One large egg contains about 6 grams of protein — roughly 6.3 g — with a little more than half in the white and the rest in the yolk. That figure comes from USDA FoodData Central, and it scales up or down with egg size: a medium egg has closer to 5.5 g, while a jumbo egg approaches 8 g. Eggs are also inexpensive and contain all nine essential amino acids, which is why they show up in so many high-protein meal plans.
Protein per egg, by size
Egg cartons are graded by weight, so a “large” egg is a defined size, not just a rough description. Here is how protein tracks with the common US grades, using USDA values scaled by weight:
| Egg size | Approx. weight (shelled) | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | ~44 g | ~5.5 g | ~63 |
| Large | ~50 g | ~6.3 g | ~72 |
| Extra-large | ~56 g | ~7.0 g | ~80 |
| Jumbo | ~63 g | ~7.9 g | ~90 |
These are rounded, realistic figures. Exact numbers vary slightly with the hen’s diet and the individual egg, so treat them as reliable estimates rather than lab-precise values. If a recipe or label just says “one egg,” it almost always means a large egg, which is the US standard for cooking and nutrition data.
White vs. yolk: where the protein lives
A common myth is that egg protein is almost all in the white. In reality it is split fairly evenly. A large egg’s roughly 6.3 g of protein breaks down to about 3.6 g in the white and about 2.7 g in the yolk. The white is nearly pure protein and water with almost no fat, while the yolk carries the fat, most of the vitamins and minerals, and its own meaningful share of protein. If you eat only whites, you still lose more than 40% of the egg’s protein — and all of the yolk’s vitamin D, choline, and fat-soluble nutrients.
This is worth knowing if you order egg-white omelets to “save calories.” You do trim fat and calories, but you also cut the protein noticeably. For most people, eating the whole egg gives the best nutrition-per-egg, and the yolk’s cholesterol is not the concern it was once thought to be for the general population — though anyone with specific medical advice should follow it.
How eggs compare to other protein foods
Six grams per egg is a moderate amount — useful, but you usually combine eggs with other foods. For context, here is roughly how one large egg stacks up against other common protein sources:
| Food | Typical serving | Approx. protein |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large | ~6.3 g |
| Greek yogurt | 1 cup | ~17-20 g |
| Cooked chicken breast | 3 oz | ~25-27 g |
| Canned tuna | 1 can (drained) | ~20-25 g |
| Cooked lentils | 1 cup | ~18 g |
Two eggs (about 12-13 g) plus a slice of whole-grain toast and some yogurt is an easy way to build a breakfast toward the 20-30 g of protein many people aim for in a meal. Eggs are rarely the whole meal, but they are a cheap, flexible base to build on.
Why egg protein is considered high quality
Egg protein is described as “complete” because it contains all nine essential amino acids in proportions your body can readily use. Nutrition researchers have historically used egg as a reference protein when scoring how well other foods’ proteins are absorbed — it sits at or near the top on measures of protein quality. Cooking does not destroy the protein; gentle heat actually makes it more digestible than raw egg, because heat unfolds the proteins so your enzymes can break them down more completely. That is one more reason cooked eggs are a practical everyday source, and why eating raw eggs offers no protein advantage.
Do the calories change with cooking?
The protein stays essentially the same whether you boil, poach, scramble, or fry an egg — cooking method does not create or remove protein. What changes the calorie count is what you add. A hard-boiled or poached egg stays near 72 calories, while frying in butter or oil, or scrambling with cheese and cream, can add 50-100 calories or more per egg. If you are tracking intake, count the egg itself at about 72 calories and add the cooking fat separately.
Fitting eggs into your day
If you are tracking protein, count roughly 6 g per large egg and adjust for size. Eggs pair naturally with other budget-friendly staples, and because the protein is complete they work well in vegetarian meals alongside beans, dairy, or whole grains. For more on separating real nutrition facts from packaging claims, see our guide to the supplement aisle, and if you are building strength as you get older, our piece on strength training after 40 covers how protein fits into that. You might also like our explainer on how many calories are in a banana for another everyday-food number.
This article is for general information and is not medical or dietary advice. Individual protein needs vary; check with a doctor or registered dietitian about your own diet.
