15 Meats With The Highest Amount Of Saturated Fat

Fat is an essential nutrient in everyone's diet, along with water, carbohydrates, and protein. Fats give us energy, keep us feeling full, and help absorb vital fat-soluble vitamins like D and E. Some fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in foods like avocados, fish, and nuts, are great for you, and are important to incorporate into your daily diet. But not all fats are created equal nor are they all healthy, like saturated fats and trans fats, which should be consumed with caution. While it is recommended to try and avoid trans fats altogether, saturated fats are less villainous, but should still be consumed minimally. 

According to the American Heart Association, we should be getting no more than 6% of our daily calories from saturated fat. If you're eating about 2,000 calories each day, that means you should consume no more than 13 grams of saturated fat daily, which can quickly add up if you're not paying attention, especially for those with meat-heavy diets. The below foods are listed in order from the least amount of saturated fat to the highest amount, and are all based on 3-ounce serving sizes. Life is all about balance, so try to incorporate foods low in saturated fat into your diet alongside any saturated fats, as well as these foods that naturally lower cholesterol. 

Three ounces of lean ground turkey has only 1.5 grams of saturated fat, making it an incredible choice for those keeping a strict eye on their saturated fat intake levels. Lean ground turkey is a versatile meat, and if you are really focused on decreasing saturated fat in your diet, it is an easy swap for ground pork or ground beef in most recipes, or you could even start with swapping half of the pork or beef for ground turkey. Check out these easy ground turkey recipes to add to your dinner rotation. 

While a crispy, beautifully seared skin-on chicken thigh is obviously delicious, it is that same skin that contributes to higher levels of saturated fat. Thankfully even without that tasty skin, chicken thighs still have a decent amount of fat in them to help keep them tender and flavorful while cooking but only have 1.6 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce serving. Marinating skinless chicken thighs can also increase the flavor and tenderness, like in this tandoori-style boneless skinless chicken thighs recipe, which helps to make up for the loss of fat from the chicken skin.

Braised veal is a lean meat that has only 2.1 grams of saturated fat per 3 ounces, making it a great choice for beef-lovers who need to be diligent about their saturated fat intake. Braise this beef in a classic, timeless fashion by making Italian osso buco, which is so tender that it falls off the bone. 

A typical chicken breast weighs about 6 ounces, so based on a 3-ounce serving size, half of a chicken breast with the skin on has 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Ina Garten almost always cooks chicken with the skin on, not only because crispy chicken skin is one of life's simple pleasures, but also because cooking a lean white meat like chicken with a jacket of fat on top helps to keep the meat tender instead of drying out.

An incredibly versatile ingredient, ground chicken can make anything from French onion chicken meatballs to a more flavorful soup base. With 4 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce portion, it is higher in saturated fat than ground turkey, but is still a great option for cholesterol-focused diets. Try swapping ground chicken for ground pork in your next recipe. 

Broiled pork chops are surprisingly low in saturated fat, given how fatty other cuts of pork can be. A 3-ounce portion of pork chops has only 4 grams of saturated fat, the same amount as ground chicken — although they can feel a bit more luxurious than ground chicken when cooked properly. Give the "other white meat" a go with these sweet and spicy apricot-glazed pork chops. 

If you are looking for beef on a budget, look no further than this lean cut of meat, as top sirloin is one of the most economical steak cuts. Three ounces of top sirloin has 5 grams of saturated fat, which is at the lesser end compared to other cuts of beef. This is important as eating red meat really increases heart disease risk. 

Similar to top sirloin, corned beef contains 5 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce serving size. Usually made from brisket, corned beef is made by brining the meat in a salty solution for many days, before being cooked low and slow, usually done by braising, so the lean meat stays as tender as possible. Try your hand at home with our secret to making corned beef from scratch. 

Pork roast can have a reputation for being dry due to its lack of large amounts of fat, but if you cook it properly, like this slow cooker pork loin roast recipe, the lean cut can be tender and tasty. With 5 grams of saturated fat in each 3-ounce portion, pork roast is a good choice if you are being conscious about your cholesterol levels or saturated fat intake.  

Most ground beef blends used to make burgers and meatloaf are higher in fat, which means higher levels of saturated fat. Lean ground beef, however, only contains 6 grams of saturated fat per 3 ounces, making it an excellent choice to use in your kitchen. Usually ground beef dishes rely on more fat to carry flavor, so it can take a little more work to bring out the best in this lean meat, like our favorite slow-cooking method that adds more depth to ground beef

While mostly seen at Christmas or Easter gatherings, a baked ham is great any time of year. They are easy to buy from the store and doctor up with any flavors or seasonings you prefer, and with 6 grams of saturated fat per 3 ounces, it is a moderately healthy option while still tasting decadent. Keep your next baked ham exciting with these nine ham recipes with next-level glazes.

While most people are comfortable cooking whole chicken legs, an entire leg of lamb can be a much more intimidating project to tackle. Every 3 ounces of baked lamb leg contains 6 grams of saturated fat, falling in about the middle of meats high in saturated fat. A lamb leg is an ideal centerpiece for a cozy dinner party, but make sure to avoid the mistakes everyone makes when cooking a leg of lamb so you can impress your dinner party guests.

A lean loin is the cut of lamb to buy if you want tender and easy-to-cook meat. But even though it is considered a lean cut of meat, a 3-ounce serving of lean lamb loin still contains 9 grams of saturated fat, one of the highest on our list. If you are concerned about cholesterol levels, be sure to treat it as a special occasion meat, like your next backyard grilling party, as lamb loin is one of the absolute best cut of lamb to cook on the grill. 

Rounding out the meats with the most saturated fat is beef ribs, which have 10 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce serving, not counting the bones in the weight. Sometimes so large they are reminiscent of dinosaur bones, beef ribs are a treat to be enjoyed only sporadically if you are being conscious of your saturated fat intake. For those special occasions, take advantage of the best way to season your beef ribs.

Another cut of meat with the highest amount of saturated fat is pork ribs, with 10 grams of saturated fat per 3 ounces, excluding the bones. Undeniably tender and delicious, pork ribs are a real treat, but should be eaten in moderation for those keeping an eye on their saturated fat consumption. When you are ready to indulge, try our recipe for juicy baby back ribs with honey bourbon glaze.