Use About 250 Calories for a Medium Pork Tamale
A pork tamale often has 200–300 calories, depending on its weight and recipe. Compare 57 g, 113 g and 142 g examples and choose what to log.
For an unlabeled medium pork tamale, 250 calories is a reasonable estimate. A practical starting range is 200–300 calories each, although the actual total depends on the tamale’s weight and recipe. One small retail example works out to about 115 calories per tamale, while a large 5-ounce example lists 320 calories.
These figures cover the tamale itself after removing the corn husk. Rice, beans, cheese, crema and other sides or toppings need to be counted separately.
Pork tamale calories by size
“One tamale” is not a fixed serving. These published examples range from 57 to 142 grams per piece:
| Pork tamale example | Portion | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| H-E-B Mi Tienda spicy pork | 1 small tamale, about 57 g | About 115 |
| Del Real pork in red sauce | 1 tamale, 113 g (4 oz) | 260 |
| USDA restaurant pork tamale | 1 piece, 142 g (about 5 oz) | 247 |
| H-E-B Mi Tienda Tamale Grande | 1 large tamale, 142 g (5 oz) | 320 |
The small-tamale estimate comes from an H-E-B label listing 230 calories for two tamales weighing 114 g. Dividing that serving in half gives about 115 calories and 57 g per tamale. Del Real lists 260 calories for one 113 g pork tamale.
USDA’s historical SR Legacy record for a restaurant pork tamale reports 174 calories per 100 g and a one-piece weight of 142 g. Multiplying 174 by 1.42 gives about 247 calories; the record was published in 2019 and is marked as a historical reference (USDA FoodData Central record 168067). A current large retail tamale at the same stated weight lists 320 calories per piece.
The retail values were checked September 30, 2026. Packaging and recipes can change, so use the label on the tamales you have when one is available.
Why two same-weight tamales can differ
Weight is only part of the calculation. Tamale masa may be prepared with lard or oil, and recipes use different proportions of masa, fat and pork filling. In the two 142 g examples above, the calorie totals differ by 73 even though the stated weights match.
For tracking, use this order:
- Packaged tamale: Use the package value, checking whether the serving is one tamale or several.
- Restaurant tamale with published nutrition: Use the restaurant’s value for that exact item.
- Homemade tamale: Add the calories in the complete batch and divide by the number of tamales made. This gives an average per piece.
- Unknown tamale: Log 250 calories for a medium pork tamale. Consider 300–320 calories if it is closer to a large 5-ounce tamale or has especially thick masa.
Using the 250-calorie estimate, two medium pork tamales would be about 500 calories and three would be about 750 calories, before sides and toppings.