Lamb shoulder calories come to 227 for a 3 oz portion (85 g) of roasted lean and fat, or 267 per 100 g. Fat supplies 65% of those calories, so trimming matters more than anything else: the same 85 g eaten as lean only drops to 163 calories.
227kcal
1 3 oz portion · 85 g, roasted, lean and fat
35%protein
19.5 gProtein
0 gCarbs
15.9 gFat
How to burn off 227 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Roasted, lean and fat · per 85 g
Calories
227 kcal
Protein
19.5 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
15.9 g
Saturated fat
6.8 g
Cholesterol
77 mg
Sodium
55 mg
Potassium
223 mg
Iron
1.7 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Lamb shoulder: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
3 oz portion (85 g)
227
19.5 g
0 g
15.9 g
55 mg
11%
Lean only (85 g)
163
21.6 g
0 g
7.9 g
57 mg
8%
1 piece (284 g)
758
65.1 g
0 g
53.3 g
185 mg
38%
100 g
267
22.9 g
0 g
18.8 g
65 mg
13%
3 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
681
58.5 g
166 mg
5 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
1,135
97.5 g
276 mg
A whole piece is a 758-calorie roast
The standard 3 oz portion (85 g) of roasted shoulder lands at 227 calories, about 11% of a 2000-calorie daily value. That is a modest plate of meat. The trouble is that shoulder is a slow-roast cut, and slow roasts get carved generously.
Two 3 oz portions (170 g) come to 454 calories. Three portions (255 g) reach 681, which is closer to what a hungry diner piles on after a Sunday roast. A full piece of 284 g carries 758 calories, or 38% of the daily value, with 53.3 g of fat. Five portions (425 g), a realistic share of a shoulder split between two people, hit 1,135 calories.
The practical move is to weigh once. A kitchen scale shows you what 85 g of pulled shoulder actually looks like, and most people find it smaller than the pile they would serve themselves. If you log by photo, BodyPal can identify the lamb and estimate the portion, but the weight is what drives the number.
Fat is two thirds of every bite
Per 100 g, roasted shoulder with its fat has 22.9 g of protein, 18.8 g of fat and 0 g of carbs. In calorie terms that splits 35% protein and 65% fat. There is no sugar, no starch and no fiber, so every calorie comes from those two macros.
The protein side is solid. A 3 oz portion gives 19.5 g of protein, 39% of the 50 g daily value. A full 284 g piece delivers 65.1 g, which is 130% of the daily value in one sitting. Few cuts hit that much protein without trying.
The fat side is where shoulder differs from leaner lamb. Leg comes in at 12.5 g of fat per 100 g, while shoulder carries 18.8 g. That gap is why shoulder stays moist through hours of braising and why it costs more calories gram for gram. You are paying for tenderness in fat.
Trimming the fat is the biggest lever
The card lists two versions of the same 85 g portion. Lean and fat together: 227 calories, 15.9 g of fat, 19.5 g of protein. Lean only: 163 calories, 7.9 g of fat, 21.6 g of protein. Cutting away the visible fat roughly halves the fat and nudges protein up, since the plate holds more muscle.
That makes lean-only shoulder a different food on paper. It covers 8% of daily calories and 43% of daily protein, compared with 11% and 39% for the untrimmed portion. If you are tracking calories, trim after cooking, when the fat seams are easy to see and pull away.
Saturated fat is the other row to watch. At 8 g per 100 g, against a daily value of 20 g, shoulder uses up a large share of that budget fast. Cholesterol sits at 91 mg per 100 g versus a 300 mg daily value. Sodium, by contrast, is low: 55 mg in a 3 oz portion, just 2% of the daily value, before any rub or gravy.
Build the plate around low-fat sides
Because shoulder already brings plenty of fat, the sides should not add more. Roasted root vegetables tossed in a light spoon of oil, a green salad with lemon, or a pot of beans or lentils balance the plate with fiber the meat lacks entirely. Rice or flatbread works too if you keep the meat portion near 85 g.
Watch the extras that ride along with a braise. Pan juices skimmed of fat add flavor for few calories; unskimmed gravy adds a lot of the fat that rendered out of the roast. Yogurt sauces and fresh herbs give the richness people want without stacking more fat on top.
If you want lamb more often, rotate cuts. Leg gives 225 calories per 100 g with 26.4 g of protein, a leaner everyday choice, and save shoulder for slow-cooked meals where its fat earns its place.
How does lamb shoulder compare?
Here is how roasted lamb shoulder stacks up against lamb chop, leg and shank, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For fewer calories pick lamb leg, at 225 per 100 g and 191 per 3 oz portion with 26.4 g of protein. Lamb chop is close to shoulder at 264 per 100 g but carries 387 mg of sodium per 100 g, so shoulder is the better pick if you watch salt.
Lamb shoulder FAQs
How many calories are in lamb shoulder?
A 3 oz (85 g) portion of roasted lamb shoulder is about 227 calories, or 163 calories trimmed to lean only. Per 100 g it is 267 calories.
Is lamb shoulder good for weight loss?
Roasted lamb shoulder with the fat on is 267 calories per 100 g. Trimmed to lean only it drops to 192 calories per 100 g, with 21.6 g of protein per 85 g portion.
Lamb shoulder vs lamb chop: which has fewer calories?
Lamb shoulder is 267 calories per 100 g and lamb chop is 264, a difference of only 3 calories, so the two cuts are close in energy.
How much protein and fat is in lamb shoulder?
A 3 oz (85 g) portion of roasted lamb shoulder has about 19.5 g of protein and 15.9 g of fat. Per 100 g that is 22.9 g of protein, 18.8 g of fat and 0 g of carbs.
How much protein is in lamb shoulder?
A 3 oz portion (85 g) of roasted lamb shoulder has 19.5 g of protein, 39% of the daily value. Per 100 g it has 22.9 g, and a whole 284 g piece gives 65.1 g.
How many calories are in 100 g of lamb shoulder?
There are 267 calories in 100 g of roasted lamb shoulder, lean and fat. That 100 g also holds 22.9 g of protein, 18.8 g of fat and 0 g of carbs.
How many calories are in roasted lamb shoulder with the fat trimmed?
Lean-only roasted shoulder has 163 calories per 85 g, versus 227 for the same weight with fat. Trimming drops fat from 15.9 g to 7.9 g and raises protein to 21.6 g.
What does the full nutrition profile of lamb shoulder look like?
Per 100 g, roasted lamb shoulder has 267 calories, 22.9 g protein, 18.8 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 91 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium and 262 mg potassium. It has 0 g of carbs and fiber.
How many calories are in a whole piece of lamb shoulder?
A 284 g piece of roasted lamb shoulder has 758 calories, 38% of the daily value. It also carries 53.3 g of fat and 65.1 g of protein, so it is a meal for more than one person.
