is built into the cuisine that uses them most. Pair pinto beans with rice or a corn tortilla and the grain supplies the methionine the bean is short on, so the two foods together cover all nine essential amino acids — rice and beans, beans and tortillas, exactly how Mexican cooking has always served them. Across a varied day you don’t have to combine them in the same bite, but it’s the reason pinto beans shine as a component of a plate rather than a standalone protein. One practical note on the canned version: it carries about 239 mg of sodium per 100 g straight from the tin, so draining and rinsing the beans is worth the ten seconds and cuts a meaningful share of it.
If you want to compare beans against each other, it’s worth looking at black beans and kidney beans — both land in the same moderate-protein, high-fiber range and round out a meal the same way — and at chickpeas, another versatile legume with a near-identical protein-plus-fiber profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in pinto beans?
About 6.2 g of protein in a 1/2 cup serving of canned, drained pinto beans (88 g), which is 7 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 174286). A full cup (176 g) roughly doubles that to about 12.3 g of protein for around 200 calories — and brings a heavy dose of fiber along with it.
Are pinto beans a good protein source?
They're a solid moderate one, especially for a plant food. At 7 g per 100 g, pinto beans carry less protein than meat or tofu gram for gram, so a 1/2 cup side of about 6.2 g is a contribution rather than a knockout. Their real strength is the package deal: a full cup brings around 12.3 g of protein plus a big slug of fiber, cheaply and with almost no fat, which is exactly why beans are a staple of plant-forward eating.
How much is a serving of pinto beans?
A standard serving is 1/2 cup of drained canned pinto beans (88 g, ~100 calories), a typical side or taco filling. A full cup (176 g) is closer to a main-dish portion and gets you to about 12.3 g of protein. Draining and rinsing also rinses off a good share of the canning sodium, which runs around 239 mg per 100 g straight from the can.
Are pinto beans a complete protein?
No. Like most legumes, pinto bean protein is incomplete — it's low in the amino acid methionine. The fix is the way Mexican cooking already serves them: pair pinto beans with rice or a corn tortilla, and the grain supplies the methionine the bean lacks, so the two together cover all nine essential amino acids. Rice and beans, or beans and tortillas, is a complete protein by design.
What are pinto beans good for nutritionally?
Fiber is the headline — about 5.5 g per 100 g, so a full cup brings close to 10 g — and it works with the protein to make pinto beans genuinely filling. They're also very low in fat (about 0.9 g per 100 g), cholesterol-free, and a source of iron and potassium. The honest caveat is the canned version's sodium, around 239 mg per 100 g from the can, which draining and rinsing helps bring down.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 174286 (Beans, pinto, canned, drained solids; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.