Mexican restaurants are calorie minefields — or calorie goldmines. A plate of chicken fajitas can come in around 350 calories. A chimichanga from the same menu can top 1,000. The difference is preparation and how you build your plate. Once you know how to find low calorie Mexican food on any menu, eating out gets far less stressful.
Here are the best and worst choices at sit-down restaurants and fast-casual chains like Chipotle.
Best Low-Calorie Mexican Dishes
Fajitas (Without the Tortillas) — ~350 Calories
Fajitas are the single best low-calorie order at most Mexican restaurants. Grilled chicken or shrimp with sauteed peppers and onions delivers protein and flavor with minimal calorie density. The catch: the tortillas, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole that come alongside can add 500+ calories. Eat the protein and vegetables with pico de gallo for a 350-calorie meal, or use one flour tortilla (roughly 90 cal) instead of three or four.
Ceviche — ~200 Calories
Lightly cured shrimp or fish with lime juice, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and avocado. One of the lightest appetizers in any cuisine, and the seafood protein keeps it satisfying.
Chicken Tortilla Soup (Cup) — ~150 Calories
A broth-based soup with shredded chicken, tomatoes, and spices. Skip the fried tortilla strips and cheese on top if your goal is minimizing calories. The base soup alone is roughly 150 calories per cup with 12g of protein.
Grilled Fish Tacos (Street-Style) — ~200 Calories Each
Street-style tacos on small corn tortillas are inherently portion-controlled. A grilled fish taco with cabbage slaw and salsa runs about 200 calories. Two of them (400 cal) make a complete meal. The key word is "grilled" — battered fish tacos jump to 300-350 calories each.
Pico de Gallo — ~5 Calories per Tablespoon
Use pico de gallo as your go-to condiment — tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and lime. Nearly calorie-free. Compare that to queso (110 calories per 2 tablespoons) or sour cream (60 calories per 2 tablespoons).
What to Skip
These dishes are calorie traps that can turn a single plate into a full day's worth of food.
- Chimichangas — 1,000+ calories. A deep-fried burrito. The frying adds 300-400 calories to an already heavy dish.
- Cheese Quesadillas — roughly 800 calories. Flour tortillas with melted cheese cooked in butter. Adding steak pushes it past 1,000.
- Loaded Nachos — 1,200+ calories for a full order. Even splitting puts you at 600+ for an appetizer.
- Regular Margarita — roughly 500 calories for a standard 12 oz serving. If you want a drink, tequila on the rocks with lime (100 cal) is far lighter.
- The Chip Basket — roughly 300-400 calories per serving. Two servings while waiting adds 600-800 calories before your entree arrives.
How to Order at Chipotle (Under 500 Calories)
Chipotle's customization makes it your best friend or worst enemy depending on how you build your bowl.
Smart bowl (roughly 475 calories):
- Chicken (180 cal)
- Half portion of white rice (65 cal)
- Fajita veggies (20 cal)
- Fresh tomato salsa (25 cal)
- Romaine lettuce (15 cal)
- Half portion of guacamole (80 cal)
What to avoid adding:
- Sour cream (110 cal)
- Cheese (110 cal)
- Queso (120 cal)
- Flour tortilla on the side (320 cal)
- Chips (540 cal)
A fully loaded burrito with white rice, black beans, chicken, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole in a flour tortilla can top 1,200 calories. The smart bowl above delivers the same Chipotle flavor at roughly 40% of the calories.
Sit-Down Restaurant Strategies
Beyond specific dishes, these habits cut calories at any sit-down Mexican restaurant:
- Skip the chip basket. Ask the server not to bring it. This one move can save 400-800 calories.
- Order a la carte. Combo plates are almost always higher calorie. Two street tacos a la carte beats a combination plate every time.
- Choose corn tortillas over flour. A small corn tortilla is about 50 calories. A large flour tortilla is 200-300 calories.
- Ask for grilled instead of fried. This applies to proteins, taco shells, and chips. Grilling saves 100-300 calories per item.
- Salsa verde over queso. Green salsa is essentially calorie-free. Queso adds 100+ calories per serving.
For similar strategies at Chinese restaurants, see our low calorie Chinese food guide. And for fast food chains specifically, check out our low calorie fast food options breakdown.
Eat Smart at Any Mexican Restaurant
Ordering smart at Mexican restaurants doesn't have to be guesswork — DinePick scans any menu and highlights the lightest options. Join the waitlist to try it first.