Subtotal $0.00
Shop Now
The foods high in tyrosine in USDA data are cottage cheese and hard cheeses, soy foods such as tempeh, soybeans and tofu, and salmon, poultry, pork and beef. A cup of lowfat cottage cheese supplies about 1.28 grams, according to USDA FoodData Central. MedlinePlus lists tyrosine among the nonessential amino acids, meaning the body can produce it, and MedlinePlus Genetics explains that the body makes it from another amino acid, phenylalanine.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA SR Legacy data, a cup of lowfat cottage cheese (1.28 grams), a cup of tempeh (1.10), a cup of boiled soybeans (1.08) and 3 ounces of cooked sockeye salmon (1.03) lead the per-serving list.
- Per 100 grams, USDA lists Parmesan (2.00 grams) and Swiss cheese (1.69) above every meat and fish in this list.
- Tyrosine is a larger share of dairy protein than of meat or legume protein in USDA data: about 5.0% in whole milk against 3.4% in chicken breast and 2.7% in lentils.
- MedlinePlus Genetics states that an enzyme converts phenylalanine to tyrosine, and MedlinePlus lists tyrosine as nonessential.
- MedlinePlus Genetics notes that the amount of phenylalanine a person with PKU can have differs from person to person, so this list is not a PKU diet guide.
- FDA sets no Daily Value for tyrosine or any other single amino acid, so this list has no %DV column.
Foods high in tyrosine: USDA values per serving
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries from the April 2018 release, each shown with its FDC ID. Per-serving figures are the per-100-gram values multiplied by the gram weight of a common USDA portion, and the list is ranked by tyrosine per serving. FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, sets a Daily Value of 50 grams for protein but none for individual amino acids, so there is no %DV to show.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Tyrosine (g) | Per 100 g (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese, lowfat 2% (172182) | 1 cup | 1.28 | 0.57 | 24 |
| Tempeh (174272) | 1 cup | 1.10 | 0.66 | 34 |
| Soybeans, mature, boiled (174271) | 1 cup | 1.08 | 0.63 | 31 |
| Sockeye salmon, cooked (173692) | 3 oz | 1.03 | 1.21 | 23 |
| Chicken breast, meat only, roasted (171477) | 1/2 breast | 0.90 | 1.05 | 27 |
| Pork loin chop, lean, broiled (168253) | 3 oz | 0.89 | 1.05 | 23 |
| Tofu, firm, raw (172475) | 1/2 cup | 0.88 | 0.70 | 22 |
| Beef top sirloin, lean, broiled (168634) | 3 oz | 0.83 | 0.97 | 26 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained (175139) | 1 can, 92 g | 0.76 | 0.83 | 23 |
| Tilapia, cooked (175177) | 1 fillet, 87 g | 0.76 | 0.87 | 23 |
| Ricotta, part skim (171248) | 1/2 cup | 0.74 | 0.60 | 14 |
| Turkey, whole, roasted, meat only (171481) | 3 oz | 0.73 | 0.86 | 25 |
| Shrimp, cooked (171971) | 3 oz | 0.73 | 0.86 | 19 |
| Light tuna, canned in water, drained (171986) | 3 oz | 0.73 | 0.86 | 22 |
| Halibut, cooked (174201) | 3 oz | 0.73 | 0.85 | 19 |
| Ground beef, 90% lean, broiled (174031) | 3 oz | 0.68 | 0.80 | 22 |
| Atlantic cod, cooked (171956) | 3 oz | 0.66 | 0.77 | 19 |
| Yogurt, plain, low fat (170886) | 1 cup | 0.65 | 0.27 | 13 |
| Parmesan, hard (170848) | 1 oz | 0.57 | 2.00 | 10 |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared (168411) | 1 cup | 0.52 | 0.34 | 18 |
| Swiss cheese (171251) | 1 oz | 0.48 | 1.69 | 8 |
| Lentils, boiled (172421) | 1 cup | 0.48 | 0.24 | 18 |
| Black beans, boiled (173735) | 1 cup | 0.43 | 0.25 | 15 |
| Whole milk (171265) | 1 cup | 0.39 | 0.16 | 8 |
| Hemp seeds, hulled (170148) | 3 tbsp | 0.38 | 1.26 | 9 |
| Kidney beans, boiled (173740) | 1 cup | 0.36 | 0.20 | 15 |
| Chickpeas, boiled (173757) | 1 cup | 0.36 | 0.22 | 15 |
| Mozzarella, part-skim, low moisture (171244) | 1 oz | 0.32 | 1.12 | 7 |
| Cheddar cheese (173414) | 1 oz | 0.31 | 1.11 | 6 |
| Pumpkin seed kernels, roasted (170557) | 1 oz | 0.31 | 1.08 | 8 |
| Peanuts, dry roasted (173806) | 1 oz | 0.27 | 0.96 | 7 |
| Egg, hard-boiled (173424) | 1 large | 0.26 | 0.51 | 6 |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water (173905) | 1 cup | 0.24 | 0.10 | 6 |
| Quinoa, cooked (168917) | 1 cup | 0.15 | 0.08 | 8 |
| Almonds (170567) | 1 oz | 0.13 | 0.45 | 6 |
| Banana, raw (173944) | 1 medium | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1 |
Cottage cheese tops the per-serving list because a cup is a large portion and dairy protein carries a good deal of tyrosine, as a later section shows. Soy foods come next; our guides to tempeh, soybeans and tofu cover their other nutrients, and our salmon guide does the same for the leading fish.
Tyrosine rich foods by food group
- Dairy and eggs: USDA lists Parmesan at 2.00 grams per 100 grams, Swiss cheese at 1.69, part-skim mozzarella at 1.12, cheddar at 1.11, part-skim ricotta at 0.60, cottage cheese at 0.57, plain low fat yogurt at 0.27 and whole milk at 0.16; one large hard-boiled egg has 0.26 grams.
- Soy and legumes: USDA lists firm tofu at 0.70 grams per 100 grams, tempeh at 0.66, boiled soybeans at 0.63 and prepared edamame at 0.34; boiled lentils, black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans fall between 0.20 and 0.25.
- Fish and shellfish: USDA lists cooked sockeye salmon at 1.21 grams per 100 grams, with tilapia, canned light tuna, shrimp, halibut, sardines and Atlantic cod between 0.77 and 0.87.
- Poultry and meat: USDA lists roasted chicken breast and broiled pork loin at 1.05 grams per 100 grams, broiled top sirloin at 0.97, roasted turkey at 0.86 and broiled 90% lean ground beef at 0.80.
- Nuts, seeds and grains: USDA lists hulled hemp seeds at 1.26 grams per 100 grams, roasted pumpkin seeds at 1.08, dry roasted peanuts at 0.96 and almonds at 0.45; cooked oatmeal has 0.10 and cooked quinoa 0.08.
Tyrosine travels with protein, so nearly every entry in our protein foods guide also counts among these tyrosine foods.
Why dairy ranks high
A food’s tyrosine figure depends on how much protein it has and on how much of that protein is tyrosine. Dividing tyrosine by protein in USDA SR Legacy, tyrosine makes up about 6.3% of the protein in Swiss cheese, 5.6% in Parmesan, 5.4% in cottage cheese and 5.0% in whole milk and plain yogurt. The same sum gives 4.6% for sockeye salmon, 3.5% for boiled soybeans, 3.4% for roasted chicken breast, 3.2% for broiled top sirloin, 2.7% for boiled lentils and 1.9% for cooked quinoa in USDA data.
That is why an ounce of Parmesan, at 0.57 grams in USDA data, supplies more than a cup of boiled lentils or black beans, and why a cup of plain low fat yogurt (0.65 grams) sits level with 3 ounces of cooked Atlantic cod (0.66).
Tyrosine and phenylalanine
MedlinePlus Genetics explains that an enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase is responsible for converting phenylalanine to tyrosine. MedlinePlus lists phenylalanine among the nine essential amino acids, which must come from food, and tyrosine among the nonessential ones. MedlinePlus also lists tyrosine among the conditionally essential amino acids, which it describes as usually not essential except in times of illness and stress.
USDA reports the two amino acids separately. SR Legacy lists 1.23 grams of phenylalanine and 1.05 grams of tyrosine per 100 grams of roasted chicken breast, 0.87 and 0.63 for boiled soybeans, and 1.92 and 2.00 for Parmesan. In USDA data, protein foods that supply one supply the other.
PKU and this list
Phenylketonuria, commonly called PKU, is an inherited disorder that increases the level of phenylalanine in the blood, according to MedlinePlus Genetics. In PKU, MedlinePlus Genetics explains, gene variants leave the converting enzyme unable to process phenylalanine effectively. MedlinePlus Genetics states that because phenylalanine is found in all proteins, the PKU diet consists of avoiding meat, dairy, nuts, tofu and other foods that are high in protein, and that the amount of phenylalanine that is safe to consume is different for each person. Nearly every entry in the table above is one of those protein foods, so this list is not a guide for anyone with PKU, whose diet MedlinePlus describes as built on low-protein foods.
Foods with little tyrosine
USDA lists 0.30 grams of tyrosine per 100 grams of unsweetened gelatin powder (FDC 169599), even though the powder is about 86% protein by weight; tyrosine is about 0.4% of its protein in USDA data, far below any food in the table. Our gelatin guide has more. Fruit is low for a different reason: USDA lists 0.01 grams per 100 grams of raw banana, because fruit has little protein of any kind.
What the body does with this amino acid
MedlinePlus Genetics states that tyrosine is used to make several types of hormones, a pigment called melanin and neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit signals in the brain. That describes body chemistry, not an effect of any particular food. Tyrosine is also a different substance from tyramine, which has its own list on this site: our tyramine list.
This list covers food only. For the supplement form, see our tyrosine guide.
Per serving versus per 100-gram numbers
The two number columns answer different questions. Per 100 grams shows how concentrated a food is, which is why hard cheeses, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds look strong; per serving shows what a typical USDA portion supplies, which is why a cup of cottage cheese, tempeh or soybeans rises to the top. The figures belong to the specific SR Legacy entries named in the table, and USDA values for other cuts, varieties and cooking methods differ. For the previous amino acid in this series, see our sibling list of foods high in lysine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which foods have the most tyrosine per serving?
In USDA SR Legacy data, a cup of lowfat cottage cheese (1.28 grams), a cup of tempeh (1.10), a cup of boiled soybeans (1.08) and 3 ounces of cooked sockeye salmon (1.03) lead this list.
Is tyrosine an essential amino acid?
MedlinePlus lists tyrosine as nonessential and also as conditionally essential, and MedlinePlus Genetics explains that the body makes it from phenylalanine.
Is there a %DV for tyrosine?
No. FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, sets a Daily Value for protein but none for individual amino acids.
What are tyrosine rich foods for people who skip meat?
In USDA data, cottage cheese, tempeh, boiled soybeans, firm tofu, ricotta, yogurt, Parmesan, Swiss cheese, edamame and lentils all appear in the list above.
Why do hard cheeses look so concentrated in this list?
They are concentrated protein foods, and tyrosine is a large share of that protein: about 5.6% for Parmesan and 6.3% for Swiss cheese in USDA data.
Is this list meant for people with PKU?
No. MedlinePlus Genetics states that the PKU diet consists of avoiding foods that are high in protein and that the amount of phenylalanine that is safe to consume is different for each person.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Foods High in Lysine: USDA Values per Serving, L-Tyrosine: What It Does, What Studies Show and Who Should Avoid It, High Protein Foods: USDA Values for Meat, Dairy and Plant Sources, Cheese: Nutrition, Types of Cheese and Is Cheese Healthy?.