Big Mac vs Quarter Pounder: protein compared
McDonald's three best-known burgers, on protein per calorie.
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Big Mac or Quarter Pounder is a classic McDonald's debate. On protein, the labels settle it. We compared both, plus the Double Quarter Pounder, using McDonald's published U.S. numbers.
Verdict: The Quarter Pounder with Cheese beats the Big Mac: 5 g more protein for 60 fewer calories (5.8 vs 4.3). The Double Quarter Pounder scores best of the three (6.5).
Side by side
| Per serving | Big Mac | Quarter Pounder with Cheese | Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 item (as listed) | 1 item (as listed) | 1 item (as listed) |
| Protein | 25 g | 30 g | 48 g |
| Calories | 580 | 520 | 740 |
| Protein / 100 cal | 4.3 | 5.8 | 6.5 |
| Calories per 10 g protein | 232 | 173 | 154 |
| Leaderboard rank | #139 of 143 | #128 of 143 | #123 of 143 |
| Price / serving | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| $ / 10 g protein | — | — | — |
| Flavors tracked | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Source | label | label | label |
What the numbers say
The Big Mac gives you less for more. The Big Mac is 25 g for 580 calories; the Quarter Pounder with Cheese is 30 g for 520. That's 232 vs 173 calories per 10 g of protein. The Big Mac ranks #139 of 143, near the bottom of our whole leaderboard.
The Double Quarter Pounder is the protein champion. 48 g is the most protein in a single serving of anything on The Hoard Board. It's 740 calories, but the second patty adds 18 g of protein for 220 calories (8.2 g per 100 calories for the extra), which is why it outscores the single.
A smaller option: the McDonald's McDouble is 22 g for 390 calories (5.6), almost the Quarter Pounder's score with 130 fewer calories. For McDonald's chicken, see our McDonald's ranking.
Which one should you pick?
- Calories are your budget: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (6.5 g protein per 100 calories).
- Most protein in one serving: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (48 g).
- Price: we haven't confirmed prices for any of these yet, so this comparison says nothing about value for money.
- Taste: check the shared 👍/👎 votes next to each product on The Hoard Board. They never change the rank, but they make a good tiebreaker.
Caveats
Customizing (no cheese, no sauce, extra patty) changes both numbers. Restaurant numbers are for the standard U.S. recipe as each chain lists it, without sauces, sides or customization, and menus vary by location. We don't have restaurant prices. All nutrition numbers come from the published sources linked in the table, checked between 2026-10-28. We rank by grams of protein per 100 calories only; we don't track sugar, fat, sodium, ingredients or allergens. This is general information, not dietary advice.
See every product side by side on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.