A large raw egg contains about 6.3 grams of protein. That makes eggs one of the most protein-dense foods per calorie, packing that protein into just 71 calories.
Protein by Egg Size
Most nutrition labels and databases reference a large egg, which weighs roughly 50 grams. A large raw egg delivers 6.28 grams of protein according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Since egg sizes are standardized by weight, you can estimate protein for other sizes proportionally:
- Small (43 g): ~5.4 g protein
- Medium (44 g): ~5.5 g protein
- Large (50 g): ~6.3 g protein
- Extra-large (56 g): ~7.0 g protein
- Jumbo (63 g): ~7.9 g protein
If you’re tracking protein intake closely, keep in mind that individual eggs vary. Two large eggs from different cartons won’t be identical, but the differences are small enough that using 6.3 grams per large egg is reliable for daily tracking.
Where the Protein Lives: Yolk vs. White
The white and yolk split the protein almost evenly, which surprises people who assume egg whites contain most of it. In a large egg, the white provides about 3.6 grams of protein while the yolk contributes the remaining 2.7 grams. The white wins on a per-calorie basis (3.6 grams for just 17 calories), which is why bodybuilders and people cutting calories often eat whites alone. But tossing the yolk means losing nearly half the egg’s total protein along with most of its vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
Raw Eggs Deliver Less Protein Than Cooked
Here’s the detail most people searching this question don’t expect: your body absorbs significantly less protein from a raw egg than from a cooked one. Protein digestion from raw eggs is roughly 40% lower than from cooked eggs. That means the 6.3 grams listed on a nutrition label doesn’t reflect what your muscles actually get to use. If you eat a raw egg, your body may only absorb around 3.5 to 4 grams of that protein.
Cooking changes the structure of egg proteins, unfolding them in a way that makes them easier for digestive enzymes to break down. This is why drinking raw eggs for a protein boost, as popularized by old-school training montages, is actually one of the least efficient ways to get your protein. Scrambled, boiled, or poached eggs all deliver substantially more usable protein from the same egg.
Raw Egg Whites and Biotin Absorption
Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that binds tightly to biotin (vitamin B7), preventing your body from absorbing it. Avidin grabs onto biotin and forms a complex that resists digestion, so the biotin passes through you unused. Cooking to at least 100°C breaks avidin apart and releases biotin for normal absorption.
That said, the practical risk is lower than it sounds. The amount of avidin in an egg white is roughly equal to the biotin content of the yolk, so eating whole raw eggs mostly cancels itself out. Biotin deficiency from raw eggs typically only becomes a concern if someone consumes large quantities of raw whites without yolks over an extended period.
Protein-to-Calorie Ratio
At 6.3 grams of protein and 71 calories, a large raw egg gets about 35% of its calories from protein. The rest comes from fat in the yolk (the white is virtually fat-free). For context, eating a cup of raw egg, which equals roughly 4.86 large eggs, gives you about 30.6 grams of protein for 357 calories.
Compared to other whole foods, eggs rank well for protein density. They’re not as lean as chicken breast or plain Greek yogurt, but they’re more nutrient-complete and far more versatile. If maximizing protein absorption matters to you, cooking your eggs is the single easiest change. You’ll get noticeably more usable protein from the same number of eggs, with no downside to the other nutrients.