Burrito Nutrition Facts: Calories by Ingredient & Worked Examples
Burrito nutrition facts in one line: a typical homemade burrito with a 10-inch flour tortilla, rice, beans, a protein, cheese and salsa has about 740 to 840 calories. Our worked chicken burrito comes to about 760 calories, 58 g protein and 1,060 mg sodium. Because a burrito is a wrapper around whatever you put in it, the most useful burrito nutrition facts are per ingredient, so you can add up your own. All values below are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Quick answer
Chicken burrito (10-inch tortilla, rice, pinto beans, 4 oz chicken, cheese, salsa): about 760 calories. Bean and cheese burrito with sour cream: about 740. Ground beef burrito with sour cream: about 840. A restaurant-size burrito with a 12-inch tortilla and double fillings can pass 1,300. The tortilla alone is about 220 calories.
Burrito Nutrition Facts by Ingredient
| Ingredient (amount) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flour tortilla, 10-inch (72 g) | 220 | 6 g | 36 g | 6 g | 530 mg |
| Flour tortilla, 8-inch (49 g) | 150 | 4 g | 24 g | 4 g | 360 mg |
| Flour tortilla, 12-inch (117 g) | 360 | 10 g | 58 g | 9 g | 860 mg |
| Pinto beans, cooked, ½ cup (86 g) | 120 | 8 g | 22 g | 1 g | 1 mg |
| White rice, cooked, ½ cup (79 g) | 100 | 2 g | 22 g | 0 g | 1 mg |
| Chicken breast, roasted, 4 oz (113 g) | 190 | 35 g | 0 g | 4 g | 85 mg |
| Ground beef 85% lean, cooked, 3 oz (85 g) | 220 | 24 g | 0 g | 13 g | 75 mg |
| Cheddar cheese, 1 oz (28 g) | 110 | 7 g | 1 g | 9 g | 185 mg |
| Sour cream, 2 tbsp (24 g) | 50 | 1 g | 1 g | 5 g | 5 mg |
| Avocado or guacamole base, 50 g | 80 | 1 g | 4 g | 7 g | 5 mg |
| Salsa, 2 tbsp (36 g) | 10 | 1 g | 2 g | 0 g | 255 mg |
The tortilla is the single biggest source of calories in a burrito. A 10-inch flour tortilla has about 220 calories and 530 mg of sodium before anything goes inside it, and the 12-inch size used by many restaurants has about 360 calories.
Calories in a Burrito: Three Worked Examples
| Burrito | What is in it | Calories | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken burrito | 10-inch tortilla, ½ cup rice, ½ cup pinto beans, 4 oz chicken breast, 1 oz cheddar, 2 tbsp salsa | 760 | 58 g | 1,060 mg |
| Bean and cheese burrito | 10-inch tortilla, 1 cup pinto beans, ½ cup rice, 1 oz cheddar, 2 tbsp sour cream, 2 tbsp salsa | 740 | 31 g | 980 mg |
| Ground beef burrito | 10-inch tortilla, ½ cup rice, ½ cup pinto beans, 3 oz 85% lean beef, 1 oz cheddar, 2 tbsp sour cream, 2 tbsp salsa | 840 | 47 g | 1,060 mg |
| Restaurant-size chicken burrito | 12-inch tortilla, 1 cup rice, ½ cup beans, 6 oz chicken, 2 oz cheddar, sour cream, 50 g avocado, salsa | 1,330 | 89 g | 1,630 mg |
The bean and cheese burrito lands close to the chicken version even without meat, because the extra half cup of beans and the sour cream add back most of the calories the chicken would have supplied. It has far less protein, though: about 31 g versus 58 g.
Where the Calories in a Burrito Come From
In the chicken burrito, the chicken is only about a quarter of the burrito calories (190 of 760), while the tortilla and cheese together add about 330. That is why cutting the protein barely changes the total, but a smaller tortilla or less cheese and sour cream changes it noticeably. For more on chicken itself, see calories in chicken breast.
Burrito Sodium
Sodium is the weak spot in burrito nutrition facts. The worked chicken burrito has about 1,060 mg, roughly 46% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, mostly from the tortilla, cheese and salsa (FDA: sodium in your diet). Seasoned restaurant fillings, canned beans and extra cheese push it higher, and the restaurant-size example passes 1,600 mg.
Simple Swaps to Lower Burrito Calories
- Use an 8-inch tortilla instead of a 10-inch one: about 70 fewer calories and 170 mg less sodium.
- Swap sour cream for extra salsa: 2 tablespoons of salsa has about 10 calories versus 50 for sour cream.
- Halve the cheese: saves about 55 calories and 90 mg sodium.
- Serve it as a bowl: skipping the tortilla removes about 220 calories and 530 mg sodium from a standard burrito.
- Watch the rice and beans portions: each ½ cup adds about 100 to 120 calories, and restaurant scoops are often a full cup.
Flour vs Corn Tortillas: Burrito Calories Compared
Two small corn tortillas (24 g each) have about 105 calories and 20 mg of sodium, compared with about 220 calories and 530 mg for one 10-inch flour tortilla. Corn tortillas are too small to wrap a full burrito, but if you split the same fillings into two or three tacos you save calories and a lot of sodium.
To control the fillings and portions yourself, try our easy breakfast burrito or make a batch of Mexican shredded beef for the filling.
Burrito Calories FAQ
What are the average calories in a burrito?
A homemade burrito with a 10-inch flour tortilla, rice, beans, a protein and cheese is usually about 740 to 840 calories. Restaurant burritos with 12-inch tortillas and larger scoops often run 1,000 to 1,300 or more.
Is a bean and cheese burrito lower in calories than a chicken burrito?
Not by much. In our examples the bean and cheese burrito has about 740 calories and the chicken burrito about 760, but the chicken version has nearly twice the protein.
What has the most calories in a burrito?
Usually the tortilla. A 10-inch flour tortilla has about 220 calories and a 12-inch one about 360. Cheese, sour cream and guacamole come next.
How many carbs are in a burrito?
Our chicken burrito has about 84 g of carbohydrate: 36 g from the tortilla and about 22 g each from the rice and beans.
Is a burrito healthy?
It can be a balanced meal with protein, fiber and vegetables. The main things to watch are portion size and sodium, which often reaches half a day’s Daily Value in one burrito.
How do I count calories in a restaurant burrito?
Most chains publish nutrition for each ingredient. Add up the tortilla and each filling you choose, the same way as the examples above.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy)
- FDA: Sodium in your diet
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label
Featured photo: Unsplash
