How many calories are in a chicken enchilada?
One chicken enchilada weighs about 150 g and carries 267 calories. Per 100 g the dish runs 178 calories, tortilla, shredded chicken, sauce and melted cheese all counted together. Order the usual restaurant plate of two and you are at 534 before the rice and beans show up beside it.
You'd need to walk about 53 minutes to burn the 267 calories in one enchilada (150 g).
How long does it take to burn off 267 kcal of chicken enchilada?
One enchilada (150 g) is 267 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 267 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 53 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 33 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 38 min |
| Jogging | 31 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 59 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 (150 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Chicken enchilada quick facts
- US servings, from one ounce to a plate of two
- Verde, tamale and the frozen box
- Sodium and saturated fat move fastest
- How does a chicken enchilada compare?
- Most popular chicken enchilada brands
- Chicken enchilada FAQs
Chicken enchilada quick facts
The headline figure comes from FNDDS 2708568, "Enchilada, chicken", the Survey 2021-2023 record for the finished dish: a filled tortilla under sauce and cheese, already baked. That matters, because it is the USDA row that describes what a person actually puts a fork into. The frozen-tray records are a different animal, and we treat them separately further down.
USDA's household portion for that record is one enchilada of any size, and it weighs 150 g. A homemade enchilada rolled in a 6-inch corn tortilla lands close to that; a big flour-tortilla version in a restaurant skillet runs heavier, so scale up rather than assuming your plate matches.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 enchilada (150 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 178 | 267 | 13% |
| Total fat | 9.02 g | 13.5 g | 17% |
| Saturated fat | 3.22 g | 4.8 g | 24% |
| Carbohydrate | 14.64 g | 22.0 g | 8% |
| Dietary fiber | 2.3 g | 3.5 g | 12% |
| Total sugars | 0.79 g | 1.2 g | — |
| Protein | 10.03 g | 15.0 g | 30% |
| Sodium | 459 mg | 689 mg | 30% |
% 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 would see on a package are missing here on purpose. This edition of FNDDS does not publish added sugars or trans fat for mixed Mexican dishes, so we leave them out rather than guess. Cholesterol and potassium do appear: 33 mg and 190 mg per 100 g, which works out to 50 mg of cholesterol (about 16% of the Daily Value) and 285 mg of potassium (6%) in one enchilada. The Daily Values behind those percentages are FDA's.
US servings, from one ounce to a plate of two
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28.4 g | 50 kcal |
| One enchilada, any size | 150 g | 267 kcal |
| 1 cup, scooped | 170 g | 303 kcal |
| Two enchiladas, restaurant plate | 300 g | 534 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 178 kcal |
Two of those weights are USDA household measures: one enchilada at 150 g and one cup at 170 g. The ounce and the two-enchilada plate are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings.
Here is the trap that catches people logging leftovers. A cup is not an enchilada. Scoop the pan into a measuring cup and you get 170 g and 303 calories, which is 36 calories more than a whole rolled piece, because a cup packs sauce and filling into space the tortilla was holding open. If you cut a casserole-style tray into squares, weigh a square instead of calling it "one enchilada" - the two rarely match.
Verde, tamale and the frozen box
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical piece | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken enchilada | 178 kcal | one enchilada, 150 g | 267 kcal |
| Enchilada, filling not specified | 178 kcal | one enchilada, 150 g | 267 kcal |
| Chicken tamale | 174 kcal | no gram weight in FNDDS | 174 kcal per 100 g |
| Burrito bowl with rice | 181 kcal | no gram weight in FNDDS | 181 kcal per 100 g |
| Frozen verde enchiladas | 122 kcal | two enchiladas, 189 g | 231 kcal |
The unspecified-filling row is worth knowing about: if you log "enchilada" without saying what is inside, FNDDS hands you the chicken profile anyway, so the number does not change. Beef or cheese versions are not represented by that row.
Swap the tortilla for steamed masa and you get a chicken tamale at 174 calories per 100 g - close on calories, but only 7.38 g of protein against the enchilada's 10.03 g, with more starch. Skip the wrapper entirely and a beef or pork burrito bowl with rice sits at 181 calories per 100 g. Per gram, all three land within a few calories of each other. What decides your day is how many grams end up on the plate.
The freezer aisle reads lighter and it is not a portion illusion. Old El Paso's verde chicken enchiladas are 122 calories per 100 g against 178 for the restaurant dish, and the labeled serving of two enchiladas (189 g) is 231 calories - less than one restaurant enchilada. Across six USDA Branded records for frozen chicken enchiladas, the range runs from 113 to 198 calories per 100 g, so read the box rather than assuming frozen means light.
Sodium and saturated fat move fastest
Calories are not the row that gets away from you here. One enchilada delivers 689 mg of sodium, 30% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, exactly matching its protein contribution of 15.0 g (also 30%). Two on a plate is 1,378 mg, roughly 60% of the day, before a single chip, a spoon of rice or a squeeze of hot sauce. That is about two-thirds of a teaspoon of table salt.
Saturated fat follows the same curve: 4.8 g in one, 24% of the Daily Value, and 9.6 g in two. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans put the ceiling at less than 10% of daily calories from saturated fat, which is about 22 g on a 2,000-calorie day - so the two-enchilada plate spends nearly half of it.
The upside is real, though. Fifteen grams of protein and 3.5 g of fiber (12% of the Daily Value) per piece make this a more filling 267 calories than most restaurant starches. If you are watching sodium, one enchilada with a big pile of vegetables is the better build than two with rice.
How does a chicken enchilada compare?
| Dish | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken enchilada | 178 kcal | one enchilada, 150 g | 267 kcal |
| Enchilada, NFS | 178 kcal | one enchilada, 150 g | 267 kcal |
| Chicken tamale | 174 kcal | not weighed in FNDDS | — |
| Burrito bowl with rice | 181 kcal | not weighed in FNDDS | — |
Our take: per gram these four are effectively the same food, spread over just 7 calories per 100 g from the lightest to the heaviest. Choose by protein and by portion instead. The enchilada carries 10.03 g of protein per 100 g against 7.38 g for the tamale, so if you want the plate to hold you, the enchilada wins. For weight loss, order one enchilada (267 calories) and fill the rest of the plate with vegetables; for a satisfying meal that still fits a normal dinner budget, one enchilada plus beans beats two enchiladas plus rice at almost every count that matters.
Most popular chicken enchilada 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) |
|---|---|
| Old El Paso Chicken Enchiladas Verde | 122 cal |
| Old El Paso Chicken Enchiladas | 113 cal |
| Real Good Foods Creamy Poblano Chicken Enchiladas | 198 cal |
| Ahold Chicken Enchiladas | 174 cal |
| Hy-Vee Chicken Enchilada | 169 cal |
| The Authentic New Mexican Chicken Enchiladas | 159 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Chicken enchilada FAQs
How many calories are in one chicken enchilada?
267 calories for a standard 150 g enchilada, based on USDA's rate of 178 calories per 100 g. That single piece also brings 15.0 g of protein, 22.0 g of carbohydrate and 13.5 g of fat. Restaurant enchiladas rolled in large flour tortillas weigh more, so scale the number up with the grams.
How many calories are in two chicken enchiladas?
534 calories for two 150 g enchiladas, our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure rather than a USDA serving. That plate also totals 30.0 g of protein and 1,378 mg of sodium, about 60% of the Daily Value. Rice and beans on the side commonly add another 200 to 400 calories.
How much protein is in a chicken enchilada?
15.0 g of protein in one 150 g enchilada, which is 30% of the 50 g Daily Value, from 10.03 g per 100 g. That is a solid return for 267 calories, and it comes with 3.5 g of fiber. A chicken tamale of the same weight would give you noticeably less, at 7.38 g per 100 g.
How many carbs are in a chicken enchilada?
22.0 g of carbohydrate in one 150 g enchilada, 8% of the Daily Value, of which 3.5 g is fiber and only 1.2 g is sugar. Per 100 g that is 14.64 g of carbohydrate. Most of it is the corn or flour tortilla, so a thinner tortilla is the lever, not the sauce.
Are green (verde) chicken enchiladas lower in calories?
The frozen verde version runs 122 calories per 100 g against 178 for the restaurant dish, and its labeled serving of two enchiladas (189 g) is 231 calories. Tomatillo sauce is lighter than a cheese-heavy red bake, but the bigger factor is that frozen enchiladas are smaller and less loaded with cheese.
How much sodium is in a chicken enchilada?
689 mg of sodium in one 150 g enchilada, 30% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, from 459 mg per 100 g. Two enchiladas reach 1,378 mg, roughly 60% of the day, which is about two-thirds of a teaspoon of table salt. Chips and salsa alongside push it higher still.
Are chicken enchiladas healthy?
One enchilada gives 15.0 g of protein and 3.5 g of fiber for 267 calories, which is a good ratio for a restaurant dish. The catches are 689 mg of sodium and 4.8 g of saturated fat, 30% and 24% of the Daily Value. If you are watching sodium, one with vegetables beats two with rice.
How many calories are in a cup of chicken enchilada?
303 calories per cup, because USDA's cup of enchilada weighs 170 g rather than the 150 g of one rolled piece. That is 36 calories more than a whole enchilada, which surprises people logging leftovers from a baking dish. Weigh the scoop when you can; cups pack sauce and filling unevenly.
Similar foods
- Stuffed pepper — 265 cal for 1/2 pepper with filling
- Taco Salad — 564 cal per medium taco salad
- Onigiri — 180 cal per onigiri
- BBQ Chicken — 149 cal per 3 oz
- Pork Chop — 220 cal per regular chop
- Gyro — 368 cal per sandwich
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the enchiladas, sauce and cheese for you.
