Enchilada: almost no research on the dish, some on the tortilla under it

We found no trial or cohort about the enchilada itself, so this page leans on its base, the corn tortilla, and on what food tables say about the finished dish. The firmest numbers come from small absorption trials. In a randomized crossover trial in 10 Mexican women, about 35% of the zinc in a corn tortilla meal was absorbed, and adding zinc oxide or zinc sulfate to the tortilla did not change that share (0.36 and 0.37). In two groups of 12 children aged 5 to 7, only 3.8% of the reduced iron powder added to tortillas was absorbed, and that figure covers only the added iron. The dish's own iron was not measured. These studies fed plain tortillas, and none measured a finished enchilada with cheese, meat and sauce. On sodium the recipe decides a lot. A homemade UK beef enchilada has 194 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), while the US survey database lists 459 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) and counts one enchilada as 150 g, about 690 mg each, by a standard measure that was never weighed.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Homemade beef enchiladas in the UK food composition dataset provide 153 calories, 9.6 g protein, 8.2 g fat and 194 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — Enchiladas, beef, homemade, per 3.5 oz (100 g) Evidence E source
  Energy 153 calories, protein 9.6 g, fat 8.2 g, saturated fat 3.49 g, fiber 1.2 g NSP, sodium 194 mg, iron 1.15 mg, zinc 1.6 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• The US dietary survey database counts one enchilada as 150 g, which at 459 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) gives about 690 mg sodium per enchilada. — Enchilada, NFS, US survey food, 1 enchilada any size Evidence E source
  150 g per enchilada; sodium 459 mg/100 g, 688.5 mg per enchilada; beef 458 mg/100 g, pork 456 mg/100 g

What a real portion looks like

• According to USDA dietary survey briefs, US adults report enchiladas less often than tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos among Mexican foods. — US adults aged 20+, WWEIA NHANES 2017-March 2020 Evidence E source
  Order of reports: tacos, burritos, other Mexican foods, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 10 women, about 35% of the zinc in corn tortillas was absorbed, and adding zinc oxide or zinc sulfate did not change that fraction. — 10 healthy adult women per phase, Mexico, single test meals of corn tortilla (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Fractional zinc absorption 0.35 unfortified vs 0.36 zinc oxide vs 0.37 zinc sulfate, no difference
• In children aged 5 to 7, only about 3.8% of the reduced iron powder added to corn masa tortillas was absorbed. — two groups of 12 children aged 5-7, tortillas with 3 mg/100 g added iron (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Iron bioavailability 3.8% (2.7-5.3); with Na2EDTA 5.1% (2.8-9.2), P = 0.18
• In Guatemalan girls aged 12-13, iron absorption from corn tortilla and black bean meals rose from 5.5% with ferrous sulfate to 9.0% with NaFeEDTA. — Guatemalan girls aged 12-13, test meals of corn tortillas and black bean paste Evidence B source
  Iron bioavailability 5.5% ferrous sulfate vs 9.0% NaFeEDTA, P = 0.009
• In 5 women, calcium absorption from about 4.9 oz (140 g) of tortillas was 50% with low-phytate maize versus 35% with ordinary maize, since phytate limits calcium from nixtamalized corn. — 5 healthy adult women, two test meals of about 140 g tortillas at 1-month intervals (n = 5) Evidence C source
  Fractional calcium absorption 0.50 vs 0.35, P = 0.003

What cooking and storage change

• In a randomized study in 40 adults, nixtamalization, the alkaline cooking behind corn tortillas, cut fumonisin B1 in moldy maize by 95% and zearalenone by 89%. — 40 healthy adults, informal settlement in Soweto, South Africa (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Fumonisin B1 -95%, fumonisin B2 -95%, zearalenone -89%; urinary biomarkers not different from control maize

Safety, limits and interactions

• A 2008 French report describes two severe family cases of botulism in Brittany. Its one-sentence abstract does not name the food. — two adults, one family, Brittany, France, August 2008 (n = 2) Evidence D source
  Two severe botulism cases

Who this works differently for

• In US national survey data from 2021 to 2023, the food category that includes enchiladas supplied 3.7% of sodium intake among Hispanic participants, their sixth-largest source. — US children and adults aged 1 year or older, Hispanic participants, NHANES August 2021-August 2023 Evidence C source
  3.7% of sodium intake, sixth-largest contributor; not among top 25 overall
• Among 2,142 US children aged 6-18, Mexican mixed dishes were one of ten food categories that together supplied 48% of their sodium intake. — 2,142 US children aged 6-18, NHANES 2011-2012, one 24-hour recall (n = 2142) Evidence C source
  10 categories incl. Mexican mixed dishes = 48% of sodium; share of Mexican dishes alone not in abstract
• In 2,371 US toddlers, picky eaters ate significantly fewer burritos, tacos, enchiladas and nachos than non-picky eaters. — 2,371 US toddlers aged 12-47.9 months, Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2008 (n = 2371) Evidence C source
  Significantly lower intake of burritos/tacos/enchiladas/nachos among picky eaters
• In a 2019 US survey of 43 corn masa and tortilla products, none of the corn tortillas were fortified with folic acid, though FDA has allowed it since 2016. — 132 product photos from 28 US states, 43 unique corn masa flour or corn tortilla products, January 2019 (n = 43) Evidence C source
  3 of 43 products fortified (all masa flour); 0 corn tortilla products

The bottom line

Calcium is the other reason people praise corn tortillas. In a small non-randomized study in 5 women eating about 4.9 oz (140 g) of tortillas, 50% of the calcium was absorbed from low-phytate maize against 35% from ordinary maize. The authors note that the alkaline cooking behind tortillas only modestly lowers the phytate that holds calcium back. That same cooking, nixtamalization, does clean up moldy grain. In a randomized study in 40 adults in Soweto, South Africa, it cut fumonisin B1 in visibly moldy maize by 95% and zearalenone by 89%, and urine markers in the people who ate it did not differ from those eating clean maize. That maize was eaten as porridge, so the result tells you about the method and was not measured in tortillas. In US national survey data from 2021 to 2023, the category of quesadillas, tamales, fajitas and enchiladas supplied 3.7% of sodium among Hispanic participants, their sixth-largest source, from a single day of recalled eating. Among 2,142 US children aged 6 to 18, Mexican mixed dishes were one of ten categories that together gave 48% of their sodium, and the share of the Mexican dishes alone was not reported. In a 2019 crowdsourced check of 43 US corn masa and tortilla products, none of the tortillas were fortified with folic acid, and only three masa flours were. That sample was photos sent in by volunteers, so it is not representative. Who should be careful. The only safety record we found for the dish is a French report of two severe botulism cases in one family in Brittany in 2008. The abstract we have is one sentence long and does not describe the food, so we cannot say more about it. We found no data on allergy, pregnancy or medicines for enchiladas.

Sources

1. enchl-daily-r7-06 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Enchiladas, beef, homemade (CoFID 19-586, group MR): energy 153 kcal; protein 9.6 g; fat 8.2 g; saturated fat 3.49 g; NSP 1.2 g; sodium 194 mg; iron 1.15 mg; zinc 1.6 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 19-586 · checked 2026-09-29
2. enchl-daily-r7-07 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Enchilada, NFS (FNDDS 58102800, fdc_id 2708565, WWEIA Other Mexican mixed dishes): 1 enchilada, any size = 150 g; 1 cup = 170 g; Sodium, Na 459 mg per 100 g = 688.5 mg per enchilada; Enchilada, beef (2708566) 458 mg/100 g; Enchilada, pork (2708567) 456 mg/100 g
   USDA FNDDS, Enchilada NFS, food code 58102800, FDC 2708565 · checked 2026-09-29
3. enchl-daily-r7-10 · agency data brief
   Tacos account for the largest percentage of Mexican foods reports by adults, followed by burritos, other Mexican foods, quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas (Figure 6).
   USDA ARS Food Surveys Research Group, Dietary Data Brief: Consumption of Mexican Food by U.S. Adults · checked 2026-09-29
4. enchl-daily-r7-01 · randomized controlled trial
   The mean (+/- SEM) fractional zinc absorption from unfortified tortilla, tortilla fortified with zinc oxide, and tortilla fortified with zinc sulfate did not differ among treatments: 0.35 +/- 0.07, 0.36 +/- 0.05, and 0.37 +/- 0.07, respectively.
   Food Nutr Bull, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
5. enchl-daily-r7-02 · randomized controlled trial
   Two groups of 5- to 7-y-old children (n = 12/group) were fed tortillas to which was added 3 mg/100 g of H(2)-reduced (58)Fe with a mean particle size of 15 micro m. ... When normalized to 40% absorption of the reference dose, the geometric mean (+/-range 1 SD) bioavailability of reduced iron in tortilla was 3.8% (2.7-5.3).
   J Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
6. enchl-daily-r7-03 · randomized controlled trial
   Geometric mean iron bioavailability from test meals fortified with ferrous sulfate was 5.5% and was significantly higher in test meals fortified with NaFeEDTA (9.0%; P = 0.009, paired t test).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2002 · checked 2026-09-29
7. enchl-daily-r7-04 · controlled feeding study
   Bioavailability of calcium is, however, compromised by phytate, which is present in large quantities in maize kernels and is only modestly reduced by nixtamalization. ... Mean fractional absorption of calcium from tortillas prepared from the low-phytate maize (0.50 +/- 0.03) was significantly (P = 0.003) greater than that from tortillas prepared from the control maize (0.35 +/- 0.07).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29
8. enchl-daily-r7-05 · randomized controlled trial
   Forty adult healthy volunteers from an informal settlement in Kliptown, Soweto (South Africa), were randomly assigned to consume control maize or visibly moldy maize subjected to nixtamalization. Nixtamalization achieved a reduction in fumonisin B3 and deoxynivalenol (DON) to unquantifiable or undetectable levels in maize, while reducing fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2, and zearalenone (ZEN) by 95%, 95%, and 89%, respectively.
   Toxins (Basel), 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. enchl-daily-r7-11 · case report
   Two severe familial cases of botulism were reported to the health authorities in Brittany, north-west France, on 11 August 2008.
   Euro Surveill, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
10. enchl-daily-r7-08 · cross-sectional study
    Among Hispanic participants, the quesadillas, tamales, fajitas, and enchiladas food category represented 3.7% of sodium intake and was the sixth-largest contributor to sodium intake yet was not among the top 25 contributors overall.
    Preventing Chronic Disease (CDC), 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
11. enchl-daily-r7-09 · cross-sectional study
    Ten food categories contributed to almost half (48%) of US school-aged children's sodium intake, and included pizza, Mexican-mixed dishes, sandwiches, breads, cold cuts, soups, savory snacks, cheese, plain milk, and poultry.
    J Acad Nutr Diet, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
12. enchl-daily-r7-12 · cross-sectional study
    Picky eaters showed significant lower intakes of eggs, burritos/tacos/enchiladas/nachos and sandwiches than non-picky eaters.
    Appetite, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
13. enchl-daily-r7-13 · product survey
    People from 28 states shared photos of 132 products, including 43 unique corn masa flour or corn tortilla products. Of those, only three corn masa flour products included folic acid: (a) Maseca Instant White (4.4 lb bag); (b) Masa Brosa Instant; and (c) Masa Brosa Instant Blue. None of the corn tortilla products were fortified.
    Birth Defects Res, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29