Empanada calories come to 378 for one regular 130 g empanada, or 291 per 100 g, with the filling not specified. Fat supplies 49 percent of those calories, so the pastry carries much of the load. A beef empanada of the same size reaches 433, and the count adds up fast once you eat more than one.
378kcal
1 regular empanada · 130 g, filling not specified
10%protein
9.3 gProtein
39 gCarbs
21 gFat
How to burn off 378 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Filling not specified · per 130 g
Calories
378 kcal
Protein
9.3 g
Carbohydrate
39 g
Fat
21 g
Saturated fat
7.4 g
Cholesterol
17 mg
Sodium
580 mg
Potassium
229 mg
Iron
2.1 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 →
Empanada: 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 regular (130 g)
378
9.3 g
38.9 g
20.8 g
580 mg
19%
1 small (35 g)
102
2.5 g
10.5 g
5.6 g
156 mg
5%
Beef (130 g)
433
15.7 g
35.7 g
25 g
597 mg
22%
100 g
291
7.2 g
29.9 g
16 g
446 mg
15%
3 × 1 regular (130 g)
1,135
28 g
1,739 mg
5 × 1 regular (130 g)
1,892
46.7 g
2,899 mg
One empanada is a snack, three are a full meal
Size changes everything here. A small 35 g empanada, the cocktail kind served at parties, has 102 calories, about 5 percent of the daily value. A regular 130 g empanada has 378 calories, or 19 percent. The same name covers a bite and a meal.
The trouble is that few people stop at one. Two regular empanadas come to 757 calories. Three reach 1,135, which is a large dinner on its own. A plate of five at a gathering adds up to 1,892 calories, close to a full day for many adults, and it rarely feels like that much food.
If you are counting, decide the number before the tray arrives. Small ones look harmless, but each one still costs 102 calories, and reaching for several of them adds up quickly. BodyPal can log an empanada from a photo, which helps when the size is hard to judge by eye.
Fat supplies nearly half the calories
The calorie split is 49 percent fat, 41 percent carbs and only 10 percent protein. Per 100 g that works out to 16 g of fat, 29.9 g of carbs and 7.2 g of protein. The dough, often fried or brushed with fat, does most of the work, and the filling adds the rest.
Saturated fat is 5.7 g per 100 g, against a daily value of 20 g. That is a meaningful share for a hand-sized pastry. Sugar stays low at 2.8 g per 100 g, so sweetness is not the issue. Fiber is modest too, at 2.6 g in a regular empanada.
Protein is the weak spot. A regular empanada gives 9.3 g, 19 percent of the daily value, for 378 calories. That is a thin return compared with plain meat or beans. The empanada is mostly pastry and fat with a little filling, so it fills you up less than its calories suggest.
Sodium is the row to watch
One regular empanada carries 580 mg of sodium, 25 percent of the 2,300 mg daily value. The beef version is slightly higher at 597 mg, or 26 percent. Per 100 g the generic empanada has 446 mg, which is salty for a baked or fried pastry.
Multiply it and the picture sharpens. Two empanadas bring 1,160 mg, half the daily value. Three reach 1,739 mg. Five add up to 2,899 mg, which is more than the full daily value of 2,300 mg before you count any salsa, chimichurri or side dish.
If you watch sodium, treat empanadas as the salty item of that meal. Pair them with unsalted sides and skip extra salty dips. Potassium is 176 mg per 100 g, so the empanada itself does little to balance the salt.
Beef adds protein, and the plate decides the rest
The filling shifts the numbers more than you might expect. A beef empanada of 130 g has 433 calories against 378 for the generic one, but it also has 15.7 g of protein, 31 percent of the daily value, versus 9.3 g. The fat rises too, to 25 g from 20.8 g. You pay more calories and get noticeably more protein.
Cheese and chicken versions land on either side of the generic figure, as the comparison table shows. Store brands such as Goya, Panas and Cocina54 sell beef and spinach and cheese varieties, so check the label on the box you buy.
To make one empanada a reasonable meal, build the rest of the plate around vegetables, a salad or beans. That adds fiber and volume without much fat. If you want two, make the second one the small size or share it. The empanada works best as the centerpiece of a plate, not as the whole plate.
How does empanada compare?
Here is how the generic empanada stacks up against chicken and cheese empanadas and a chicken dumpling, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories among empanadas, pick cheese at 265 per 100 g; chicken costs a bit more at 309 but brings 12.6 g of protein against 7.2 g. If staying full matters most, the chicken dumpling wins easily at 144 calories and 15.7 g of protein per 100 g, though its sodium is 488 mg.
6Cocina54 Traditional Beef Empanadas4 oz · 112 g205 kcal
7Cocina54 Spinach & Cheese Empanadas112 g205 kcal
Frozen empanadas are labeled at package weight before baking or frying, so their per 100 g numbers read lower than the cooked figure above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Empanada FAQs
How many calories are in one empanada?
A regular empanada is about 378 calories (130 g). A small, individual one of 35 g is about 102 calories.
Are empanadas good for weight loss?
One regular empanada carries 378 calories and 20.8 g of fat. A small 35 g empanada is 102 calories with 5.6 g of fat.
Empanada vs chicken empanada: which has fewer calories?
A plain empanada averages 291 calories per 100 g and a chicken empanada 309. For a 130 g empanada that works out to 378 against 402 calories.
How much protein is in an empanada?
A regular 130 g empanada has 9.3 g of protein. A beef empanada of the same size has 15.7 g.
What are the nutrition facts for an empanada?
A regular 130 g empanada has 378 calories, 9.3 g protein, 38.9 g carbs, 20.8 g fat, 2.6 g fiber, 3.6 g sugars and 580 mg sodium. Fat makes up 49 percent of the calories.
Are empanadas fattening?
They are calorie dense, at 291 per 100 g with 49 percent of calories from fat. One regular empanada at 378 calories fits most days; three at 1,135 calories is a heavy meal. Portion count matters most.
How many calories are in one chicken empanada?
A chicken empanada has 309 calories per 100 g, with 12.6 g protein, 27.5 g carbs and 16.5 g fat. That is slightly more than the generic empanada at 291 per 100 g, with more protein.
How many calories are in a beef empanada?
A 130 g beef empanada has 433 calories, 15.7 g protein, 35.7 g carbs and 25 g fat. It also carries 597 mg sodium, 26 percent of the daily value.
How many calories are in Colombian empanadas?
This page has no separate Colombian figure. As a guide, a small 35 g empanada has 102 calories and a regular 130 g one has 378. Brands like Goya Colombian Empanadas list their own values on the package.
