Corn Tortilla Calories: By Size, vs Flour and Taco Shells

One corn tortilla has about 52 calories, based on USDA’s standard weight of 24 g. A small corn tortilla (18 g) has about 39 calories, a medium one (28 g) about 61 and a large one (44 g) about 96. A standard tortilla also has about 11 g of carbs, 1.5 g of fiber and 1.4 g of protein.

Corn tortilla calories depend mostly on size. Below are the numbers for every size USDA lists, with the math shown, and how corn compares with flour tortillas and taco shells.

Corn tortilla calories by size

USDA FoodData Central lists corn tortillas at 218 calories per 100 g, with 44.6 g of carbs, 6.3 g of fiber, 5.7 g of protein and 2.85 g of fat. It also gives a weight for each size:

Corn tortilla	Weight	Calories	Carbs	Fiber	Protein	Fat
Small	18 g	39	8 g	1.1 g	1.0 g	0.5 g
Standard	24 g	52	11 g	1.5 g	1.4 g	0.7 g
Medium	28 g	61	12 g	1.8 g	1.6 g	0.8 g
Large	44 g	96	20 g	2.8 g	2.5 g	1.3 g
Extra large	65 g	142	29 g	4.1 g	3.7 g	1.9 g

How we got these: weight × 218 ÷ 100. For a medium tortilla, 28 × 218 ÷ 100 = 61.04, or about 61 calories. The other nutrients use the same method. The standard weight comes from USDA’s main corn tortilla entry, and the other sizes come from its survey entry for the same food.

USDA doesn’t give a diameter for those sizes. Its unsalted corn tortilla entry lists a medium 6-inch (15 cm) tortilla at 26 g and 222 calories per 100 g, so a 6-inch corn tortilla has about 58 calories.

Not sure which size you have? Weigh one: every 10 g of corn tortilla is about 22 calories. If you buy tortillas by the kilo at a tortillería, the whole kilo has about 2,180 calories, so divide that by the number of tortillas in it.

Corn tortilla nutrition: carbs, fiber and protein

• Carbs: Most of the calories come from carbs. If you track the carbs in corn tortillas, a standard one has about 11 g, or about 9 g of net carbs (carbs minus fiber).
• Fiber: At 6.3 g per 100 g, corn tortillas meet the NHS mark for high-fiber foods (6 g or more per 100 g). Three standard tortillas give you about 4.5 g of the 30 g a day the NHS says adults should aim for.
• Protein: About 1.4 g in a standard tortilla. For a meal with more protein, fill it with beans, eggs, chicken, meat or cheese.
• Fat and salt: A standard tortilla has 0.7 g of fat. USDA lists 45 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 11 mg per standard tortilla.

Corn vs flour tortilla calories

Per 100 g, USDA’s refrigerated flour tortillas have 306 calories against 218 for corn, almost three times the fat (7.99 g vs 2.85 g) and just over half the fiber (3.5 g vs 6.3 g). Flour tortillas do have more protein: 8.2 g against 5.7 g.

Flour tortillas also come bigger. USDA’s standard flour tortilla weighs 48 g, twice its standard corn tortilla, and USDA lists flour sizes up to 12 inches:

Tortilla	Weight	Calories	Carbs	Fiber	Protein	Fat
Corn, 6-inch (15 cm)	26 g	58	12 g	1.4 g	1.5 g	0.7 g
Flour, 6-inch (15 cm)	30 g	92	15 g	1.1 g	2.5 g	2.4 g
Flour, 7 to 8 inch (18 to 20 cm)	49 g	150	24 g	1.7 g	4.0 g	3.9 g
Flour, 10-inch (25 cm)	72 g	220	36 g	2.5 g	5.9 g	5.8 g
Flour, 12-inch (30 cm)	117 g	358	58 g	4.1 g	9.6 g	9.3 g

The corn row uses USDA’s unsalted corn tortilla entry, the one with a 6-inch weight. The flour rows use 306 calories per 100 g, for example 72 × 306 ÷ 100 = 220.3 for a 10-inch tortilla.

So tortilla wrap calories depend mostly on size. A 12-inch flour wrap has about as many calories as seven standard corn tortillas (358 against 366). Flour tortillas are also much saltier in USDA’s data: 736 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 221 mg in a 6-inch tortilla.

Whole wheat tortillas have similar calories to white flour ones but more fiber. USDA’s whole wheat numbers are worked out from a product label: 310 calories and 9.8 g of fiber per 100 g, against 306 and 3.5 g for flour. Its 41 g serving is about 127 calories.

Eat roti as well? A medium corn tortilla (28 g, 61 calories) has about half the calories of a medium roti (40 g, about 120). See calories in 1 roti and calories in 1 paratha.

Taco shell calories

Hard taco shells weigh less than soft tortillas but have more calories per gram. USDA lists baked taco shells at 476 calories and 21.8 g of fat per 100 g, against 218 calories and 2.85 g of fat for soft corn tortillas. Shells are also dry: 6.4 g of water per 100 g, against 45.9 g in a soft tortilla.

Taco shell	Weight	Calories	Carbs	Fat
Mini, 3-inch (8 cm)	5 g	24	3 g	1.1 g
Medium, 5-inch (13 cm)	13.3 g	63	8 g	2.9 g
Large, 6.5-inch (17 cm)	21 g	100	13 g	4.6 g

USDA’s standard single shell weighs 12.9 g, about 61 calories (12.9 × 476 ÷ 100 = 61.4). That matches a medium soft corn tortilla (61 calories), but with about three and a half times the fat: 2.8 g against 0.8 g.

Tostadas count the same way. USDA’s survey entry for corn taco shells also covers corn tostada shells and fried corn tortillas, so in USDA’s data a fried tortilla has more than double the calories of a soft one, gram for gram.

Counting the tortillas in tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas

In Mexico, tortillas de maíz come with all kinds of everyday meals. Here is how to count them:

• Tacos: Street tacos are often served on two small tortillas stacked together. If yours are, count both: two small tortillas (36 g) are about 78 calories before the filling.
• Enchiladas: USDA lists the corn tortilla for one enchilada at 19 g, about 41 calories. Tortillas for enchiladas are often softened in hot oil first, and each teaspoon of oil (4.5 g) they soak up adds about 40 calories. Then add the sauce and filling.
• Quesadillas: Start with the tortilla, such as 96 calories for a large corn tortilla, then add the cheese or other filling.
• Burritos and bowls: Burritos are usually wrapped in large flour tortillas, about 220 calories at 10 inches. Ordering a bowl skips the tortilla.
• Log it your way: In MacroScout, the free plan lets you scan the barcode on a tortilla pack or enter the numbers from this page yourself. With Pro, snap a photo of your tacos or describe them, then adjust the estimate before you save it.

Store-bought, low-calorie and homemade tortillas

Brands differ in size and thickness, so the calories in a tortilla from your pack can differ from these averages. To compare a label with USDA’s numbers, divide the calories per serving by the serving weight in grams and multiply by 100. A plain corn tortilla is about 218 per 100 g. Do the same check on tortillas sold as low calorie: a lower number per tortilla can simply mean a smaller tortilla.

For homemade tortillas, weigh the dry masa harina before you add water, then divide by the number of tortillas you make. Water adds no calories, and USDA lists masa corn flour at 363 calories per 100 g, about 36 per 10 g. A cup (114 g) has about 414 calories.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have a health condition.