Ground beef or ground turkey: which is healthier?

Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Healthier

Neither food is healthier in every way. Per 3.5 oz (100 g), here is where ground beef and ground turkey differ against FDA Daily Values, so you can choose for what you need more or less of.

Ground beef

More of: vitamin b12 (116% vs 79% DV), iron (15% vs 9% DV).
Also more of what the FDA treats as nutrients to limit: saturated fat (21% vs 15% DV).

Ground turkey

No nutrient where it is clearly ahead.

Beyond the nutrient table

Health effects depend on more than composition: how much you eat, what it replaces, and the studies on each food. These pages grade that evidence:

What the numbers don't tell you

Swapping beef for turkey to eat leaner or protect your cholesterol? Cooked, the 93 percent lean turkey and 90 percent lean beef come out close. Per 3.5 oz (100 g), the turkey has less saturated fat, 3.0 g against 4.2 g, but slightly more calories, 220 against 204, and more cholesterol, 104 mg against 84 mg.

On blood cholesterol, turkey shows no edge. A meta-analysis of 8 trials with 406 adults found LDL fell by 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish, no real difference. In a trial in 113 healthy adults, white meat raised LDL as much as red meat did. Raw beef brings more zinc, about 4.2 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 2.95 mg in the turkey.

The bigger difference is in the kitchen. Ground turkey needs 165 °F (74 °C) and hamburger 160 °F (71 °C) on a food thermometer, because color does not show the meat is safe. Federal testing found Salmonella in 15.9 percent of ground turkey on average from 2016 to 2022. For beef, FSIS warns that toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) may cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, particularly in young children. Children under 5, pregnant women, people 65 and older and anyone with a weakened immune system are most at risk.

Choose by taste, and check either one with a thermometer.

Evidence behind this note

Level A A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs with 406 people found LDL fell by 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish, no real difference. J Clin Lipidol, 2012
Level B In 113 adults eating each diet for 4 weeks, white meat raised LDL cholesterol as much as red meat, and both more than plant protein. Am J Clin Nutr, 2019
Level E Raw 93% lean ground turkey measured 9.6 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) on average, ranging 7.75-14.58 g across 8 samples. USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, FDC 2514747 Turkey, ground, 93% lean/7% fat, raw
Level E In eight USDA Foundation samples labeled 90 percent lean, raw ground beef averaged 12.85 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) and ranged up to 14.75 g, while 80/20 samples ranged from 15.4 to 26.5 g. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, FDC 2514743 and 80/20 raw, release 2026-04-30
Level E Raw 90 percent lean ground beef in USDA Foundation samples held about 4.2 mg zinc and 2.1 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g), and 80/20 held 3.8 mg zinc and 2.0 mg iron. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, FDC 2514743 and 80/20 raw, release 2026-04-30
Level E USDA FSIS advises cooking ground turkey and other ground poultry to 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty, because color does not show that the meat is safe. USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety
Level C A 2024 study of federal verification data put average Salmonella prevalence in ground turkey at 15.9% for 2016-2022. J Food Prot, 2024
Level E FSIS says the toxin made by STEC bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7 may cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, particularly in young children, and names children under 5, pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems as most at risk from contaminated food. Ground Beef and Food Safety, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Level E Pan-broiling concentrates 93% lean ground turkey to about 27 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g), up from 17 g raw, as water cooks off. USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Turkey, ground, 93% lean, 7% fat, pan-broiled

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Keep exploring

Read more about these foods

Rankings and guides

Where the numbers come from

Ground beef: USDA FoodData Central, Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, patty, cooked, pan-broiled, FDC ID 171793 · full profile · all forms of ground beef
Ground turkey: USDA FoodData Central, Turkey, ground, 93% lean, 7% fat, pan-broiled crumbles, FDC ID 746785 · full profile · all forms of ground turkey

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.