15 Meats Highest in Iron (Heme Iron Sources)
Heme iron from meat is absorbed 2-3x better than plant iron. If your iron is low, these are the most efficient food sources.
Data-backed ranking of the strongest food sources
Daily value context so the numbers mean something
Usage tips and tradeoffs, not just a list of names
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EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
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Founder, editor, and product builder
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Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
This ranking focuses on foods that meaningfully deliver iron per 100g, using USDA FoodData Central as the source of truth. It is a concentration ranking, not a full health score, so the most useful way to read it is to look for foods that fit both your nutrient target and your normal portion sizes.
Why it matters
Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. Without enough iron, your cells literally suffocate. Iron also supports immune function, cognitive development, and energy metabolism. There are two forms: heme iron (from animal foods, absorbed easily) and non-heme iron (from plants, less readily absorbed).
Daily target
The FDA daily value for iron is 18mg. Women of reproductive age often need more due to menstrual losses, while men and postmenopausal women typically need around 8mg. Vegetarians may need up to 1.8x more since plant-based iron is less bioavailable.
How to use the list
Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C to dramatically boost absorption — think spinach salad with lemon dressing, or beans with tomato sauce. Avoid drinking tea or coffee with iron-rich meals, as tannins can reduce absorption by up to 60%.
Screening rule
Foods had to clear basic practicality filters before ranking so the list stays useful, not just technically correct.
Best use case
Use this template when you want the single strongest sources of one nutrient and you are willing to compare foods mainly on that axis.
Main caveat
Per-100g leaders are not always everyday staples, which is why calorie density and tradeoffs are called out inside the list.
Goose, liver, raw sits at the top because 31mg of iron per 100g is hard for anything else to match. You are looking at 169% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (33% DV) and zinc (28% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 515mg per 100g.
Chicken, heart, all classes, cooked, simmered stays near the top because 9.0mg per 100g is still a very aggressive number for iron. 50% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (53% DV) and zinc (66% DV). The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 242mg per 100g.
Emu, inside drums, cooked, broiled ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of iron quickly. That translates to 40% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (65% DV) and zinc (46% DV). The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 91mg per 100g.
Game meat, muskrat, cooked, roasted belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 7.1mg of iron per 100g. You are looking at 39% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The extra protein (60% DV) and zinc (21% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 121mg per 100g.
Game meat, raccoon, cooked, roasted is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 7.1mg per 100g. You are looking at 39% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The extra protein (58% DV) and zinc (21% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.07g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Turkey, all classes, heart, cooked, simmered holds its spot because 7.0mg of iron is still comfortably strong. 39% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. It also brings useful amounts of protein (50% DV) and zinc (42% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 359mg per 100g.
Game meat, beaver, raw makes the cut on substance, not hype: 6.9mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. You are looking at 38% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. A secondary plus is its protein (48% DV).
Emu, full rump, cooked, broiled holds its spot because 6.9mg of iron is still comfortably strong. You are looking at 38% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (67% DV) and zinc (39% DV). The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 129mg per 100g.
Dove, cooked (includes squab) makes the cut on substance, not hype: 5.9mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. You are looking at 33% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The extra protein (48% DV) and zinc (35% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 116mg per 100g.
Canada Goose, breast meat only, skinless, raw rounds out the ranking with 5.9mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 33% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. A secondary plus is its protein (49% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 80mg per 100g.
Emu, oyster, raw rounds out the ranking with 5.5mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. That translates to 31% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. It also brings useful amounts of protein (46% DV) and zinc (55% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 81mg per 100g.
Beef, plate steak, boneless, outside skirt, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled rounds out the ranking with 5.5mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. 30% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (57% DV) and zinc (67% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 6.13g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Emu, inside drum, raw is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable iron density. You are looking at 29% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (44% DV) and zinc (39% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 67mg per 100g.
Emu, top loin, cooked, broiled rounds out the ranking with 5.1mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 28% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The extra protein (58% DV) and zinc (31% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient. The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 88mg per 100g.
Game meat, deer, shoulder clod, separable lean only, cooked, braised lands lower on the page, but 5.0mg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. That translates to 28% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (73% DV) and zinc (79% DV). The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 113mg per 100g.