How many calories are in salmon?
Salmon has 175 calories per 3 oz cooked (85 g) — that's 206 calories per 100 g, roughly 9% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from fat.
USDA FoodData Central · Atlantic, farmed, cooked · FDC 175168
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz cooked (85 g) | 175 | 18.8 g | 0 g | 10.5 g |
| 100 g | 206 | 22.1 g | 0 g | 12.4 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 58 | 6.3 g | 0 g | 3.5 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 44% Carbs 0% Fat 56%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 175168, SR Legacy). Atlantic, farmed, cooked. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
Salmon sits in a sweet spot on calories: a 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) carries about 175 calories, or 206 per 100 g — a touch higher than lean white fish or chicken, but for a reason worth understanding. Those extra calories aren’t filler; they ride on the fat that makes salmon salmon. So the right way to read this number is not “salmon is more caloric” but “salmon spends a few more calories to deliver something almost no other protein does.”
Where the calories come from
The split is protein and fat, with fat slightly ahead. Run this farmed Atlantic reference through the standard Atwater factors and it’s roughly 54% fat calories and 46% protein, with zero carbohydrate. What matters is the kind of fat. Of the 12.4 g of fat per 100 g, only about 2.4 g is saturated — the rest is largely unsaturated, including the EPA and DHA omega-3s tied to heart and brain health that are genuinely hard to get from food. Chicken breast gives you lean protein and little else; salmon gives you protein plus those fats in the same bite. The handful of calories the fat adds is the price of admission for nutrients you’d otherwise have to source separately.
Portion is where the real number lives
Nobody actually eats 85 grams of salmon at dinner, which is why people underestimate the calories. A standard restaurant or home fillet is closer to 6 oz cooked (~170 g), about 350 calories and roughly 38 g of protein — close to a full day’s protein for a smaller adult in one piece of fish. Scale to an 8 oz fillet and you clear 460 calories. The other lever is farmed versus wild: the farmed Atlantic here runs fattier, so a few more calories and more omega-3, while leaner wild species like sockeye and coho land lower, often near 180 per 100 g. Neither difference is large on a plate, and both are calorie-efficient for the protein and fats they carry.
The practical takeaway: salmon is a nutrient-dense protein whose modest calorie premium buys you omega-3s, so it’s an easy, satisfying centre for a meal rather than something to ration. For the full muscle-and-satiety side of the same fish, see protein in salmon.
Packaged canned salmon options, graded
Prefer something off the shelf? Here are the best-graded canned salmon in our catalog — each scored on our transparent Labelgrade. Check the calorie line on each label for your goal.
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Labelgrade 82/100 · 90.1 cal · 18 g protein
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Labelgrade 80/100 · 59.9 cal · 10 g protein
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Buy links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade is independent of any affiliate relationship. More.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a 3 oz serving of salmon?
About 175 calories in a 3 oz cooked serving (85 g), based on 206 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 175168, Atlantic farmed). That carries roughly 19 g of complete protein and a meaningful dose of omega-3 fat — so it's a calorie-efficient, nutrient-dense piece of food.
How many calories are in a whole salmon fillet?
A typical dinner fillet is about 6 oz cooked (170 g), which lands around 350 calories and roughly 38 g of protein. An 8 oz fillet pushes past 460 calories. People underestimate salmon's calories mainly because they picture a 3 oz card and eat a fillet twice that size.
Where do the calories in salmon come from?
Protein and fat, with fat slightly ahead. By Atwater factors, this farmed Atlantic reference is roughly 54% fat calories and 46% protein, with zero carbohydrate. The key point is the kind of fat: only about 2.4 g of the 12.4 g per 100 g is saturated, and a large share is the EPA and DHA omega-3s that make salmon worth eating.
Does farmed or wild salmon have more calories?
Farmed runs higher. The farmed Atlantic here is fattier — more omega-3 and a few more calories — at about 206 per 100 g. Leaner wild species like sockeye, coho and pink land lower, often closer to 180 per 100 g, with protein sitting in the same range. Neither difference is large on a plate.
Is salmon high in calories compared to chicken breast?
A little higher, and for a good reason. Salmon's ~206 calories per 100 g beats skinless chicken breast (~165) because salmon carries more fat — but that fat is largely omega-3, which chicken doesn't provide. You're paying a modest calorie premium for fats that are genuinely hard to get from other foods.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-18, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 175168 (Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked by dry heat; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.