Turkey is leaner at these grinds, but beef's iron and zinc advantage is the durable difference
This compares 90% lean ground beef with 93% lean ground turkey, both raw per 100g. Protein is close — 18.2g for beef, 17.3g for turkey. Turkey is lower in fat here (9.6g vs 12.9g), though part of that is simply the leaner grind. The gap that doesn't depend on the label: beef carries nearly twice the iron (2.13mg vs 1.09mg) and over 40% more zinc (4.19mg vs 2.95mg), while turkey runs higher in sodium (80mg vs 62mg) and cholesterol (82mg vs 66mg).
| Nutrient | Ground Beef (90% lean) | Ground Turkey (93% lean) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein (g) | 18.16 | 17.34 |
| Total Fat (g) | 12.85 | 9.59 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 61.64 | 80.18 |
Source: Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, raw (FDC ID 2514743), Turkey, ground, 93% lean/ 7% fat, raw (FDC ID 2514747)
For iron and zinc
Ground beef
Iron 2.13mg vs 1.09mg and zinc 4.19mg vs 2.95mg per 100g — and beef's heme iron is the better-absorbed form.
For lower fat
Ground turkey
9.6g vs 12.9g of fat at these grinds. If you buy matching lean percentages, expect this gap to shrink.
For protein
Nearly a tie
18.2g (beef) vs 17.3g (turkey) per 100g raw — less than a gram apart; either anchors a high-protein meal.
For lower sodium and cholesterol
Ground beef
Sodium 62mg vs 80mg and cholesterol 66mg vs 82mg per 100g — modest gaps, but they run counter to turkey's "lighter" image.
The single biggest variable in any ground-meat comparison is the number on the package. Here beef is a 90/10 grind and turkey a 93/7, so some of turkey's 3.3g fat advantage comes from the ratio rather than the bird. Ground turkey also spans a huge range — some products include skin and dark meat, others are pure breast. Read the lean percentage first; the species comparison only means something at matching grinds.
Whatever the grind, beef reliably beats turkey on the minerals Americans most commonly run low on from meat: iron (2.13mg vs 1.09mg per 100g) and zinc (4.19mg vs 2.95mg). Beef's iron is also predominantly heme iron, absorbed far more efficiently than plant iron. Turkey answers with a bit more phosphorus (162mg vs 148mg) and calcium (24mg vs 7mg), but if iron status is a concern — as it often is for women and athletes — lean beef is doing quiet extra work.
Protein
18.16
vs
17.34
g
Total Fat
12.85
vs
9.59
g
Total Carbohydrate
0
vs
0
g
| A Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, raw | Nutrient | Turkey, ground, 93% lean/ 7% fat, raw B |
|---|---|---|
| 69g | Water | 72.89g+3.9 |
| 18.16g+0.8 | Protein | 17.34g |
| 65.90mg | Cholesterol | 82.26mg+16.4 |
| 12.85g | Total Fat | 9.59g |
| 0g | Total Carbohydrate | 0g |
| 61.64mg | Sodium | 80.18mg |
| 281.40mg+35.1 | Potassium | 246.30mg |
| 7.13mg | Calcium | 23.63mg+16.5 |
| 16.49mg | Magnesium | 17.30mg+0.8 |
| 148mg | Phosphorus | 162mg+14 |
| 2.13mg+1.0 | Iron | 1.09mg |
| 4.19mg+1.2 | Zinc | 2.95mg |
| 0.06mg | Copper | 0.08mg+0.0 |
| 0mg | Manganese | 0.02mg+0.0 |
Q. Is ground turkey healthier than ground beef?
A. It depends what you're solving for. At these grinds turkey has less fat (9.6g vs 12.9g per 100g), but beef delivers nearly double the iron and over 40% more zinc, with slightly less sodium and cholesterol. Neither is categorically "healthier."
Q. Which has more protein?
A. They're nearly identical: 18.2g per 100g for 90% lean beef vs 17.3g for 93% lean turkey, raw.
Q. Why does ground beef have more iron?
A. Beef is red meat — its muscle is richer in myoglobin and heme iron. This record shows 2.13mg per 100g vs 1.09mg for turkey, and the heme form is also absorbed better by the body.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central (Public Domain). All values per 100g, edible portion. Some USDA Foundation Foods records do not report an Energy (kcal) value.