Beef purine content
across 36 measured preparations · median 105.7 mg · spans low to very high
Across the 36 beef measurements in this database, purine content runs from 4 to 251.9 mg per 100 g, with a median of 105.7 mg — a fairly high-purine food.
Avoid or strictly limit — significant gout flare risk.
On this page (5)
Lower-purine meats
Why the numbers vary
The meats measured here run from 49.9 mg to 252 mg per 100 g, so the category is a poor guide on its own — which specific food, and prepared how, decides almost everything.
Preparation matters more than the food's name. Beef, ground, 93% lean meat / 7% fat, cooked measures 251.9 mg, while Beef bone broth (before hotpot) measures 4 mg — a difference of 63.0 times. Drying and grilling remove water and concentrate what is left; boiling can move purines into water that is then poured away.
Every form of beef measured (36)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, ground, 93% lean meat / 7% fat, cooked | 251.9 mg | Very high | S2 |
| Beef, ground, 73% lean meat / 27% fat, cooked | 233.3 mg | Very high | S2 |
| Beef shoulder roast, choice, boneless, cooked | 193.4 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef, ground, 93% lean meat / 7% fat, raw | 188.9 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef ribeye, steak, boneless, choice, raw | 173.9 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef shoulder roast, choice, boneless, raw | 163.9 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw | 160.9 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef chuck roast, boneless, choice, raw | 156.6 mg | High | S2 |
| Beef round (topside), cooked | 143.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Veal cutlet, cooked | 142.7 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef, ground, 73% lean meat / 27% fat, raw | 133.3 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef jerky | 127 mg | Fairly high | S1 |
| Beef roast, cooked (unspecified) | 124.8 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef, sirloin, raw | 124.8 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef round (topside), raw | 123 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Frankfurter, beef, heated | 115.2 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Frankfurter, beef, unheated | 114.9 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef shin, raw | 106.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef | 105 mg | Fairly high | S1 |
| Beef clod (shoulder), raw | 103.9 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef neck, raw | 100.6 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef flank steak, boneless, choice, raw | 98.6 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef, tenderloin, raw | 98.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef tongue, raw | 90.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef, ground, cooked (unspecified) | 89.9 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef brisket, raw | 79.2 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef chuck ribs, raw | 77.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef front, raw (unspecified) | 77.4 mg | Fairly high | S2 |
| Beef rib loin, raw | 74.3 mg | Fairly low | S2 |
| Beef floss | 71 mg | Fairly low | S1 |
| Beef broth | 70 mg | Fairly low | S1 |
| Vegi 'steak' from soy | 62.1 mg | Fairly low | S2 |
| Beef bone broth (after hotpot) | 53 mg | Fairly low | S1 |
| Corned beef | 46.9 mg | Fairly low | S2 |
| Beef tendon | 40 mg | Fairly low | S1 |
| Beef bone broth (before hotpot) | 4 mg | Low | S1 |
Questions about beef and purines
Is beef high in purines?
Median 105.7 mg per 100 g, beef falls in the fairly high band (75–150 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 4 to 251.9 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of beef?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 6 mg for beef bone broth (before hotpot), about 378 mg for beef, ground, 93% lean meat / 7% fat, cooked. That upper figure is a like-for-like comparison rather than a serving — dried and concentrated foods are normally used by the spoonful, so their per-100 g value is the fairer read. The table on this page lists both for every preparation measured.
Does cooking change the purine content of beef?
Substantially. In this database Beef, ground, 93% lean meat / 7% fat, cooked measures 251.9 mg while Beef bone broth (before hotpot) measures 4 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this beef purine value come from?
USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) and Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition). Values are total purines in milligrams per 100 g of the food as described, and nothing is estimated or averaged across sources.
How does beef compare with other meats?
The median for meats in this database is 121.2 mg per 100 g, with a range of 49.9 to 252 mg. Beef is below that median.
Source
- USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition) — National Health Commission of China, appendix 1. Issued February 2024.
Reference information only. Purine values describe foods, not people: they cannot tell you what is safe for you to eat, and nothing here diagnoses or treats gout. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own diet and medication.