How much protein is in pork chop?
Pork chop has 21 g of protein per 3 oz cooked (85 g) — that's 24.7 g per 100 g, or about 7 g per ounce. One 3 oz cooked is roughly 42% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · boneless blade chop, broiled · FDC 168380
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz cooked (85 g) | 21 g | 172 | 9.4 g | 0.7 g |
| 100 g | 24.7 g | 202 | 11.1 g | 0.8 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 7 g | 57 | 3.1 g | 0.2 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 168380, SR Legacy). boneless blade chop, broiled.
A complete protein that earns its keep on the plate
A pork chop is one of those foods where the real-world serving and the lab number tell the same honest story. A standard 3 oz cooked chop (85 g) carries about 21 grams of protein for roughly 172 calories — and most people eat more than 3 ounces. A typical dinner chop is closer to 6 oz (~42 g of protein), and an 8 oz cut clears 56 grams in a single piece, near a full day’s target for many adults. At 24.7 g of protein per 100 g, pork sits comfortably alongside chicken and beef as a dense, dependable protein, with a protein-per-calorie ratio that holds up well.
It’s also a complete protein — all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts — so a chop stands entirely on its own with nothing to pair it with. That’s the baseline pork shares with every other meat. What pork actually does differently shows up in the micronutrients, not the amino acids.
Pork’s standout nutrient — and the leanness caveat
The reason to single pork out is thiamin (vitamin B1): pork is one of the richest food sources of it on the entire grocery shelf, supplying far more per serving than beef, chicken, or fish. Thiamin drives how your body turns carbohydrates into energy, and it’s a nutrient a lot of diets run thin on. Pork also brings selenium and vitamin B6 in meaningful amounts, plus about 407 mg of potassium in a 3 oz serving. As a package, it’s a genuinely nutrient-dense way to hit a protein target.
The honest caveat is leanness, and it varies a lot by cut. The numbers on this page are for a boneless blade chop, which runs fattier than a trimmed loin chop — 11.1 g of total fat and 3.3 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with 77 mg of cholesterol. A center-cut loin chop is noticeably leaner for nearly identical protein, so if you’re watching fat, that’s the cut to reach for, and trimming the visible fat off any chop before cooking is an easy win. None of this makes a pork chop a food to avoid — it makes cut selection and a quick trim worth the thirty seconds. And when you want pork’s protein without firing up a pan, or you need it portable, a packaged option like pork jerky (Krave) covers the gap — though jerky runs much saltier than a fresh chop, so check the sodium on the graded picks below.
Packaged pork options, graded
If you'd rather grab it off a shelf, here are the best-graded pork in our catalog — each scored on our transparent 6-dimension Labelgrade.
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Labelgrade 70/100 · 9 g protein · 80.1 cal
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in a pork chop?
About 21 g of protein in a 3 oz cooked serving (85 g), which is 24.7 g per 100 g, or roughly 7 g per ounce (USDA FDC 168380, boneless blade chop, lean and fat, broiled). That 3 oz portion runs about 172 calories, so the protein-per-calorie ratio is strong.
Is pork chop a good protein source?
Yes — genuinely. A pork chop delivers in real-world portions, not just on the per-100g line: a 3 oz cut gives you ~21 g, and a 6 oz chop lands near 42 g. It's a complete, high-quality protein. The one honest caveat is that leanness varies a lot by cut — this blade chop carries more fat than a trimmed loin chop — so trimming visible fat is worth it.
How much protein is in an 8 oz pork chop?
An 8 oz cooked chop (about 227 g) carries roughly 56 g of protein — close to a full day's target for many adults in a single piece. A more typical 6 oz cut lands near 42 g. Bone-in chops weigh more for the same meat, so judge by the edible portion, not the raw package weight.
Is pork a complete protein?
Yes. Like all meat, pork contains all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts, so a pork chop counts as a complete, high-quality protein on its own with no need to pair it with anything.
What is pork chop good for nutritionally?
Beyond protein, pork is one of the richest food sources of thiamin (vitamin B1) — a nutrient most other meats supply far less of — plus selenium and vitamin B6. A 3 oz serving also brings about 407 mg of potassium. The trade-off is the fat: this blade cut has 11.1 g total and 3.3 g saturated per 100 g, which is why trimming and choosing leaner cuts when you can both help.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 168380 (boneless blade pork chop, lean and fat, broiled; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises its underlying data.
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.