Grains and starches

Tortilla nutrition, the complete picture.

1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) is 150 calories and 4 g of protein. In USDA’s database this is “Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, flour, refrigerated”. Its real contribution is thiamin and selenium. Change the amount below for your own portion. The panel and the nutrient breakdown both update.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Numbers come from USDA FoodData Central record 175037 and are worked out locally, with no sign-up.

The calorie count for tortilla

150 calories is the figure for 1 tortilla (7-8 in dia); 306 is the figure per 100 g. Below are the remaining portions USDA measured.

Protein in tortilla, measured

Protein in 1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) comes to 4 g. Against the 50 g Daily Value, that covers 8 percent. Only 11 percent of its calories come from protein, so treat tortilla as something you eat for other reasons and count the protein as a bonus.

The calorie breakdown runs 11 percent protein to 24 percent fat to 65 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a carbohydrate.

Kitchen notes on tortilla

This flatbread comes as unleavened maize or wheat rounds. Maize options are made from nixtamalised corn flour, offering a distinct earthy flavour and yellow or white colouring. Wheat versions contain fat, making them pliable. Look for pliable discs that bend without cracking in the packet. Avoid those sticking together in a solid lump.

Dry heat activates the starches, restoring pliability to cold discs. Unheated maize wraps snap when rolled. Warm them on a hot, dry cast-iron skillet until they blister slightly and puff with steam. The most common error is microwaving them uncovered, which dries the edges into brittle cardboard instead of softening them.

Soft maize wraps hold spiced beef or slow-roasted pork in Mexican tacos. Larger wheat versions wrap tightly around beans and rice for Tex-Mex burritos. You can also bake brushed wedges until crisp for dipping, or layer them with shredded chicken, cheese, and green sauce in baked casseroles.

Vitamins and minerals in tortilla

1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) delivers thiamin (21 percent of the Daily Value), selenium (20 percent of the Daily Value). Everything else USDA reports for it is in the table, scaled to your serving.

There are 3.5 g of fibre in 100 g, roughly 13 percent of the daily figure.

Sodium is the figure to watch here: 736 mg per 100 g is 32 percent of a day’s limit, which is what usually decides how often tortilla fits.

Where tortilla fits in a day

1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) uses 8 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and returns 8 percent of the protein reference. Your own budget is probably not 2,000; the TDEE calculator works it out, and the macro calculator splits it into protein, carbs and fat.

Cooking with tortilla: three recipes

Three recipes from the Calorie Counter Team, each costed ingredient by ingredient against USDA records, so the per-serving figures are sums, not guesses.

Breakfast · Mexican

Corn Tortilla and Egg Scramble

A breakfast dish of fried corn tortilla pieces scrambled with eggs and topped with cheddar cheese.

15 min · serves 2

316kcal

14gprotein

19gfat

23gcarbs

Ingredients

• Corn tortillas 100 g
• Whole eggs 100 g
• Unsalted butter 15 g
• Cheddar cheese 40 g
• Table salt 2 g

Method

1. Cut the corn tortillas into two-centimetre squares.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Fry the tortilla squares in the butter for five minutes until crisp.
4. Beat the eggs with the salt in a small bowl.
5. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir gently until set.
6. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and cover until melted.

Per serving, from 5 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Lunch · Mexican

Toasted Cheese Quesadilla

Flour tortillas filled with grated cheddar cheese and toasted in a pan until the cheese melts.

10 min · serves 1

765kcal

29gprotein

45gfat

61gcarbs

Ingredients

• Flour tortillas 120 g
• Cheddar cheese 80 g
• Unsalted butter 10 g

Method

1. Grate the cheddar cheese.
2. Place one flour tortilla in a dry frying pan over medium heat.
3. Scatter the cheese evenly over the tortilla.
4. Place the second tortilla on top of the cheese.
5. Cook for three minutes on each side until the tortillas are brown and the cheese is melted.

Summed from 3 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Dinner · Mexican

Baked Tortilla and Bean Casserole

Layered corn tortillas, black beans, tomato puree and cheese baked in the oven for a main meal.

40 min · serves 4

286kcal

12gprotein

14gfat

31gcarbs

Ingredients

• Corn tortillas 150 g
• Canned black beans 200 g
• Tomato puree 250 g
• Cheddar cheese 100 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Table salt 3 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease a baking dish with the olive oil.
3. Mix the black beans, tomato puree and salt in a bowl.
4. Layer the corn tortillas, bean mixture and grated cheddar cheese in the dish, ending with cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for twenty-five minutes until the cheese bubbles.

Built from 6 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

What a meal with tortilla adds up to

A sample plate, not a prescription: tortilla plus two sides, each line sourced and the sum shown.

Tortilla beside its neighbours

Same weight for every row, 100 g, so differences are not portion effects. The form column shows whether a row is raw, cooked or as sold.

Tortilla: common questions

How many calories are in 1 tortilla (7-8 in dia)?

Count 150 calories. The source is the USDA record “Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, flour, refrigerated” (FDC 175037), which lists 306 calories per 100 g.

How much protein is in tortilla?

1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) has 4 g of protein. By weight that is 8.2 g per 100 g, and the serving covers 8 percent of the Daily Value.

Can you eat tortilla when trying to lose weight?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on tortilla. For planning: 1 tortilla (7-8 in dia) is 150 calories and 4 g of protein, 11 percent protein by energy, so pair it with something that carries more protein.

How much carbohydrate does tortilla contain?

24 g in 1 tortilla (7-8 in dia), of which 1.7 g is fibre and 1.8 g is sugar.

How do you stop corn tortillas from tearing when rolling enchiladas?

Brush them with oil and warm them through before rolling. This softens the corn structure and coats the starches. Cold or dry wraps will always split under the tension of being rolled around fillings.

Can you freeze leftover tortillas without them sticking together?

Separate each flatbread with baking parchment before placing the stack inside a freezer bag. This prevents them from freezing into a solid block, allowing you to defrost only what you need for dinner.

Sources

• Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, flour, refrigerated — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175037
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9