How many calories are in bison?

Cooked ground bison is 179 calories per 100g, so a 3 oz serving is 152 and a quarter-pound patty is about 202. Ground beef is 232 calories per 100g, which is where bison's lean reputation comes from.

Is bison healthier than beef?

Leaner, mostly. Bison carries 8.6g of fat per 100g and 3.5g of saturated fat per 100g. Ground beef is 11.2g of fat per 100g. Protein is close at 25.5g of protein per 100g, and bison pulls ahead on iron with 3.2mg of iron per 100g.

Is bison keto-friendly?

Yes, and it is one of the cleaner options: 0g of carbohydrate per 100g and 8.6g of fat per 100g. That second figure means it is a protein source rather than a fat source, so it needs butter or oil alongside it. A 6 oz portion is 304 calories and about 43g of protein.

Does bison taste gamey?

Less than most people expect. It is slightly sweeter and cleaner than beef. Because it holds only 8.6g of fat per 100g it dries out faster, so cook a bison burger a stage rarer than a beef one and take it off the heat early.

How much iron is in bison?

Bison has 3.2mg of iron per 100g, so a 3 oz serving carries about 2.7mg. That is a long way ahead of chicken breast at 0.4mg of iron per 100g, and it is heme iron, the form the body absorbs most readily.

Is bison good for weight loss?

It is a straight swap for ground beef that saves about 60 calories on a quarter-pound patty, with 25.5g of protein per 100g still behind it. What the numbers here describe is grass-fed ground bison, which is leaner than grain-finished.

Yes. It is a ruminant like cattle and it carries the same signature: 71mg of cholesterol per 100g, 3.5g of saturated fat per 100g and 3.2mg of iron per 100g. Guidance about limiting red meat applies to bison too, whatever the lower fat figure suggests.

How do you cook ground bison?

Like beef, but faster and gentler. At 8.6g of fat per 100g there is much less fat to render, so a bison burger goes from juicy to dry inside a minute on a hot pan. Medium rare, a lower heat than you would use for beef, and a rest before cutting.

All Foods

Calories in Bison

USDA Verified · FDC 173847 · Sep 2026

152 calories

per 3 oz cooked (85g)

25.5g

Protein

Carbs

8.6g

Fat

Fiber

Per 100g cooked

Log Bison in one photo

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