The effects of pairing a low quality forage with increasing metabolizable protein (MP) supplementation from a moderately abundant rumen undegradable protein (RUP) source (corn gluten meal; 62% RUP) on essential plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations were evaluated in a 60-day trial. Non-pregnant, non-lactating cows (n=24) were offered ad libitum access to cornstalks and fed 1 of 3 isocaloric diets (0.48 NEm/lb) and supplemented primarily with corn gluten meal to provide 100% MP requirements (CON), 125% MP requirements (MP125), or 150% MP requirements (MP150). It was observed that increasing concentrations of MP in the diet from a moderately abundant RUP source increased the percent of essential AA, ketogenic AA, branched-chain AA and urea cycle AA in plasma. Also, as a percent of total AA, glycogenic AA were decreased with increased MP supplementation. Therefore, increasing supplementation of MP can the shift essential AA profiles of beef cows when fed with low quality forage.