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Empanada Calories: Small vs Large, Beef to Veggie

A large beef empanada has about 433 calories according to USDA, and a small one about 117. About 60% of those calories come from the pastry. Compare fillings, sizes, store-bought empanadas and dips, plus ways to make them lighter.

By Phat Nguyen

"An empanada" can mean a one-bite party snack or a turnover the size of your hand, and USDA weighs them nearly four times apart: 1.2 oz for a small one and 4.6 oz for a large one. Size moves the calorie count more than anything inside it, so it is the first thing to check.

At a glance, per empanada (USDA): small beef 117 calories; large beef 433; large chicken 402; large no-meat (beans, cheese and vegetables) 345; fruit (2.6 oz) 195. About 60% of a beef empanada's calories come from the pastry.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

Empanada calories by filling and size

USDA lists a small empanada at 1.2 oz and a large one at 4.6 oz. Calories for each, with the rest of the label for the large size:

Filling

Small (1.2 oz)

Large (4.6 oz)

Protein, large

Saturated fat, large

Sodium, large

Beef

117

433

15.7 g

9.0 g

597 mg

Chicken

108

402

16.3 g

7.3 g

598 mg

Beef with vegetables

102

378

9.3 g

7.4 g

580 mg

Chicken with vegetables

99

368

9.6 g

6.8 g

580 mg

No meat (beans, corn, potato, cheese)

93

345

7.5 g

6.0 g

519 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

Empanada Calories by Filling and Size

The filling moves a large empanada by about 90 calories, from 345 for the meatless version to 433 for beef. Beef and chicken bring the most protein, about 16 g. The versions with vegetables come in lower on both calories and protein.

Two numbers stay high whatever the filling. A large empanada carries 6 to 9 g of saturated fat, a third to almost half of the 20 g Daily Value, and about 520 to 600 mg of sodium. The meatless version does have the most fiber, 4.4 g.

Sweet versions are smaller. USDA's fruit empanada (2.6 oz) has about 195 calories, 8.6 g of fat and 11.6 g of sugar.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); FDA Daily Values.

The pastry does most of the work

USDA builds its empanadas on baked pie-style pastry. In its beef empanada recipe, the pastry outweighs the beef by half again, with potato and a little cheese making up the rest. Split a large beef empanada (4.6 oz) along those lines:

  • Pastry, about 1.9 oz: 269 calories, 15.1 g fat, 4.9 g saturated fat

  • Beef, potato and cheese filling, about 2.7 oz: 164 calories, 9.9 g fat, 4.1 g saturated fat

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS recipe and SR Legacy baked pie crust); split worked out from the recipe weights.

Empanada Pastry Vs Filling Calories

That is why a change of filling moves the count less than a change of size: the shell supplies about 60% of a beef empanada's calories, and an even larger share in the lighter fillings.

Baked or fried

USDA's empanada values are for baked pastry; it has no separate entry for fried empanadas. Frying adds whatever oil the dough takes up, and every tablespoon of oil carries about 126 calories. A chef interviewed by Chowhound put the choice down to the filling: drier fillings bake well, while saucy or cheesy ones hold together better when fried, and baking cuts out the excess oil.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS: vegetable oil); Chowhound, "Should You Bake Or Fry Empanadas?"

Restaurant and store-bought empanadas

At a restaurant

USDA also analyzed beef empanadas bought at Latino restaurants. One piece (3.1 oz) came to about 298 calories, 10 g of protein, 16.4 g of fat and 392 mg of sodium. Per ounce, that is almost the same as USDA's standard beef empanada, so the size on the plate is still the number to watch.

From the freezer aisle

USDA's branded database lists 38 packaged empanadas sold as single pieces, from 1.6 to 5.3 oz. Half of them land between about 180 and 240 calories a piece, with a middle value of about 205. The lightest list about 100, and the heaviest 380. Most weigh 2.5 to 4 oz, so check the label for the piece weight before comparing.

Close cousins

USDA files Puerto Rican pastelillos and Jamaican meat pies under the same beef empanada entry, so the numbers above apply to them too. A guava pastry (pastelito de guayaba, 3 oz) is a sweet relative at about 326 calories.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FNDDS and Branded Foods).

Dips, sides and a full plate

Per 2 tablespoons, common dips add:

  • Red salsa or salsa verde: about 11 calories

  • Guacamole: about 47 calories

  • Sour cream: about 59 calories

For more on the green one, see our guide to guacamole nutrition.

Two plates built from USDA values show how far the total can swing:

Lighter plate, about 534 calories: 1 large chicken empanada, 1/2 cup black beans and 2 tablespoons red salsa. It brings about 25 g of protein, 12 g of fiber and 1,120 mg of sodium.

Heavier plate, about 1,204 calories: 2 large beef empanadas, 1 cup Spanish rice and 2 tablespoons sour cream. It brings about 39 g of protein and 1,960 mg of sodium, most of a day's 2,300 mg Daily Value.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); totals worked out from the values for each item; FDA Daily Values.

How to make empanadas lighter

  • Go small, or share a large one. A small beef empanada has about 117 calories against 433 for a large one.

  • Bake instead of frying. USDA's values are already for baked pastry; frying only adds oil, at about 126 calories a tablespoon.

  • Pick chicken or a bean-and-vegetable filling. A large chicken empanada has about 402 calories and a meatless one about 345, with 4.4 g of fiber.

  • Dip in salsa, not sour cream. Two tablespoons of salsa add about 11 calories; sour cream adds about 59.

  • Fill the rest of the plate with beans or salad. Half a cup of black beans adds about 121 calories with 9 g of fiber.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

Size also matters when you log one. If you snap your plate with an AI food scanner like Dietfit, check that the logged size matches what you ate: a small and a large beef empanada are about 316 calories apart.

Empanadas sit with the heavier dishes in our guide to healthy Latin food, next to lighter picks such as ceviche and pozole.

FAQ

  1. How many calories are in one empanada? According to USDA, a small empanada (1.2 oz) has about 93 to 117 calories and a large one (4.6 oz) about 345 to 433, depending on the filling. Packaged single empanadas list about 205 calories at the middle of the range.

  2. Are empanadas healthy? They are better as an occasional food than an everyday one. A large empanada has up to 16 g of protein, but also 6 to 9 g of saturated fat and about 520 to 600 mg of sodium, with much of the fat coming from the pastry.

  3. How many calories are in a chicken empanada? About 108 for a small one and 402 for a large one, with about 16 g of protein in the large size, according to USDA.

  4. How many calories are in a cheese empanada? USDA has no cheese-only entry. Its meatless empanada, filled with beans, corn, potato and cheese, has about 93 calories small and 345 large; one packaged cheese empanada in USDA's branded database lists about 210 calories for a 3 oz piece.

  5. Are baked empanadas healthier than fried? Baked ones carry less fat. USDA's values are for baked pastry, and frying adds the oil the dough absorbs, at about 126 calories per tablespoon.

  6. Is one large empanada more than three small ones? Yes. Three small beef empanadas come to about 351 calories, against about 433 for one large beef empanada.

References

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