How many calories are in venison?

Broiled deer loin is 150 calories per 100g, so a 3 oz portion at 85g is 128 calories. That undercuts chicken breast at 165 calories per 100g while carrying about the same protein, which is the whole case for eating it.

How much protein is in venison?

30.2g per 100g, so a 3 oz portion gives 26g. Chicken breast is 31g per 100g and turkey breast 30.1g, so venison sits with the leanest poultry rather than with beef.

Is venison leaner than beef?

By a long way. Deer loin carries 2.4g of fat per 100g against the steak entry's 8g and ground beef's 11.2g. Nothing about a deer's diet or its life builds intramuscular fat the way a feedlot does.

Is venison high in iron?

It is one of the richest sources in the meat case: 4.1mg per 100g, against lamb's 1.6mg and roughly ten times pork chop's 0.4mg. It is heme iron, which the body absorbs far more readily than the iron in beans or spinach.

Is venison keto-friendly?

Yes. Zero carbohydrate, 30.2g of protein and 2.4g of fat per 100g. The one thing to watch is that it is lean enough to leave a keto day short on fat, so it usually wants butter or oil cooked alongside it.

Why does venison taste gamey?

Less than its reputation suggests, and most of what people call gamey comes from how the animal was handled rather than the meat. Fat carries flavour, and at 2.4g per 100g there is very little of it here, which is also why a bad field dressing shows up so clearly.

How should you cook venison so it is not tough?

Fast and short of well done. With 2.4g of fat per 100g there is nothing to keep the loin moist past medium rare, so sear it hard, pull it at about 130F and rest it. Tougher cuts like shoulder go the other way entirely and want hours of braising.

Is venison good for weight loss?

It has one of the best protein to calorie ratios of any meat: 30.2g of protein for 150 calories per 100g. A 3 oz portion is 128 calories and 26g of protein, so it fills a plate for less than most people expect from red meat.

How much cholesterol is in venison?

79mg per 100g, which is higher than the fat figure suggests and typical of very lean muscle. Dietary cholesterol moves blood cholesterol far less than saturated fat does, and there is only 1.4g of that per 100g here.

All Foods

Calories in Venison

USDA Verified · FDC 172604 · Sep 2026

128 calories

per 3 oz (85g)

30.2g

Protein

Carbs

2.4g

Fat

Fiber

Per 100g cooked

Log Venison in one photo

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