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Enchiladas Calories by Filling, Sauce and Plate

One chicken enchilada has about 267 calories according to USDA and a beef one about 286. Add Spanish rice and refried beans to two of them and the plate reaches about 1,043. See what the sauce, cheese and sides add.

By Khanh Phan

Two chicken enchiladas with a cup of Spanish rice and half a cup of refried beans add up to about 1,043 calories, built from USDA values. The enchiladas are only about half of that. The rest is the rice, the beans and any cheese or sour cream on top, so the plate needs counting as much as the enchiladas do. Snap the whole plate in Dietfit and the enchiladas, rice and beans each get their own line, so a side that grows does not hide inside one entry.

Enchilada calories by filling

USDA counts one enchilada at 5.3 oz (150 g). Here is one, two and three of each:

Filling

1 enchilada

2 enchiladas

3 enchiladas

Protein (1)

Sodium (1)

No meat

248

495

742

9.6 g

711 mg

Chicken

267

534

801

15.0 g

688 mg

Beef

286

573

860

14.6 g

687 mg

Pork

288

576

864

14.3 g

684 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

The filling moves the number by only about 40 calories an enchilada, from the meatless version to pork. The count matters more: each extra enchilada adds 250 to 290 calories and close to 700 mg of sodium. Three chicken enchiladas alone come to about 2,060 mg, close to the 2,300 mg Daily Value, before any rice or beans.

Restaurant cheese enchiladas run richer. USDA's restaurant sample has 273 calories per 100 g, against 178 for its chicken enchilada; at the same 5.3 oz, that is about 410 calories and 12.5 g of saturated fat, more than half the 20 g Daily Value.

Sauce, cheese and tortilla: what changes the number

When you make enchiladas at home, three parts set most of the count besides the filling.

Red or green sauce

Neither sauce adds much in calories. A quarter cup of red enchilada sauce has about 19 calories and 350 mg of sodium; green has about 24 calories and 580 mg. The difference that matters is sodium: a pan that uses 2 cups of green sauce carries more than 4,600 mg before the filling goes in.

The cheese on top

The cheese is where calories pile up. Per 1/4 cup:

  • Queso fresco, crumbled: 101 calories

  • Mexican blend, shredded: 102 calories

  • Cheddar, shredded: 116 calories

  • Cotija, 2 tbsp: 44 calories, with about 200 mg of sodium

A quarter cup of shredded cheese over each enchilada adds about 100 to 116 calories apiece, more than a third of a chicken enchilada again. A 2 tbsp dollop of sour cream adds about 59 more.

The tortilla

A medium corn tortilla (1 oz) has 61 calories; a medium flour tortilla (1.6 oz) has 138. Rolling each enchilada in flour instead of corn adds about 77 calories apiece, and our guide to taco calories compares the shells in more detail.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS): red and green enchilada sauce, queso fresco, Mexican blend cheese, Cheddar cheese, queso cotija, sour cream, corn and flour tortillas.

Enchilada Toppings Calories

The combo plate: rice and beans

Put two chicken enchiladas on a plate with Spanish rice and beans, and the sides end up close to half the total:

Plate

Two chicken enchiladas

Rice

Beans

Total

Classic

534

Spanish rice, 1 cup: 279

Refried beans, restaurant-style, 1/2 cup: 230

1,043

Lighter

534

Spanish rice without added fat, 1/2 cup: 123

Black beans, 1/2 cup: 121

778

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); totals worked out from the values above.

The classic plate carries about 2,650 mg of sodium, more than the 2,300 mg Daily Value in one meal; the lighter plate cuts that to about 2,070 mg. Most of the calorie gap of 265 comes from the rice: a full cup made with fat against half a cup made without. Black beans in place of restaurant refried beans save another 109 and keep the fiber, about 9 g in half a cup. Ordering one enchilada instead of two takes the lighter plate down to about 511 calories.

Enchilada Plate Calories

Lighter enchiladas at home

Per enchilada, these swaps add up fast across a pan of eight:

  • Corn tortillas instead of flour: about 77 calories fewer each.

  • 2 tbsp of cotija instead of 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar: about 72 fewer.

  • Red sauce instead of a cheese sauce, 1/4 cup: about 85 fewer (19 against 104).

  • Chicken instead of beef or pork: about 20 fewer, with a little more protein.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); savings worked out per enchilada.

All four together save about 250 calories per enchilada, or about 2,000 across a pan of eight. None of them takes enchiladas off the menu, so the dish can stay in a calorie deficit. Logging the sides separately helps too; a calorie tracker that splits the plate into items shows whether the rice or the enchiladas grew this time. For how enchiladas compare with tacos, burritos and quesadillas, see whether Mexican food is healthy.

FAQ

How many calories are in one enchilada?

One enchilada (5.3 oz) has about 248 to 288 calories depending on the filling, according to USDA: about 267 for chicken, 286 for beef and 248 with no meat.

How many calories are in 2 chicken enchiladas?

Two chicken enchiladas have about 534 calories and 30 g of protein, according to USDA. With a cup of Spanish rice and half a cup of restaurant-style refried beans, the plate comes to about 1,043.

How many calories are in a cheese enchilada?

USDA's restaurant cheese enchilada has 273 calories per 100 g, which works out to about 410 calories for a 5.3 oz enchilada, with about 12.5 g of saturated fat.

Is red or green enchilada sauce lower in calories?

Both are low: a quarter cup of red sauce has about 19 calories and green about 24, according to USDA. Green sauce has more sodium, about 580 mg per quarter cup against 350 mg for red.

Are enchiladas healthy?

Enchiladas can fit a balanced diet. A chicken enchilada has about 15 g of protein, but each one also carries close to 700 mg of sodium, and cheese on top and rich sides add up quickly. Corn tortillas, a lean filling, less cheese and black beans instead of restaurant refried beans keep the plate lighter.

How many enchiladas should I eat?

That depends on your calorie target and what else is on the plate. Two chicken enchiladas with half a cup each of Spanish rice and black beans come to about 778 calories; one enchilada with the same sides comes to about 511.

References

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