How many calories are in a chicken empanada?
One regular chicken empanada weighs about 130 g and carries 402 calories. Per 100 g, crust and filling together run 309 calories, which lands a single one between a bagel and a fast-food cheeseburger. The small individual size sold three to a tray is a different animal: 35 g and 108 calories.
You'd need to walk about 80 minutes to burn the 402 calories in one regular empanada (130 g).
How long does it take to burn off 402 kcal of chicken empanada?
One regular empanada (130 g) is 402 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 402 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 1 hr 20 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 50 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 57 min |
| Jogging | 47 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 1 hr 29 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (130 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Chicken empanada quick facts
- US servings from one ounce to a full-size empanada
- Beef and vegetable versions and the mini empanada
- Sodium and saturated fat are the rows to watch
- How does a chicken empanada compare?
- Most popular chicken empanada brands
- FAQ
Chicken empanada quick facts
The number here comes from FNDDS 2708713, "Empanada, chicken", the survey record for a chicken-filled empanada with no vegetables mixed into the filling. That is the thing a person is usually holding: one bought hot from a bakery case, a Latin cafe, or pulled out of a home oven. Frozen retail empanadas are a lighter, smaller product and they get their own numbers further down.
One warning about the record before the table. FNDDS does not split baked from fried, so a single set of values covers both cooking methods, and the survey average leans toward the fried version most people buy.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 regular empanada (130 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 309 | 402 | — |
| Total fat | 16.46 g | 21.4 g | 27% |
| Saturated fat | 5.63 g | 7.3 g | 37% |
| Carbohydrate | 27.45 g | 35.7 g | 13% |
| Dietary fiber | 1.6 g | 2.1 g | 7% |
| Total sugars | 2.1 g | 2.7 g | — |
| Protein | 12.57 g | 16.3 g | 33% |
| Sodium | 460 mg | 598 mg | 26% |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg | 55 mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 185 mg | 241 mg | 5% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
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 →
Two rows you will see on a packaged empanada box are missing here on purpose. This edition of FNDDS does not publish added sugars or trans fat for the record, and an empty field is not the same as a zero, so those lines are left out rather than filled with a guess. Total sugars have no Daily Value at all, which is why that cell shows a dash.
The percentages come from the FDA Daily Values used on the Nutrition Facts label. Note what a single pastry does to two of them: a third of a day's protein and better than a third of a day's saturated fat, from a thing that fits in one hand.
US servings from one ounce to a full-size empanada
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28 g | 87 kcal |
| One small individual empanada | 35 g | 108 kcal |
| Two small empanadas | 70 g | 216 kcal |
| USDA quantity-not-specified portion | 105 g | 324 kcal |
| One regular empanada | 130 g | 402 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 309 kcal |
Three of those weights are USDA household measures attached to the record itself: the 130 g regular piece, the 35 g small one, and the 105 g default the survey uses when a person could not say what size they ate. The 1 oz line and the two-small-empanadas line are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings.
The size gap is where logging goes wrong. A regular empanada and a small one are both called "an empanada" on a menu, but one is nearly four times the other, 402 against 108. If your plate came out of a party tray or an appetizer basket, you are almost certainly in small-piece territory, and three of them (105 g) still only reach 324. If it came wrapped in wax paper and needed two hands, use 402.
An ounce of empanada is 87 calories, which makes a handy mental rate: roughly 90 calories per ounce, crust included. Weigh the piece once on a kitchen scale and you will not have to guess again, because bakery sizing is consistent within a shop even when it varies wildly between shops.
Beef and vegetable versions and the mini empanada
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical piece | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken (the baseline) | 309 kcal | 1 regular, 130 g | 402 kcal |
| Chicken with vegetables | 283 kcal | 1 regular, 130 g | 368 kcal |
| Beef | 333 kcal | 1 regular, 130 g | 433 kcal |
| Beef with vegetables | 291 kcal | 1 regular, 130 g | 378 kcal |
| Filling not specified | 291 kcal | 1 regular, 130 g | 378 kcal |
| Mini chicken empanada, store-bought | 225 kcal | 1 unit, 80 g | 180 kcal |
The vegetable version looks like the healthy pick and mostly is not. Adding vegetables to the chicken filling saves 26 calories per 100 g, 34 on a full piece, but protein falls from 12.57 g to 7.35 g per 100 g. You give up almost half the protein to save about 8% of the calories. If you are eating an empanada as lunch rather than a snack, the straight chicken version does more work per calorie.
Beef is the heaviest of the empanada records at 333 per 100 g, 433 for a regular piece, and it carries slightly less protein than chicken (12.09 g against 12.57 g per 100 g). The "filling not specified" record sits at 291, the same as beef with vegetables, and it is what to use when you genuinely do not know what was inside.
Frozen retail is the real surprise. Store empanadas run 200 to 271 calories per 100 g, every one of them below the 309 of the bakery record. Goya's chicken empanadas are 225 per 100 g and list 160 calories for a 71 g serving. La Fe is 235 per 100 g, 200 for one 85 g empanada. Signature Select appetizer empanadas are 271 per 100 g and 230 for three pieces, Cantina Fresca's all-white-meat version 259 per 100 g and 220 for three, and Feel Good Foods the lightest at 200 per 100 g, 170 for two pieces. Delicias de la Abuela's mini is 225 per 100 g, 180 for one 80 g unit.
Put that on equal footing: 130 g of the Goya product is 293 calories by our own arithmetic from its 100 g figure, against 402 for 130 g of the bakery record. Same weight in your hand, 109 calories apart. Thinner dough and a smaller filling-to-crust ratio explain most of it.
Sodium and saturated fat are the rows to watch
Calories are not the interesting part of an empanada. Sodium is. One regular piece delivers 598 mg, 26% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, or roughly a quarter teaspoon of table salt. Two empanadas and a dipping sauce put you past half a day's sodium before dinner exists, which matters because CDC data show most American adults already run well above the limit without trying.
Saturated fat is the second row. A single 130 g empanada carries 7.3 g, 37% of the 20 g Daily Value, and the source is the dough rather than the bird. Chicken is a lean filling; the shortening and the fryer oil are what push the number. That also explains why the beef record is only 24 calories per 100 g heavier than chicken despite the fattier meat, and why store-bought versions with thinner pastry come in lighter across the board.
The good news sits in the protein column: 16.3 g per regular piece, 33% of the Daily Value, which is more than most handheld pastries manage. MyPlate counts that as a meaningful contribution toward daily protein foods. Fiber is thin at 2.1 g (7% DV) because refined flour dominates the crust, so a side salad rather than a second empanada is the sensible add-on if you are watching sodium and want the plate to fill you up.
How does a chicken empanada compare?
| Pastry | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken empanada | 309 kcal | one small piece, 35 g | 108 kcal |
| Beef empanada | 333 kcal | one small piece, 35 g | 117 kcal |
| Empanada, filling not specified | 291 kcal | one small piece, 35 g | 102 kcal |
| Samosa | 310 kcal | one small piece, 35 g | 109 kcal |
Our take: at snack size these four are effectively the same food, spread across 15 calories, so picking by calories alone is a waste of attention. Pick by protein instead. Chicken empanada carries 12.57 g per 100 g against 5.14 g for the samosa, which means the empanada leaves you fed and the samosa leaves you hungry at the same calorie cost. For a calorie budget, the move is size, not filling: two small chicken empanadas at 216 beat one regular at 402, and they beat it by more than any swap between chicken, beef, and vegetables ever will.
Most popular chicken empanada brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Goya Chicken Empanadas | 225 cal |
| La Fe Chicken Empanadas | 235 cal |
| Signature Select Chicken Empanadas Appetizers | 271 cal |
| Cantina Fresca All White Meat Chicken Empanadas | 259 cal |
| Delicias de la Abuela Mini Chicken Empanada | 225 cal |
| Feel Good Foods Chicken Empanadas | 200 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Chicken empanada FAQs
How many calories are in one chicken empanada?
One regular chicken empanada weighs about 130 g and carries 402 calories, since the USDA survey record runs 309 calories per 100 g. A small individual empanada, the appetizer size, is 35 g and 108 calories. Two of those small ones come to 216, still well under one full-size piece.
How many calories in a baked chicken empanada vs a fried one?
One number covers both: 309 calories per 100 g, or 402 for a 130 g piece. The USDA does not publish separate baked and fried chicken empanada records, so there is no official split to quote. Treat 402 as the figure for a typical bakery piece rather than proof of either method.
How much protein is in a chicken empanada?
A 130 g chicken empanada carries 16.3 g of protein, 33% of the 50 g Daily Value. Per 100 g that works out to 12.57 g. Switch to the chicken-with-vegetables record and protein falls to 7.35 g per 100 g, so the lighter version gives up close to half its protein.
Are chicken empanadas high in sodium?
Yes, one 130 g empanada has 598 mg of sodium, 26% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value and roughly a quarter teaspoon of table salt. Per 100 g the record shows 460 mg. Two pieces take you past half a day's sodium before anything else on the plate counts.
How many calories in a Goya chicken empanada?
Goya lists 160 calories for its 71 g serving, which is 225 calories per 100 g. Scaled to the 130 g of a bakery empanada, that is 293 calories by our own arithmetic from the 100 g figure, 109 fewer than the 402 in the USDA survey record at the same weight.
How many calories in a mini chicken empanada?
A store-bought mini chicken empanada is 180 calories for one 80 g unit, at 225 calories per 100 g. The small individual empanada in the USDA survey record is lighter still, 35 g and 108 calories. Mini means two different sizes here, so weigh the piece before you log it.
Chicken empanada vs beef empanada - which has fewer calories?
Chicken, by 24 calories per 100 g. Beef runs 333 against 309, so a 130 g piece is 433 against 402, and a small 35 g piece is 117 against 108. Chicken also carries a little more protein, 12.57 g per 100 g against 12.09 g for beef.
How many carbs are in a chicken empanada?
A 130 g chicken empanada has 35.7 g of carbohydrate, 13% of the 275 g Daily Value, including 2.7 g of sugars and 2.1 g of fiber. Per 100 g the record shows 27.45 g. Nearly all of that comes from the pastry shell rather than the chicken filling.
Similar foods
- Sausage — 210 cal per link
- Italian sub — 610 cal per regular sub
- Chuck Roast — 257 cal per 3 oz
- Coconut Shrimp — 250 cal for 4 shrimp
- Hush puppies — 521 cal for 8 hush puppies
- Mozzarella — 334 cal per cup, shredded
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the empanada for you, crust and filling together.
