How much protein is in an egg?
Protein by egg size
Egg protein scales with size, not with anything special about the grading. As a rough guide per whole cooked egg:
- Small (around 43g): approximately 4.5g protein
- Medium (around 53g): approximately 5.5g protein
- Large (around 60g): approximately 6g protein
- Extra-large (around 68g): approximately 6.5–7g protein
These are typical figures, not a guarantee for any specific carton — actual weight (and therefore protein) varies bird to bird within a grading band. For an exact declared value, check the nutrition information panel on the pack.
White vs yolk
Egg white is almost pure protein and water, with essentially no fat — most of an egg's protein by total weight comes from the white. The yolk carries less total protein but far more protein per gram, alongside the fat, vitamins (A, D, B12, choline) and most of the flavour. Going egg-white-only saves some protein loss and cuts fat and calories, but it isn't a free swap — you lose the yolk's other nutrients along with it.
Where egg protein fits in your day
Two large eggs (~12g protein) is a meaningful contribution toward most adults' daily target, but rarely the whole picture — see our guide on how much protein you actually need per day for where that fits. Eggs are also one of the few foods that are reliably low FODMAP regardless of quantity, which makes them a useful protein anchor for people managing IBS alongside a protein target.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in 1 egg?
A large egg (around 60g) has roughly 6g of protein. A medium egg (around 53g) is closer to 5.5g. These are typical figures for a whole cooked egg — check the nutrition panel on a specific carton for the exact declared value.
How much protein is in 3 eggs? In 4 eggs?
Scaling the roughly-6g-per-large-egg figure: 2 eggs is about 12g, 3 eggs about 18g, and 4 eggs about 24g — a substantial share of most adults' daily target in one meal.
Is most of the egg's protein in the white or the yolk?
The white contains slightly more total protein (around 3.6g in a large egg) than the yolk (around 2.4g), but the yolk is more protein-dense per gram once you account for its much smaller size. Both contribute — an egg-white omelette isn't losing "most" of the protein, but it is losing some, along with all the yolk's other nutrients.
Does cooking method change how much protein is in an egg?
No — boiling, frying, scrambling or poaching doesn't meaningfully change the protein content. Cooking does make egg protein slightly easier for your body to digest and absorb than raw egg, which is one of several reasons raw egg isn't recommended.