Meat and poultry high in magnesium (per serving)
50 meat and poultry ranked by magnesium per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Pork leads with 31 mg per 3 oz (7.3% of the Daily Value), followed by Beef, round (30 mg) and Chicken, broiler or fryers (29 mg).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 meat and poultry highest in magnesium
- Pork, fresh (loin, tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled)3 oz (85 g) · 159 kcal31 mg7.3% DV
- Beef, round (top round, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, cooked, pan-fried)3 oz (85 g) · 194 kcal30 mg7.1% DV
- Chicken, broiler or fryers (breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, cooked, grilled)3 oz (85 g) · 128 kcal29 mg6.9% DV
- Veal, foreshank (osso buco, separable lean only, cooked, braised)3 oz (85 g) · 133 kcal29 mg6.9% DV
- Veal, ground (cooked, pan-fried)3 oz (85 g) · 183 kcal29 mg6.9% DV
- Game meat, deer (tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled)3 oz (85 g) · 127 kcal28 mg6.7% DV
- Turkey, whole (skin (light and dark), roasted)3 oz (85 g) · 390 kcal28 mg6.7% DV
- Turkey, whole (breast, meat only, cooked, roasted)3 oz (85 g) · 125 kcal27 mg6.5% DV
- Turkey, whole (wing, meat only, cooked, roasted)3 oz (85 g) · 125 kcal27 mg6.5% DV
- Game meat, rabbit (wild, cooked, stewed)3 oz (85 g) · 147 kcal26 mg6.3% DV
All 50 meat and poultry ranked
Sort any column. Serving sizes are USDA household measures (a cup, a medium fruit, 3 oz of cooked meat or fish, 1 oz of nuts or cheese). %DV is based on the FDA Daily Value of 420 mg.
| # | Food | Serving | Magnesium (mg) | % Daily Value | Per 100 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pork, fresh (loin, tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 31 | 36 | 159 | |
| 2 | Beef, round (top round, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, cooked, pan-fried) | 3 oz (85 g) | 30 | 35 | 194 | |
| 3 | Chicken, broiler or fryers (breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, cooked, grilled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 29 | 34 | 128 | |
| 4 | Veal, foreshank (osso buco, separable lean only, cooked, braised) | 3 oz (85 g) | 29 | 34 | 133 | |
| 5 | Veal, ground (cooked, pan-fried) | 3 oz (85 g) | 29 | 34 | 183 | |
| 6 | Game meat, deer (tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 28 | 33 | 127 | |
| 7 | Turkey, whole (skin (light and dark), roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 28 | 33 | 390 | |
| 8 | Turkey, whole (breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 27 | 32 | 125 | |
| 9 | Turkey, whole (wing, meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 27 | 32 | 125 | |
| 10 | Game meat, rabbit (wild, cooked, stewed) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 31 | 147 | |
| 11 | Lamb, New Zealand (imported, tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, fast fried) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 31 | 132 | |
| 12 | Beef, New Zealand (imported, tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, fast fried) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 31 | 170 | |
| 13 | Lamb, cubed for stew or kabob (leg and shoulder) (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 31 | 158 | |
| 14 | Beef, shank crosscuts (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, simmered) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 30 | 171 | |
| 15 | Turkey, back (from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 30 | 108 | |
| 16 | Turkey, whole (meat and skin, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 30 | 161 | |
| 17 | Lamb, shoulder (arm, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 30 | 170 | |
| 18 | Turkey, Ground (cooked) | 3 oz (85 g) | 26 | 30 | 173 | |
| 19 | Game meat, elk (tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 25 | 29 | 138 | |
| 20 | Beef, loin (top sirloin petite roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 25 | 29 | 140 | |
| 21 | Beef, ground (97% lean meat / 3% fat, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) | 3 oz (85 g) | 25 | 29 | 149 | |
| 22 | Lamb, rib (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 25 | 29 | 200 | |
| 23 | Game meat, bison (top round, separable lean only, 1" steak, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 24 | 28 | 148 | |
| 24 | Beef, chuck (shoulder clod, shoulder top and center steaks, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 24 | 28 | 150 | |
| 25 | Lamb, loin (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 24 | 28 | 184 | |
| 26 | Chicken, ground (crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) | 3 oz crumbled (85 g) | 24 | 28 | 161 | |
| 27 | Lamb, Australian (imported, fresh, rib chop, frenched, denuded, bone-in, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, cooked, grilled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 24 | 28 | 201 | |
| 28 | Pork, shoulder (petite tender, boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 23 | 27 | 132 | |
| 29 | Pork, Shoulder breast (boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 22 | 26 | 138 | |
| 30 | Dove, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 22 | 26 | 181 | |
| 31 | Chicken, broilers or fryers (rotisserie, original seasoning, breast, meat and skin, cooked) | 3 oz (85 g) | 22 | 26 | 156 | |
| 32 | Pork, Leg sirloin tip roast (boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised) | 3 oz (85 g) | 21 | 25 | 133 | |
| 33 | Veal, shank (fore and hind) (separable lean only, cooked, braised) | 3 oz (85 g) | 21 | 25 | 150 | |
| 34 | Chicken, broilers or fryers (meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 21 | 25 | 162 | |
| 35 | Chicken, broilers or fryers (dark meat, thigh, meat only, cooked, braised) | 3 oz (85 g) | 21 | 25 | 150 | |
| 36 | Goose, domesticated (meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 21 | 25 | 202 | |
| 37 | Chicken, broilers or fryers (leg, meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 20 | 24 | 148 | |
| 38 | Chicken patty, frozen (cooked) | 3 oz (85 g) | 20 | 24 | 244 | |
| 39 | Pork, loin (leg cap steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, broiled) | 3 oz (85 g) | 20 | 23 | 134 | |
| 40 | Bison, ground (grass-fed, cooked) | 3 oz (85 g) | 20 | 23 | 152 | |
| 41 | Quail, cooked (total edible) | 3 oz (85 g) | 19 | 22 | 193 | |
| 42 | Pheasant, cooked (total edible) | 3 oz (85 g) | 19 | 22 | 203 | |
| 43 | HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER, Pork Tenderloin (Teriyaki-Flavored) | 3 oz (85 g) | 19 | 22 | 101 | |
| 44 | Turkey breast, pre-basted (meat and skin, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 18 | 21 | 107 | |
| 45 | HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER, Boneless Pork Loin (Fresh Pork) | 3 oz (85 g) | 18 | 21 | 123 | |
| 46 | HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER, Center Cut Chops (Fresh Pork) | 3 oz (85 g) | 18 | 21 | 142 | |
| 47 | Duck, domesticated (meat only, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 17 | 20 | 171 | |
| 48 | HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER, Pork Loin Filets (Lemon Garlic-Flavored) | 3 oz (85 g) | 17 | 20 | 100 | |
| 49 | Turkey thigh, pre-basted (meat and skin, cooked, roasted) | 3 oz (85 g) | 14 | 17 | 133 | |
| 50 | Pork loin, fresh (backribs, bone-in, cooked-roasted, lean only) | 3 oz (85 g) | 14 | 17 | 217 |
Magnesium in specific foods
How this list is built. Values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, with Foundation Foods analytical updates where available). The pool is 1,677 whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, grains, fish, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Spices, herbs, baby foods, powders, flours, dried and freeze-dried items, juices, processed meats, organ meats other than liver and uncommon foods are excluded; meats, fish, grains and legumes are ranked cooked. Each food family appears once and no single animal or plant fills more than six places. Ranking is by amount per serving; the per-100 g column is shown for reference. A food that USDA has not analysed for magnesium is left out rather than counted as zero. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which food is highest in magnesium?
Among meat and poultry in the USDA database, Pork, fresh (loin, tenderloin, separable lean only, cooked, broiled) has the most magnesium per serving: 31 mg per 3 oz (7.3% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 36 mg.
How much magnesium do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 420 mg of magnesium for adults and children aged 4 and over. Individual needs vary with age, sex, pregnancy and health conditions.
What counts as a food high in magnesium?
FDA labeling rules call a food a 'good source' when one serving provides 10 to 19% of the Daily Value and 'high' or 'excellent' at 20% or more. 0 of the 50 foods on this list reach 20% DV per serving.
Related rankings
- Foods high in potassium
- Foods high in iron
- Foods high in calcium
- Foods high in zinc
- Foods high in selenium
- Foods high in copper
- All foods high in magnesium
- Fruits high in magnesium
- Vegetables high in magnesium
- Legumes high in magnesium
- Nuts and seeds high in magnesium
- Grains high in magnesium
- Fish and seafood high in magnesium
- Dairy and eggs high in magnesium
Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.