Meats High in Folate: Top 30 per 100 g & per Serving
Per 100 g, the meats highest in folate are Turkey liver (raw) (677 µg, 169% DV), Chicken giblets (raw) (345 µg, 86% DV) and Turkey giblets (raw) (331 µg, 83% DV). Per typical serving, Turkey liver (raw) gives the most: 1 raw liver (78 g) has 528 µg (132% DV). 3 of the 38 meats ranked are a good source (10% DV or more) in a typical serving; 3 reach 20% DV, the FDA bar for “high in”.
Highest in folate per 100 g
30 of 38 ranked meats, most folate first. % = share of the FDA Daily Value. n/r = not reported.
Most folate per typical serving
The same meats ranked by what one typical USDA portion gives, which is what you eat.
| Rank | Food | Per 100 g | Typical portion | Per portion | Per 200 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey liver (raw) | 677 µg169% DV | 1 raw liver78 g | 528 µg132% DV | 1,058 µg |
| 2 | Turkey giblets (raw) | 331 µg83% DV | 1 giblets157 g | 520 µg130% DV | 534 µg |
| 3 | Chicken giblets (raw) | 345 µg86% DV | 1 giblets75 g | 259 µg65% DV | 556 µg |
| 4 | Chicken (meat and skin, raw) | 6 µg2% DV | 1/2 chicken460 g | 28 µg7% DV | 5.6 µg |
| 5 | Chicken (meat only, raw) | 7 µg2% DV | 1/2 chicken329 g | 23 µg6% DV | 12 µg |
| 6 | Beef (top sirloin, steak, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, raw) | 13 µg3% DV | 4 oz113 g | 15 µg4% DV | 20 µg |
| 7 | Ground turkey (fat free, raw) | 8 µg2% DV | 4 oz113 g | 9 µg2% DV | 14 µg |
| 8 | Ground turkey (raw) | 7 µg2% DV | 4 oz113 g | 7.9 µg2% DV | 9.5 µg |
| 9 | Turkey breast (meat only, cooked, roasted) | 9 µg2% DV | 3 oz85 g | 7.7 µg2% DV | 12 µg |
| 10 | Lamb loin (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw) | 24 µg6% DV | 1 oz28 g | 6.8 µg2% DV | 34 µg |
| 11 | Beef (grass-fed, ground, raw) | 6 µg2% DV | 4 oz113 g | 6.8 µg2% DV | 6.1 µg |
| 11 | Turkey (dark meat, meat and skin, raw) | 6 µg2% DV | 4 oz113 g | 6.8 µg2% DV | 7.2 µg |
| 13 | Lamb leg (shank half, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw) | 23 µg6% DV | 1 oz28 g | 6.5 µg2% DV | 37 µg |
| 14 | Lamb foreshank (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw) | 22 µg6% DV | 1 oz28 g | 6.2 µg2% DV | 37 µg |
| 15 | Lamb rib (separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw) | 21 µg5% DV | 1 oz28 g | 6 µg1% DV | 25 µg |
Most folate per 200 kcal
Nutrient density: folate for the same 200 calories of each food.
Which foods are ranked
- The 40 meats on CalorieExplorer with a reported folate value. They are generic USDA FoodData Central rows (Foundation Foods and SR Legacy) with a plain name: no branded products, restaurant items, survey mixed dishes, baby foods or regional specialty rows.
- Only foods with more than 0 µg are ranked (38 meats); a food with no reported value is left out, never counted as 0.
- Flours, crude brans, powders and dehydrated foods, juice concentrates, mixes, sugars and fortified foods are not ranked: per 100 g they beat every food eaten as is.
- Ties share a rank: foods with the same value per 100 g get the same number, and the next number is skipped.
- Typical portion = USDA's own serving weight for that food (a medium fruit, 1 cup, 1 oz…), as on its food page. Per 200 kcal shows how much you get for the same calories; foods under 5 kcal per 100 g are not ranked that way (–).
- % DV = share of the FDA Daily Value for folate, 400 µg a day for adults and children 4 and older.
- FDA lets a label call a food “high in” a nutrient when one reference serving gives 20% of the Daily Value or more, and a “good source” at 10–19% (21 CFR 101.54). We apply it to the typical USDA portion, which is not always the label's reference amount.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central (Foundation Foods 2026-04-30; SR Legacy 2018-04). Values per 100 g as published in each food's record, at FDC's precision; serving weights from the same records, retrieved 2026-10-13. Each food page names its FDC ID.
% Daily Value: FDA Daily Values (2016 Nutrition Facts label rule, 21 CFR 101.9), adults and children 4+. How we calculate.
Last updated . Values are averages for the food as described; brands, varieties and cooking change them. Not medical advice.