Skip to main content

Burrito Calories: Chicken, Beef, Bean and Chipotle

Burrito calories depend on size more than filling. A regular chicken, bean and cheese burrito has about 447 calories and a large 670, while a Chipotle chicken burrito with rice, beans, cheese and sour cream reaches 1,085. See calories for 12 burritos.

By Phu Le

Before any filling goes in, a burrito-size flour tortilla already has about 320 calories. That is as much as 4 oz of grilled chicken and half a cup of black beans put together, according to USDA. Everything after the wrap (the rice, the cheese, the sour cream, the size you order) decides whether the finished burrito lands near 450 calories or past 1,000. Below are the numbers for each of those choices, from USDA data and Chipotle's own nutrition chart.

Burrito calories by size

USDA lists burritos in three sizes. For a chicken, bean and cheese burrito, the numbers look like this:

  • Mini (3.9 oz, 110 g): about 223 calories and 13 g of protein.

  • Regular (7.8 oz, 220 g): about 447 calories and 25 g of protein.

  • Large (11.6 oz, 330 g): about 670 calories and 38 g of protein.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS), burrito, chicken, with beans, cheese.

A Chipotle burrito's fillings (4 oz each of rice, beans, chicken and salsa, plus 1 oz of cheese and 2 oz of sour cream) weigh about 19 oz, more than USDA's whole large burrito, tortilla included. That is how a chain order passes 1,000 calories with the same ingredients.

Calories in a burrito by filling

At the same size, the filling moves the number by up to about 140 calories. The table gives USDA's regular and large sizes for 12 common burritos, lightest first:

Burrito

Regular size

Calories (regular)

Calories (large)

Protein (regular)

Sodium (regular)

Bean and cheese

6.7 oz (190 g)

372

559

15.4 g

853 mg

Bean and rice, with cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

444

667

15.2 g

946 mg

Chicken, beans and cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

447

670

25.2 g

1,071 mg

Egg (breakfast burrito)

6.3 oz (180 g)

448

n/a

19.6 g

846 mg

Chicken, beans, rice and cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

460

690

24.4 g

1,025 mg

Beef, beans and cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

482

723

24.5 g

1,069 mg

Egg and sausage (breakfast burrito)

6.7 oz (190 g)

488

n/a

21.4 g

920 mg

Cheese only

5.3 oz (150 g)

492

738

20.5 g

1,056 mg

Beef, beans, rice and cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

495

742

23.7 g

1,023 mg

Beef and cheese

6.7 oz (190 g)

507

761

25.2 g

863 mg

Pork and cheese

6.7 oz (190 g)

509

764

24.5 g

857 mg

Chicken and cheese

7.8 oz (220 g)

537

805

30.2 g

1,003 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS). Large sizes are 10.1 oz (285 g) or 11.6 oz (330 g); the cheese-only large is 7.9 oz (225 g).

Beans and rice make a burrito lighter per ounce. A chicken and cheese burrito has 244 calories per 100 g; add beans and it drops to 203, because beans have fewer calories per ounce than meat and cheese (134 per 100 g for black beans, against 176 for grilled chicken breast and 409 for cheddar). A bean and cheese burrito is the lightest regular burrito here and has the most fiber, about 9 g. The cheese-only burrito is small but dense: 5.3 oz carries about 13 g of saturated fat, 65% of the 20 g Daily Value.

Every regular burrito in the table has more than 840 mg of sodium, over a third of the 2,300 mg Daily Value. For how burritos compare with tacos, enchiladas and other dishes, see our guide to whether Mexican food is healthy.

Burrito Calories by Filling

What each layer adds: home-built vs Chipotle

To see where the calories sit, here is the same chicken burrito built two ways: at home with USDA values for common portions, and at Chipotle with the values from its published nutrition chart. Chipotle serves rice, beans, protein and salsa in 4 oz portions.

Layer

Home-built (USDA)

Calories

Chipotle

Calories

Tortilla

Flour, extra large (3.7 oz)

318

Flour tortilla (burrito)

320

Rice

White rice, 1/2 cup

102

Cilantro-lime white rice, 4 oz

210

Beans

Black beans, 1/2 cup

121

Black beans, 4 oz

130

Protein

Grilled chicken breast, 4 oz

200

Chicken, 4 oz

180

Salsa

Pico de gallo, 1/4 cup

10

Fresh tomato salsa, 4 oz

25

Cheese

Cheddar, shredded, 1/4 cup (1 oz)

116

Cheese, 1 oz

110

Sour cream

Regular, 2 tbsp

59

Sour cream, 2 oz

110

Total

926

1,085

Add guacamole

1/4 cup

93

4 oz

230

Source: USDA FoodData Central; Chipotle US Nutrition Facts chart.

The tortilla is the biggest single layer in both builds, about 320 calories before any filling. Chicken, cheese and beans come out close; the gap sits in the rice, the sour cream and the guacamole, where Chipotle's layers have about twice the calories of the home ones. Both builds carry about 60 g of protein, which is why a burrito can cover a big share of a day's macros in one meal.

Sodium adds up the same way. Chipotle's build comes to about 2,240 mg, close to the 2,300 mg Daily Value, with the tortilla (600 mg) and the fresh tomato salsa (550 mg) as the two largest parts.

Burrito Layers Home Vs Chipotle

Frozen burritos

Frozen burritos are much smaller than restaurant ones, so the numbers drop with the weight. These are the label values the brands report to USDA:

Frozen burrito

Size

Calories

Protein

Sodium

El Monterey Bean and Cheese

1 burrito (4 oz, 113 g)

200

7 g

250 mg

El Monterey Beef and Bean

1 burrito (4 oz, 113 g)

290

9 g

390 mg

Amy's Bean, Rice and Cheese

1 burrito (6 oz, 170 g)

340

12 g

620 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods (label data).

A 4 oz frozen burrito is about half the weight of a regular USDA burrito, so two of them land close to one regular bean and cheese burrito. They are also lower in protein: 7 to 12 g each, against about 25 g in a regular chicken burrito.

Burrito or burrito bowl?

A bowl saves calories only when the fillings stay the same. At Chipotle, the same chicken order as a bowl drops the 320-calorie tortilla and comes to 765 calories. USDA's standard chicken burrito bowl with beans and rice, though, has 457 calories, almost the same as a regular chicken, bean, rice and cheese burrito (460), because the bowl portion is bigger: 11.1 oz against 7.8 oz. Skipping the tortilla helps only if the bowl does not fill back up with extra rice, cheese or guacamole.

How to cut calories from a burrito

Each change below is priced on the Chipotle chicken burrito from the layer table (1,085 calories) unless noted. Pick the ones you would not miss:

  • Skip the sour cream: saves 110. Fresh tomato salsa or tomatillo-green chili salsa (15 calories per 2 oz) adds flavor for much less.

  • Go easy on the cheese: dropping the 1 oz of cheese as well saves another 110.

  • Choose salsa over guacamole: saves 205. A 4 oz scoop of guacamole has 230 calories; fresh tomato salsa has 25.

  • Add fajita veggies: 20 calories for 2 oz, which adds volume without much energy.

  • Order a regular, not a large: saves about 220 on a chicken, bean and cheese burrito, based on USDA sizes.

  • Make it a bowl: saves 320, as long as the bowl does not gain extra toppings.

Put together, a Chipotle bowl with chicken, white rice, black beans, fajita veggies and fresh tomato salsa comes to 565 calories, about half the burrito, with 45 g of protein. That kind of swap makes a burrito easier to fit in a calorie deficit, and the same logic works at any Tex-Mex counter when eating out while losing weight.

Source: Chipotle US Nutrition Facts chart; USDA FoodData Central.

A burrito is one of the hardest meals to log from a photo, since the tortilla hides almost everything inside. With an AI calorie tracker like Dietfit, Deep Scan marks each ingredient it can see and lets you edit each one, so you can add the rice, beans and sour cream you know are inside. For a chain order, you can also log the meal by typing what went in.

FAQ

How many calories are in a burrito?

A regular burrito has about 370 to 540 calories, depending on the filling, and a large one about 560 to 810, according to USDA. A regular chicken, bean and cheese burrito has about 447. Restaurant burritos can pass 1,000 calories: a Chipotle chicken burrito with rice, beans, salsa, cheese and sour cream has 1,085.

How many calories are in a chicken burrito?

A regular chicken, bean and cheese burrito (7.8 oz) has about 447 calories and 25 g of protein, and a large one (11.6 oz) about 670, according to USDA. With rice added, the regular size has about 460.

How many calories are in a bean and cheese burrito?

A regular bean and cheese burrito (6.7 oz) has about 372 calories and 9 g of fiber, according to USDA, and a large one about 559. A 4 oz El Monterey frozen bean and cheese burrito has 200 calories.

How many calories are in a breakfast burrito?

An egg burrito (6.3 oz) has about 448 calories, and an egg and sausage burrito (6.7 oz) about 488, according to USDA.

Does a burrito bowl have fewer calories than a burrito?

Only if the fillings stay the same. At Chipotle, a bowl skips the 320-calorie tortilla, so the same chicken order drops from 1,085 to 765 calories. USDA's standard chicken bowl with beans and rice (457 calories) is about the same as a regular chicken burrito, because the bowl is bigger.

Is a burrito good for weight loss?

A burrito can fit weight loss when the size and toppings fit your calorie target. A regular bean and cheese burrito has about 372 calories, and a Chipotle bowl with chicken, rice, black beans, fajita veggies and salsa has 565 with 45 g of protein.

References

Blog

More posts

View all posts

Is Soul Food Healthy? Calories in Southern Classics

Soul food can be light or heavy depending on the plate. Collard greens have 63 calories a cup and black-eyed peas 11 g of fiber, while candied yams, mac and cheese and fried chicken add up fast. See USDA calories for 26 dishes.

By Khanh Phan

Is Mexican Food Healthy? Dish Calories and Lighter Orders

Mexican food can be light or heavy depending on the order. Two chicken tacos with pico de gallo have about 450 calories; chips, queso, a large burrito and a margarita pass 1,350. See calories for 16 dishes and lighter orders.

By Phat Nguyen

Sweet Tea Calories and Sugar: Glass, Gallon, McDonald's

An 8 oz glass of sweet tea has about 79 calories and 19 g of sugar. See calories by glass and gallon, how much sugar homemade tea really takes, McDonald's and bottled numbers, and easy ways to cut back.

By Ngoc Hoang
dietfit

Your next meal,
a little better understood.

Get the app