Cheese tamale calories come to 387 for one restaurant tamale (179 g), or 216 per 100 g. Half of those calories come from fat, and a single tamale carries 900 mg of sodium, which is 39% of the daily value before you add salsa, rice or beans.
387kcal
1 tamale · 179 g, restaurant serving
17%protein
16.1 gProtein
32 gCarbs
21 gFat
How to burn off 387 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Restaurant serving · per 179 g
Calories
387 kcal
Protein
16.1 g
Carbohydrate
32 g
Fat
21 g
Saturated fat
7.1 g
Cholesterol
54 mg
Sodium
900 mg
Potassium
315 mg
Iron
1.6 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Cheese tamale: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 tamale (179 g)
387
16.1 g
32.2 g
21.5 g
900 mg
19%
2 tamales (351 g)
758
31.6 g
63.1 g
42.1 g
1,766 mg
38%
100 g
216
9 g
18 g
12 g
503 mg
11%
3 × 1 tamale (179 g)
1,160
48.3 g
2,701 mg
5 × 1 tamale (179 g)
1,933
80.5 g
4,502 mg
Two tamales land at 758 calories
The restaurant serving behind these numbers is one 179 g cheese tamale at 387 calories. That is 19% of the daily calorie value, which sounds modest until you remember tamales rarely arrive alone. Order two and the total for 351 g reaches 758 calories, or 38% of the daily value, before rice, beans or sauce join the plate.
Size matters as much as count. If each tamale on your plate weighs close to 179 g, the multiples run 773 calories for two, 1,160 for three and 1,933 for five. A family platter of five is most of a day's food in one sitting. Homemade tamales vary a lot in size, so weighing one once is the fastest way to know which row fits yours.
Protein grows at the same pace: 16.1 g in one tamale, 31.6 g in two, and 48.3 g in three. The catch is that fat climbs right alongside it, from 21.5 g in one tamale to 42.1 g in two. Decide the count before the plate arrives, not after the second one is gone.
Half of every calorie comes from fat
Fat supplies 50% of the calories in a cheese tamale, carbs 33% and protein 17%. Per 100 g that works out to 12 g of fat, 18 g of carbs and 9 g of protein. Both the masa dough and the cheese filling carry fat, so there is no lean layer to fall back on.
Saturated fat sits at 4 g per 100 g, and cholesterol at 30 mg per 100 g. Neither is extreme for a cheese dish, but they add up quickly when the portion doubles. If you track saturated fat, the cheese tamale is the richer pick in the tamale family.
The carb side is simple: mostly corn masa, with very little sugar. One tamale has 32.2 g of carbs, only 2.2 g of sugars and 3.9 g of fiber. That makes it a starchy, savory food rather than a sweet one, and the fiber is a modest bonus rather than a reason to order it.
Sodium is the row to watch
One cheese tamale delivers 900 mg of sodium, 39% of the daily value. Two tamales push that to 1,766 mg, or 77%, and three reach 2,701 mg, which is more than the full daily value on its own. Per 100 g the figure is 503 mg, or 22% of the daily value.
Restaurant plates tend to make this worse, not better. Salsa, refried beans, Mexican rice and a sprinkle of extra cheese all carry their own salt, and none of it is counted in the 900 mg above. The tamale alone has already used a large slice of the budget.
If you watch sodium, the corn tamale is the lighter option at 277 mg per 100 g, against 503 mg here. Sticking to one cheese tamale and pairing it with fresh, unsalted sides keeps the day's total far more manageable than ordering a second.
Build the plate around one tamale
A single cheese tamale works best as the anchor of a meal rather than the whole thing. It brings 16.1 g of protein and plenty of energy, so the rest of the plate can lean on volume: a crisp cabbage slaw, sliced tomatoes, grilled peppers or a green salad. These add bulk and crunch for very few calories.
Sauces deserve a quick look. A spoon of fresh pico de gallo adds flavor without much fat, while sour cream or a cheese sauce stacks more fat on a food that is already half fat by calories. Beans add fiber and protein, but restaurant refried beans can also add salt, so a smaller scoop goes a long way.
Store-bought versions such as Delimex Green Chile & Cheese Tamale or Tucson Tamale Jalapeno & Cheese Tamales differ from the restaurant row used here, so check their labels against your portion. BodyPal can log a cheese tamale from a photo, which makes it easier to see how the full plate adds up.
How does cheese tamale compare?
Here is how a cheese tamale stacks up against plain, corn and chicken tamales, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For fewer calories pick the plain or chicken tamale at 174 per 100 g, or the corn tamale if sodium is your concern at 277 mg per 100 g. The cheese tamale wins on protein at 9 g per 100 g, but it is also the most calorie-dense of the group at 216 per 100 g.
Most popular cheese tamale brands in the United States
5Padrino Foods Black Bean & Cheese Tamale2.5 oz · 71 g183 kcal
6Padrino Foods 4 Cheese Tamales In Corn Husks2.5 oz · 71 g292 kcal
7Extraordinary Bites Chili & Cheese Tamales3.5 oz · 99 g323 kcal
Packaged tamales are sold by the piece and most weigh 71 to 156 g, less than the 179 g restaurant tamale used above, so their label numbers read lower. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Cheese tamale FAQs
How many calories are in one cheese tamale?
A restaurant cheese tamale of 179 g is 387 calories. Two tamales come to 758 calories.
Are cheese tamales good for weight loss?
One 179 g tamale is 387 calories with 16.1 g protein, 32.2 g carbs and 21.5 g fat. At 216 calories per 100 g it is denser than a plain tamale at 174.
Cheese tamale vs chicken tamale: which has fewer calories?
Chicken tamales are 174 calories per 100 g against 216 for cheese, a difference of 42 calories per 100 g.
How much protein is in a cheese tamale?
About 9 g of protein per 100 g, so 16.1 g in a 179 g tamale.
How much sodium is in a cheese tamale?
One restaurant cheese tamale (179 g) has 900 mg of sodium, which is 39% of the daily value. Two tamales bring 1,766 mg, or 77%, so sides like salsa and beans push the total even higher.
How much fat is in a cheese tamale?
A cheese tamale has 21.5 g of fat per 179 g tamale, and fat supplies 50% of its calories. Per 100 g there are 12 g of fat, including 4 g of saturated fat.
How many calories are in two cheese tamales?
Two restaurant cheese tamales (351 g) contain 758 calories, about 38% of the daily calorie value. They also carry 1,766 mg of sodium and 31.6 g of protein.
How many carbs are in a cheese tamale?
One cheese tamale has 32.2 g of carbs, with 3.9 g of fiber and only 2.2 g of sugars. Carbs supply 33% of its calories, mostly from the corn masa.
Do cheese tamales have a lot of sugar?
No. A cheese tamale has just 2.2 g of sugars per 179 g tamale, or 1.2 g per 100 g. It is a savory, starchy food, and its calories come mainly from fat and carbs.
