Purine Content in Meat: Chart by Cut (mg per 100g)

Meat is one of the primary dietary sources of purines, and if you are managing gout, understanding the differences between cuts and types can help you make informed choices. The variation is significant. Organ meats are the most purine-dense meats on average, though by less than older charts claimed, and even among regular cuts, there are meaningful differences based on the type of animal, the specific cut, where it was produced, and how it is prepared.

This reference, part of our purine database, provides a detailed breakdown of purine content across all major meat types, organized by animal and cut. Values are the median of published analyses in the USDA & ODS-NIH Purine Database (2025), for raw meat unless stated. Cuts marked † aren’t in that database; their values come from older published tables and are less certain.

Understanding Purine Content in Meat

Purines are concentrated in tissues with high metabolic activity and dense cell nuclei. This is why organ meats (liver, kidney, sweetbreads) tend to have higher purine content than muscle meat. Muscle tissue has fewer cells per gram and less metabolic activity, resulting in lower but still significant purine levels.

A few principles to keep in mind:

• Dark vs. white meat: older charts put dark meat higher, but in the USDA database skinless chicken breast (160) actually measures a little above thigh (140) and drumstick (135)
• Organ meats are the highest on average, but livers (210 to 285) now overlap with the leanest US muscle cuts (pork loin 235, lean ground beef 190)
• Game meats are listed slightly higher than beef in older tables, likely due to greater muscle density and lower fat content, but they haven’t been analyzed for the USDA database
• Where the meat came from matters: USDA’s 2024 analyses of US retail meat often measured far higher than older and Japanese samples of the same cut
• Cooking method matters: boiling moves some purines into the cooking liquid, while roasting and grilling concentrate them per 100g as water cooks off

Beef

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Liver	210	Very High	Highest common beef cut
Kidney	195	High	Organ meat; two analyses, older tables list 450
Heart	180	High	Organ meat; two analyses, older tables list 250
Tongue	90	Moderate	Organ meat; one analysis, older tables list 160
Ground beef (lean, 93/7)	190	High	Lean mixed muscle
Ground beef (regular, 80/20)	160	High	Higher fat dilutes purines
Beef jerky †	160	High	Concentrated by dehydration
Ribeye steak	125 (75–175)	High	US ribeye 174; heavily marbled Japanese rib loin 74
Round roast	125	High	Lean
T-bone steak †	125	High	Combination cut
Short ribs †	120	High	Higher fat
Chuck roast	115 (75–155)	High	Shoulder
Sirloin steak	110	High	Lean cut
Tenderloin (filet)	100	High	Lean premium cut
Flank steak	100	High	Lean
Brisket	80	Moderate	One Japanese sample of a fatty cut; older tables list 115
Corned beef	45	Low	One sample of Japanese canned corned beef, not US deli corned beef; older tables list 105

Kidney, heart, tongue, brisket, and corned beef each rest on one or two analyses that came in well below older tables, so caution still applies: treat the organ meats like liver, and brisket and corned beef like other beef. Across all raw beef muscle analyses in the database, values run from about 75 to 190mg per 100g (median about 105), and where the sample came from matters as much as the cut: USDA’s 2024 US samples ran 99 to 189, while Japanese samples, often much fattier, ran 74 to 123. Leaner meat tends to have higher purine concentrations because purines are in the protein portion, not the fat, which is why 93/7 ground beef measures 190 against 160 for 80/20.

Pork

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Liver	285	Very High	Organ meat
Kidney	195	High	Organ meat; one analysis, older tables list 400
Loin roast	235	Very High	Center cut
Chop (bone-in)	235	Very High	Cut from the loin
Ground pork	185	High	Mixed muscle
Tenderloin	180 (120–245)	High	Leanest pork cut
Sausage (fresh pork)	160	High	Breakfast links, bratwurst, Italian; about 215 cooked
Ham (cured/deli)	160 (70–250)	High	USDA ready-to-eat ham alone measured 250
Prosciutto	140	High	Dry-cured
Ham (fresh) †	105	High	Leg meat
Bacon (raw)	100 (60–140)	High	Fried strips about 430 per 100g; purines per slice don’t change
Pancetta †	100	High	Cured belly
Pork belly †	100	High	High fat content
Shoulder (butt)	95	Moderate	Slow-cook cut
Ribs (baby back, spare)	75	Moderate	One analysis; older tables list 105 to 110

US pork now measures higher than beef. USDA’s 2024 raw loin and chops (235) and tenderloin are among the highest raw muscle meats in the database, while raw pork muscle as a whole runs from about 70 to 245mg per 100g (median about 115). Fattier cuts such as shoulder and ribs are lower because fat carries no purines. Cured and processed pork is not lower: deli ham and fresh sausage measure about 160.

Chicken

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Liver	245	Very High	Organ meat
Ground chicken	195	High	Mixed meat
Breast (skinless)	160 (130–290)	High	White meat, leanest
Breast (cooked: roasted, grilled, stewed)	185 (180–370)	High	Cooking concentrates purines per 100g
Thigh (with or without skin)	140	High	Dark meat
Wing	140	High	Mixed dark/white
Drumstick	135	High	Dark meat
Rotisserie (whole) †	120	High	Roasted breast measures about 180 in the database
Breast (with skin) †	110	High	Skin is lower in purines than breast meat
Chicken nuggets †	75	Moderate	Breading and filler dilute

The difference between chicken breast and chicken thigh is relatively small, and in the USDA database the breast (160) actually edges out thigh (140) and drumstick (135). Breast values vary widely: older US and Japanese analyses found about 130 to 175, while USDA’s 2024 US sample measured 289. For a broader look at how chicken fits into gout management, see is chicken bad for gout. The difference between cuts is not dramatic enough to be clinically meaningful for most people; portion size matters more.

Turkey

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Deli turkey	235	Very High	Processed; USDA 2024
Leg (dark meat) †	150	High	Highest common turkey cut
Thigh †	145	High	Dark meat
Drumstick †	140	High	Dark meat
Breast †	120	High	White meat
Ground turkey	95	Moderate	Usually mixed dark/white
Turkey sausage †	90	Moderate	Processed with fillers
Turkey bacon †	85	Moderate	Processed

Most turkey cuts aren’t in the USDA database; the leg, thigh, drumstick, and breast values come from older tables, which put dark meat higher than breast. The two turkey products USDA did measure moved in opposite directions: ground turkey came in lower than older charts said (about 95, down from 130), and deli turkey came in much higher (about 235, up from 100).

Lamb

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Kidney †	410	Very High	Organ meat; older value (beef and pork kidney measure 195)
Liver	145	High	Organ meat; one analysis, older tables list 480
Shank †	140	High	Braising cut
Ground lamb †	140	High	Mixed muscle
Leg	130	High	Lean cut
Loin chop	130	High	Premium cut
Rack	130	High	Well-marbled
Shoulder	130	High	Slow-cook cut
Ribs †	130	High	Higher fat

The leg, loin chop, rack, and shoulder share the database’s one analysis of lamb chops and roasts (130). That puts lamb a little above the beef median (about 105) and the pork median (about 115), and well below US pork loin (235). Lamb liver’s single analysis came in far below older tables, so caution still applies.

Game Meats

Cut	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Goose †	165	High	Rich, dark meat
Venison (deer) †	160	High	Very lean
Pheasant †	150	High	Game bird
Wild duck †	150	High	Richer than farmed
Wild boar †	145	High	Leaner than pork
Elk †	145	High	Very lean
Quail †	140	High	Small game bird
Bison †	135	High	Lean red meat
Ostrich †	130	High	Very lean
Rabbit †	130	High	Lean

Game meats are generally leaner than their farmed counterparts, and leaner meat tends to carry more purine per 100g. But none of these have been analyzed for the USDA database, and several US farmed meats it did measure (pork loin 235, lean ground beef 190, chicken breast 160) came in at or above these older game values.

Processed and Prepared Meats

Food	Purine (mg/100g)	Category	Notes
Deli turkey	235	Very High	Sliced, processed
Salami	215 (120–245)	Very High	Fermented, dry-cured
Liverwurst †	180	High	Contains liver
Beef jerky †	160	High	Dehydration concentrates purines
Deli ham	160	High	Processed
Deli roast beef †	120	High	Sliced muscle meat
Hot dogs	115 (50–170)	High	Beef franks about 115, mixed-meat about 160
Meatballs (beef) †	110	High	Breadcrumb filler dilutes
Pepperoni	Not measured; likely high to very high	High	The closest product, dry salami, measures 215
Spam †	90	Moderate	Processed pork
Bologna †	85	Moderate	Heavily processed, fillers
Pate (liver)	80	Moderate	One analysis; older tables list 200+
Beef stew (with broth) †	80	Moderate	Diluted by vegetables and liquid

Processing does not reliably lower purines. USDA’s 2024 analyses found deli turkey (235), dry salami (215), and ready-to-eat ham (250) among the highest meats measured. Fillers and liquid do dilute some products, such as meatballs, stew, and bologna. Liver products vary: one sample of liver pate measured about 80, far below the 200+ older tables list, and since pate is made from liver, caution still applies.

The Organ Meat vs. Muscle Meat Comparison

To put the organ meat difference in perspective:

Comparison	Organ Meat (mg/100g)	Muscle Meat (mg/100g)	Ratio
Beef liver vs. lean ground beef	210	190	1.1x
Sweetbreads vs. sirloin	1,000+ †	110	9x (older value)
Beef kidney vs. ribeye	195	125	1.6x
Chicken liver vs. chicken breast	245	160	1.5x

Organ meats are still worth limiting, but the gap is much smaller than older charts showed, and the spread among everyday cuts (about 75 to 235) is now as large as the gap between liver and lean muscle meat. If you are trying to reduce purine intake from meat, cutting organ meats still helps, but how much and how often you eat meat matters at least as much as which cut you choose. The American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 guideline advises limiting purine intake overall rather than banning individual foods.

Cooking Methods and Purine Content

How you prepare meat affects its final purine content:

Method	Effect on Purines	Notes
Boiling/stewing	Some move into the liquid	Purines leach into the cooking water; no reliable percentage
Grilling	Retained; higher per 100g	Purines remain in meat as water cooks off
Roasting	Retained; higher per 100g	USDA: cooked chicken breast 369 vs. 289 raw, pork loin 334 vs. 237; some loss in drippings
Pan-frying	Retained; higher per 100g	Fried bacon about 430 vs. about 140 raw (USDA)
Braising	Some move into the liquid	Eat the sauce and you eat them too
Pressure cooking	Some move into the liquid	Similar to boiling

If you boil meat and discard the cooking liquid, you can lower the purines you eat, though studies don’t give a reliable percentage. But if you make gravy or broth from the drippings, those purines are back on your plate.

Meat in the Bigger Picture

Meat is a significant purine source, but how much it matters for your gout depends on several other factors:

Portion size matters as much as concentration. For a side-by-side comparison across all food groups, see our purine food chart. A 90g (3 oz) cooked chicken breast delivers about 165mg of purines. A 225g (8 oz) sirloin steak, weighed raw, delivers about 250mg. Controlling portion size is often more practical than eliminating meat entirely.

Your kidney excretion capacity matters more. If your kidneys efficiently clear uric acid, moderate meat consumption may not cause problems. If you are an under-excreter (as most gout patients are), even moderate purine intake adds to an already-overburdened system.

What you eat alongside meat matters. A meat meal with plenty of water, vegetables, and low-fat dairy is different from meat with beer, fries, and sugary soda. The accompanying foods affect hydration, insulin response, and overall uric acid metabolism.

Urica tracks purine content from meat and all other foods alongside fructose, hydration, and flare data, helping you understand how your specific meat consumption patterns relate to your personal gout experience. Because a chicken breast may be perfectly fine for one person and problematic for another, and the only way to know is through consistent tracking over time.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or rheumatologist about managing gout, especially regarding medication and treatment plans.