The short answer: one large egg (50g) has about 6.3 grams of protein, according to USDA FoodData Central. The white holds 3.6g and the yolk 2.7g. A small egg has 4.8g and a jumbo egg 7.9g. Cooking doesn’t lower the protein, and it makes the protein much easier for your body to digest.
Every nutrition figure below comes from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) and is for chicken eggs.
How much protein is in an egg by size?
A large egg has 6.3g of protein, and each size up adds about 0.7 to 0.9g. USDA weighs each size without the shell:
| Egg size | Weight (no shell) | Protein | Calories | Cholesterol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 38g | 4.8g | 54 | 141mg |
| Medium | 44g | 5.5g | 63 | 164mg |
| Large | 50g | 6.3g | 72 | 186mg |
| Extra large | 56g | 7.0g | 80 | 208mg |
| Jumbo | 63g | 7.9g | 90 | 234mg |
So 2 large eggs give 12.6g of protein and 3 large eggs give 18.8g. Recipes assume large eggs, as Harvard’s Nutrition Source notes. Brown and white eggs are equal in nutrition, Harvard says. Shell color comes from the breed of hen.
How much protein is in an egg white vs the yolk?
The white has a little more protein than the yolk, 3.6g against 2.7g in a large egg. The yolk carries most of the calories and all of the cholesterol:
| Part of a large egg | Weight | Protein | Calories | Cholesterol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 33g | 3.6g | 17 | 0mg |
| Yolk | 17g | 2.7g | 55 | 184mg |
| Whole egg | 50g | 6.3g | 72 | 186mg |
About 57% of the egg’s protein sits in the white. Gram for gram, though, the yolk is richer: 15.9g of protein per 100g against 10.9g for the white. If you eat only whites, you lose a little less than half the protein. Mixing works well: 1 whole egg plus 3 whites gives about 17g of protein.
Does cooking an egg change the protein?
Cooking keeps the protein the same and makes far more of it usable. In a small 1998 study of five people in The Journal of Nutrition, they digested about 91% of cooked egg protein but only 51% of raw egg protein. That’s one more reason to skip raw eggs, on top of the safety risk covered below.
Here’s what USDA lists for one large egg cooked different ways:
| One large egg | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | 50g | 6.3g | 72 |
| Hard-boiled | 50g | 6.3g | 78 |
| Poached | 50g | 6.3g | 72 |
| Fried | 46g | 6.3g | 90 |
| Scrambled | 61g | 6.1g | 91 |
Boiling and poaching add nothing. Frying and scrambling usually add fat from the pan, which shows up as extra calories.
How many eggs do you need for 25 grams of protein?
You need 4 large eggs to reach 25 grams of protein, at 25.1g in total. With smaller eggs you need 5 medium or 6 small. Many people find that a lot of eggs for one meal, so pairing works better:
| Breakfast | Protein |
|---|---|
| 4 large eggs | 25.1g |
| 1 large egg + 3 egg whites + 2 slices whole-wheat toast | 25.1g |
| 2 large hard-boiled eggs + 2 slices whole-wheat toast + 1 cup 1% milk | 28.8g |
| 2 large eggs + 170g plain nonfat Greek yogurt | 29.9g |
Why 25g? Research on muscle points to about 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight at each meal, which is 25 to 35g for most adults. Our guide to how much protein per meal explains the target, and our high protein breakfast ideas give more ways to get there.
Are eggs a cheap source of protein?
Yes. Eggs are the second cheapest protein of the eight foods in our protein price tracker, after dried beans. In September 2026, 30g of protein from large eggs cost about $0.90 at US average prices, or about 19 cents per egg. Here’s how they compare, using Bureau of Labor Statistics prices and USDA protein figures:
| Food | Cost of 30g protein, Sep 2026 | Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Dried pinto beans | $0.52 | $0.50 |
| Eggs, large | $0.90 | $1.38 |
| Whole milk | $1.00 | $1.01 |
| Chicken breast, boneless | $1.24 | $1.23 |
| Pork chops | $1.32 | $1.36 |
| Cheddar cheese | $1.77 | $1.75 |
| Ground beef | $2.61 | $2.43 |
| Round steak | $2.77 | $2.63 |
Egg prices swing more than most. Their cost per 30g of protein fell 35% in the year to September 2026, after peaking at $2.47 in March 2025. For more low-cost options, see our ranking of the cheapest protein foods.
Are eggs bad for cholesterol?
For most healthy people, up to one egg a day is not linked to higher heart disease risk, according to Harvard’s Nutrition Source. A large yolk has 184mg of cholesterol in USDA data. Harvard explains that cholesterol in food has a smaller effect on blood cholesterol for most people than the mix of fats in the diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans dropped their 300mg daily cholesterol limit in 2015.
Harvard adds some cautions. Going well past one egg a day was linked to a higher risk of heart failure in one study. People who struggle to control their LDL cholesterol may want to choose egg whites, and the same goes for people with diabetes. For people with both diabetes and heart disease, Harvard suggests no more than three yolks a week. What comes with the eggs matters too: sausage, cheese and white toast change the meal far more than the egg does. If your cholesterol is high, our list of foods that lower cholesterol can help, and ask your doctor how eggs fit.
Does cooking eggs kill salmonella?
Yes, thorough cooking protects you. The FDA warns that even clean, uncracked eggs can carry Salmonella. It says to cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, and to cook egg dishes to 160°F. Salmonella usually causes diarrhea, fever, cramps and vomiting 12 to 72 hours after eating. Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of serious illness.
The FDA’s other egg rules:
- Keep them cold. Store eggs in their carton at 40°F or below, and use them within 3 weeks for best quality.
- Don’t leave them out. Cooked eggs and egg dishes shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
- Use hard-boiled eggs within a week. That applies whether they’re peeled or in the shell.
- Use pasteurized eggs for raw recipes, such as homemade Caesar dressing.
If you think you have food poisoning, the FDA says to contact your health care provider right away.
How can you add eggs to your meals?
Start by counting the eggs you already eat and add one food to reach about 25g. Two eggs and a cup of Greek yogurt, or eggs on whole-wheat toast with milk, does it. Our meal protein calculator checks any meal. Wondering about cholesterol? Read are eggs good for you, and see if Greek yogurt is healthy.
If you’d like four weeks of high-protein meals planned with grocery lists, see the meal plan below. It was written with menopause in mind.
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Quick questions
How much protein is in 2 eggs?
Two large eggs have about 12.6 grams of protein, according to USDA FoodData Central. Two medium eggs have 11.1g and two extra-large eggs have 14.1g. Boiled, poached or fried, the protein stays about the same, and cooking makes it far easier to digest than raw egg.
How much protein is in 3 eggs?
Three large eggs have about 18.8 grams of protein and 215 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central. Three jumbo eggs have 23.7g. To reach 25g at one meal, add a cup of milk or two slices of whole-wheat toast, or use 4 large eggs.
Is egg protein in the white or the yolk?
Both parts have protein. In a large egg, the white holds 3.6 grams and the yolk 2.7 grams, so the white carries about 57% of the total. The yolk holds all of the egg’s cholesterol and most of its calories, and gram for gram it is richer in protein.
How many eggs a day is too many?
For most healthy people, Harvard’s Nutrition Source says up to one egg a day isn’t linked to higher heart disease risk. One study linked eating well beyond that with a higher risk of heart failure. People with diabetes and heart disease may do best with three yolks a week or fewer.
Can eggs be left out of the refrigerator?
No. The FDA says to store eggs in their carton in the fridge at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and to buy them only from a refrigerated case. Cooked eggs and egg dishes should not sit out more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it’s above 90 degrees.
Does cooking eggs kill salmonella?
Yes, thorough cooking kills Salmonella. The FDA says to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, and to cook dishes containing eggs to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. For recipes that use raw or runny eggs, the FDA recommends pasteurized eggs or egg products.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are from USDA data and will vary with egg size and brand, and costs are estimates based on US average prices. If you have high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, an egg allergy or a diet set by your doctor, ask what suits you.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy data (whole egg, white, yolk and cooked eggs: protein, calories and cholesterol per 100g, and portion weights)
- Evenepoel P et al. Digestibility of cooked and raw egg protein in humans as assessed by stable isotope techniques. J Nutr, 1998
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Eggs
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What You Need to Know About Egg Safety
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. CPI Average Price Data (series AP), September 2025 and September 2026
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018