30 Common Foods High in Dietary Cholesterol

This article lists 30 common foods high in dietary cholesterol, letting you know how much they contain per 100g and per typical serving.

We’ll also explain what dietary cholesterol is and the key facts you need to know.

What Is Dietary Cholesterol?

Dietary cholesterol is sometimes referred to as a fat-like substance because it’s a type of lipid. But to be more precise, cholesterol is scientifically a sterol rather than a type of dietary fat.

Only animal-based foods contain cholesterol, and it is not present in plant-based foods.

For a long time, dietary cholesterol was thought to raise blood cholesterol (like LDL-C) levels. However, recent research suggests this effect is relatively mild for most people, with saturated fat (as found in butter, palm oil, and fatty meat) having a more significant impact.

That said, recent large scientific reviews have shown that dietary cholesterol can still raise blood cholesterol levels. While the effect is small for most people, a 2019 analysis of over 55 studies demonstrated that higher dietary cholesterol intake leads to slight dose-response increases in “bad” LDL cholesterol.

The human body uses cholesterol to make various compounds, including hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. However, these processes do not rely on dietary cholesterol as the body can produce sufficient cholesterol to meet essential needs.

Public Health Guidance on Dietary Cholesterol Intake

Advice from public health organizations on dietary cholesterol has changed over the years. Here are the current recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association:

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) have shifted from advising a set limit on cholesterol intake. In previous editions, an upper intake level was set at 300 mg per day, but the most recent 2025–2030 guidelines focus on limiting saturated fat.
• American Heart Association: The American Heart Association (AHA) has also adjusted its messaging on dietary cholesterol intake. In a 2026 dietary guidance scientific statement, the AHA noted that “dietary cholesterol is no longer a primary target” for cardiovascular risk reduction for most people. However, this same guidance also stated that heart-healthy diets are typically low in cholesterol.

Foods High in Dietary Cholesterol

We will now look at 30 common foods high in dietary cholesterol. In the following table, you’ll see how much dietary cholesterol each food contains per 100 grams, allowing for an easy comparison.

After the table, we’ll examine each food in further detail, presenting their cholesterol both per 100g and per typical serving as per USDA data, alongside any key points of note.

All nutritional data represents typical preparation (e.g. cooked weight where applicable) and has been sourced from the USDA’s FoodData Central database.

Rank	Food name	Cholesterol per 100g	Data source
1	Duck eggs	828 mg	USDA
2	Cod liver oil	570 mg	USDA
3	Liver (chicken)	563 mg	USDA
4	Kidney (pork)	480 mg	USDA
5	Fish roe	479 mg	USDA
6	Pate (chicken liver)	391 mg	USDA
7	Eggs (regular)	373 mg	USDA
8	Squid	260 mg	USDA
9	Ghee	256 mg	USDA
10	Butter	215 mg	USDA
11	Shrimp	189 mg	USDA
12	Calamari	183 mg	USDA
13	Eel	161 mg	USDA
14	Liverwurst sausage	158 mg	USDA
15	Turkey bacon	153 mg	USDA
16	Lobster	146 mg	USDA
17	Chicken wings	141 mg	USDA
18	Crayfish	137 mg	USDA
19	Chicken thigh	133 mg	USDA
20	Chicken drumstick	130 mg	USDA
21	Blood sausage	120 mg	USDA
22	Tallow	109 mg	USDA
23	Bacon (pork)	107 mg	USDA
24	Chicken breast	104 mg	USDA
25	Cheddar cheese	99 mg	USDA
26	Crab (blue)	97 mg	USDA
27	Lamb chop	95 mg	USDA
28	Lard	95 mg	USDA
29	Ground beef (20% fat)	88 mg	USDA
30	Canned anchovies	85 mg	USDA

1) Duck Eggs

• 828 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 580 mg cholesterol per 70g egg
• Note: Duck eggs contain more cholesterol than regular (chicken) eggs for two reasons. They have a larger yolk-to-white ratio and also contain more cholesterol per gram of egg yolk.

Source: USDA – Duck egg, cooked

2) Cod Liver Oil

• 570 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 77.5 mg cholesterol per 13.5g tablespoon

Source: USDA – Fish oil, cod liver oil

3) Chicken Liver

• 563 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 479 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving
• Note: While chicken liver contains the most cholesterol according to USDA data, pork, beef, and other types of liver are high in cholesterol.

Source: USDA – Chicken, liver, cooked, simmered

4) Pork Kidney

• 480 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 408 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving
• Note: As with liver, all types of kidney will contain significant amounts of dietary cholesterol.

Source: USDA – Pork, fresh, kidneys, braised

5) Fish Roe

• 479 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 136 mg cholesterol per oz (28.35g) serving
• Roe is the name for fish eggs, and like other eggs they are a significant cholesterol source.

Source: USDA – Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked

6) Pate (Chicken Liver)

• 391 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 51 mg cholesterol per 13g tablespoon
• Note: There are many varieties of pate, and since most contain ingredients like liver or butter, most will be high in cholesterol. The exception would be plant-based pate products.

Source: USDA – Pate, chicken liver, canned

7) Eggs (regular)

• 373 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 186 mg cholesterol per 50g large egg

Source: USDA – Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled

8) Squid

• 260 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 221 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Mollusks, squid, fried

9) Ghee

• 256 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 36 mg cholesterol per 14g tablespoon
• Note: Ghee is a significant source of saturated fat, which has a stronger effect on increasing blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol.

Source: USDA – Ghee

10) Butter

• 215 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 31 mg cholesterol per 14g tablespoon
• Note: Butter has a higher water content than ghee, which is a more concentrated source of butterfat. This is why it contains less cholesterol than ghee.

Source: USDA – Butter, salted

11) Shrimp

• 189 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 161 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving
• Note: Shrimp are high in cholesterol but contain very low levels of fat. The point here is that the cholesterol content of food isn’t directly related to its fat content.

Source: USDA – Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked

12) Calamari

• 183 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 156 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Calamari, fried

13) Eel

• 161 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 256 mg cholesterol per 159g fillet

Source: USDA – Fish, eel, mixed species, cooked

14) Liver Sausage (Liverwurst)

• 158 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 28 mg cholesterol per 18g slice

Source: USDA – Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork

15) Turkey Bacon

• 153 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 21 mg cholesterol per thick slice (14g)

Source: USDA – Turkey bacon, cooked

16) Lobster

• 146 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 124 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Crustaceans, lobster, Northern, cooked

17) Chicken Wings

• 141 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 120 mg cholesterol per 85g serving
• Note: An 85g serving is approximately 2–3 chicken wings, excluding the bone.

Source: USDA – Chicken, wing, meat and skin, roasted

18) Crayfish

• 137 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 116 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Crustaceans, crayfish, farmed, cooked

19) Chicken Thigh

• 133 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 182 mg cholesterol per 137g thigh with skin

Source: USDA – Chicken, thigh, meat and skin, roasted

20) Chicken Drumstick

• 130 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 136 mg cholesterol per 105g drumstick with skin

Source: USDA – Chicken, drumstick, meat and skin, roasted

21) Blood Sausage

• 120 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 30 mg cholesterol per 25g slice

Source: USDA – Blood sausage

22) Tallow

• 109 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 14 mg cholesterol per 12.8g tablespoon

Source: USDA – Fat, beef tallow

23) Bacon (pork)

• 107 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 9 mg cholesterol per 8g slice

Source: USDA – Pork, cured, bacon, baked

24) Chicken Breast

• 104 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 88 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Chicken, breast, skinless, boneless, grilled

25) Cheddar Cheese

• 99 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 28 mg cholesterol per 28g slice

Source: USDA – Cheese, Cheddar, sharp

26) Crab

• 97 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 82 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked

27) Lamb Chop

• 95 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 81 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Lamb, square-cut shoulder chops, lean and fat, braised

28) Lard

• 95 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 12 mg cholesterol per 12.8g tablespoon

Source: USDA – Lard

29) Ground Beef

• 88 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 75 mg cholesterol per 3 oz (85g) serving

Source: USDA – Beef, ground, 80% lean meat, baked

30) Canned Anchovies

• 85 mg cholesterol per 100g
• 38 mg cholesterol per 45g can

Source: USDA – Fish, anchovy, European, canned in oil, drained

Summary and Points To Note

As you can see from the list of foods high in dietary cholesterol, the main types of food with the most significant cholesterol content includes:

• Dairy fats
• Eggs
• Fish
• Meats and poultry
• Organ meats (offal)
• Shellfish

Bear this in mind with other foods that aren’t featured in this guide. For instance, while chicken liver may contain more cholesterol than pork liver, both will contain high amounts. The same is true for products made from either, such as various types of pate.

It is also worth noting that the cholesterol content of food is distinct and not directly related to how much fat a specific food contains.

A good example of this is that shrimp, which are relatively low in fat, contain significantly more cholesterol than pure fats like lard and tallow. In this context, shrimp contains 189 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams while lard has only 85 mg.

Lastly, it is worth remembering once again that saturated fat has a more profound impact on blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol for most people.

This list of foods high in saturated fat can help you learn more about how much saturated fat is in specific foods.