Corn tamale calories come to 309 for one 166 g restaurant tamale, or 186 per 100 g. Carbs supply 58% of those calories and protein only 8%, so a tamale fills the plate with starch and fat while giving just 5.8 g of protein. How many you eat moves the total more than anything else.
309kcal
1 tamale · 166 g, restaurant serving
8%protein
5.8 gProtein
44 gCarbs
12 gFat
How to burn off 309 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 166 g
Calories
309 kcal
Protein
5.8 g
Carbohydrate
44 g
Fat
12 g
Saturated fat
4.4 g
Cholesterol
28 mg
Sodium
460 mg
Potassium
309 mg
Iron
0.9 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 →
Corn 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 (166 g)
309
5.8 g
44.3 g
12 g
460 mg
15%
4 oz portion (113 g)
210
3.9 g
30.1 g
8.1 g
313 mg
11%
100 g
186
3.5 g
26.7 g
7.2 g
277 mg
9%
3 × 1 tamale (166 g)
926
17.3 g
1,379 mg
5 × 1 tamale (166 g)
1,544
28.9 g
2,299 mg
One tamale is 309 calories, three are 926
The USDA row behind this page is a restaurant corn tamale, and the standard unit weighs 166 g. That one tamale carries 309 calories, 44.3 g of carbs, 12 g of fat and 5.8 g of protein. It sits at 15% of the daily value for calories, a fair size for a side but light for a full meal on its own.
Tamales rarely arrive alone. Two come to 618 calories and three reach 926, close to half a day's energy budget on a plate that has not yet met rice or beans. A five-tamale holiday plate lands at 1,544 calories. The count you take matters far more than the filling or the sauce.
If you want a smaller marker, the 4 oz portion (113 g) is 210 calories, roughly a tamale with a few bites left over. Weighing one at home shows how big your local tamales really run, since homemade, store-bought and restaurant versions vary a lot in size.
Carbs supply 58% of the calories
Per 100 g, a corn tamale holds 26.7 g of carbs, 7.2 g of fat and 3.5 g of protein. Turned into calories, carbs supply 58%, fat 35% and protein just 8%. This is a starch food with a fair amount of fat worked into the masa, not a protein source.
The protein gap shows up in a single tamale: 5.8 g, or 12% of the daily value. Even three tamales only reach 17.3 g. If you count on lunch to keep you full until dinner, that low protein share is the weak spot.
Fiber is a modest plus. One tamale gives 5.3 g, or 3.2 g per 100 g. Sugars run 12.3 g per tamale, a reminder that many corn tamales are made on the sweet side. Saturated fat stays moderate at 2.6 g per 100 g.
Sodium climbs fast past the first tamale
One tamale has 460 mg of sodium, 20% of the daily value. On its own that is middling for restaurant food. Per 100 g it is 277 mg, well below the 473 mg per 100 g listed for meat tamales on our other tamale pages.
Stack them and the row changes character. Two tamales bring 920 mg, three reach 1,379 mg and five add up to 2,299 mg, essentially a full day's sodium on one plate. Salsa, cheese and refried beans on the side push it higher still.
If you watch sodium, the corn version is the gentler pick among tamales. Even so, the number of tamales on the plate is the lever that moves this row the most.
Pair it with protein to make a meal
Because a corn tamale is mostly starch and fat, it works best as one part of a plate. A lean protein such as grilled chicken, eggs or black beans fills the gap left by 5.8 g of protein per tamale. Vegetables or a fresh salsa add volume for few calories.
One tamale at 309 calories plus a protein side makes a balanced plate; two tamales with rice and beans turn into a heavy one. Packaged corn tamales from brands such as La Costena or Del Real Foods vary in size, so check the label weight against the 166 g restaurant tamale used here.
To keep the count honest, log the tamale while you eat it. BodyPal can log it from a photo, and the size of the tamale on the plate is what sets the total.
How does corn tamale compare?
Here is how a corn tamale stacks up against our tamale, chicken tamale and pork tamale pages, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For fewer calories and more protein the meat tamales edge ahead, at 174 calories and 7.4 g of protein per 100 g against 186 calories and 3.5 g for corn. The corn tamale wins on sodium at 277 mg per 100 g versus 473 mg, so pick it if salt is your concern and a meat tamale if you want to stay full.
Most popular corn tamale brands in the United States
Sweet corn tamale labels run higher than the plain corn masa numbers above, up to 246 calories per 100 g. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Corn tamale FAQs
How many calories are in one corn tamale?
A 166 g corn tamale has 309 calories. Per 100 g, corn tamales have 186 calories.
Is corn tamale good for weight loss?
One tamale at 309 calories is a large part of a light day, while a 100 g piece is 186 calories with 3.2 g fiber.
Corn tamale vs pork tamale: which has more calories?
Corn tamale has 186 calories per 100 g and a masa tamale with pork filling has 168. The pork version carries far more protein, 13.2 g per 100 g against 3.5 g.
How much protein is in a corn tamale?
Corn tamale has 3.5 g protein per 100 g, so about 5.8 g in a 166 g tamale.
How many calories are in two corn tamales?
Two corn tamales come to 618 calories, with 920 mg of sodium and 11.6 g of protein. Three reach 926 calories, so the count on your plate drives the total far more than any topping.
How much sugar is in a sweet corn tamale?
One corn tamale has 12.3 g of sugars, or 7.4 g per 100 g. Sweet corn tamales sold under brands like Chata or Del Real Foods can differ, so check the package label.
How many calories are in 100 g of corn tamale?
A 100 g serving of corn tamale has 186 calories, with 26.7 g of carbs, 7.2 g of fat and 3.5 g of protein. That is 9% of the daily value for calories.
How much sodium is in a corn tamale?
One corn tamale has 460 mg of sodium, 20% of the daily value. Per 100 g it is 277 mg, lower than the 473 mg listed for meat tamales.
How many calories are in a 4 oz portion of corn tamale?
A 4 oz portion (113 g) of corn tamale has 210 calories, 11% of the daily value. It carries 30.1 g of carbs, 8.1 g of fat and 3.9 g of protein.
