How Much Protein in an Egg? A Detailed Look (2024)

Eggs are a great source of high quality protein, which is important for building bones and muscle, as well as for your overall health.

Many people may likely know that eggs are very healthy. They are considered a complete source of high quality protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids (1).

But how much protein can you expect to get from eggs?

How much protein does one egg contain?

The average egg contains about 6–7 grams of protein.

However, the protein content depends on the size of the egg. Here’s how much protein different sizes of eggs contain (1):

• small egg (38 grams): 4.79 grams of protein
• medium egg (44 grams): 5.54 grams of protein
• large egg (50 grams): 6.3 grams of protein
• extra large egg (56 grams): 7.06 grams of protein
• jumbo egg (63 grams): 7.94 grams of protein

Summary

An average-sized egg contains about 6–7 grams of protein.

Protein content of the yolk and white

Now let’s look at the protein content of different parts of the egg.

Protein in egg yolk

Egg yolks are where almost all the egg’s nutrients and fat are found.

However, in addition to these nutrients, the yolk also contains up to about half of the protein content of the egg (2).

In a large egg that contains about 6.3 grams of protein, 2.7 grams comes from the yolk (1, 2).

Protein in egg white

Egg white is made up of roughly 88% water (3).

There are 150 different kinds of proteins in egg whites(3).

In 33 grams of raw egg white, there are 3.6 grams of protein (4).

Summary

Both egg yolks and egg whites contain protein, but egg whites contain slightly more.

Do raw eggs have more protein?

Whole eggs contain roughly the same amount of protein regardless of whether they’re consumed raw or are cooked.

A large, whole raw egg contains 6.3 grams of protein (1).

A large, whole hard boiled egg also contains 6.3 grams of protein (5).

A large, whole fried egg contains slightly less protein, at 6.26 grams (6).

It’s important to note that eating raw eggs carries some risk. It can cause sickness from Salmonella bacteria (7).

Summary

A whole egg contains roughly the same amount of protein whether it’s raw, boiled, or fried. But be aware that eating raw eggs can cause sickness.

Other health benefits of eggs

Eggs are among the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can eat.

They’re relatively low in calories, with one large raw egg containing only about 71 calories (1).

Despite being low in calories, they’re a balanced source of almost every nutrient you need.

One of these nutrients is choline(1). Choline is important for many processes in the body, including metabolism, gene expression, and brain development (8).

Eggs also provide a range of vitamins and minerals including (1):

• iron
• folate
• vitamin B12
• vitamin A
• vitamin D
• vitamin E
• lutein and zeaxanthin
• selenium

Aside from their nutrient content, eggs have also been linked with numerous health benefits, including benefits related to weight loss and weight maintenance.

Eggs may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke (9).

Eggs and weight loss

Eggs have been shown to promote feelings of fullness, which can help support eating in moderation (10).

This effect is especially noticeable when you eat eggs for breakfast.

Eating eggs for breakfast has been shown to result in less feelings of hunger when compared with eating cereal for breakfast (10).

In addition to all of this, eggs are a low cost food option and very easy to prepare.

Summary

Eggs are very nutritious, and if you’re wanting to lose weight, they’re weight-loss friendly. Research has shown that eating eggs for breakfast may help reduce feelings of hunger when compared with eating cereal for breakfast.

Good sources of protein

Eggs aren’t the only good source of protein. You can also find protein in foods like (11):

• tempeh (20.3 grams of protein per 100 grams) (12)
• tofu (18.8 grams of protein per 100 grams of fried tofu) (13)
• lentils (24.6 grams of protein per 100 grams of raw lentils)(14)
• chickpeas (8.86 grams of protein per 100 grams) (15)
• kidney beans (22.5 grams of protein per 100 grams raw kidney beans) (16)
• black beans (21.6 grams of protein per 100 grams raw back beans) (17)
• almonds (21.2 grams of protein per 100 grams) (18)

The bottom line

An average-sized egg contains about 6–7 grams of protein.

Both the egg white and egg yolk contain protein.

Aside from their impressive protein content, eggs are low in calories, high in nutrients and if you’re considering losing weight, they’re especially weight-loss–friendly.