Most classic Peruvian plates land between about 165 and 825 calories. A bowl of fish ceviche has about 165 calories and 28 g protein, a quarter pollo a la brasa without sides 320-460, and a full plate of lomo saltado with fries and rice about 825.
The sides decide most of it. Fries, white rice, sweet potato, corn and the creamy yellow sauces can double a dish, so the numbers below show each part separately. They're built from USDA ingredient data with the recipe stated, because no official database lists Peruvian dishes, and the calorie apps that do disagree by a wide margin.
Key takeaways
- Ceviche is the lean pick: about 165 calories for 150 g (5.3 oz) of fish with lime and onion.
- Pollo a la brasa depends on the cut: about 455 calories for a white-meat quarter, 320 for dark.
- Lomo saltado is a double-starch dish: fries plus rice add about 455 calories to the stir-fry.
- Quinoa beats rice on protein and fiber, at almost the same calories.
- Sauces add up fast: huancaína and ají de gallina are built on cheese, milk and oil.
Peruvian food calories at a glance
Nutrify estimates from USDA FoodData Central ingredients; recipes and weights are in each section below.
| Dish | Portion | Calories | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceviche, fish only | 150 g fish (5.3 oz) plus lime and onion | 165 | 28 |
| Ceviche with sweet potato | Same plus 100 g (3.5 oz) camote | 240 | 29 |
| Pollo a la brasa, dark quarter | Thigh and drumstick with skin, 142 g (5 oz) | 320 | 35 |
| Pollo a la brasa, white quarter | Breast and wing with skin, 225 g (7.9 oz) | 455 | 60 |
| Pollo a la brasa, half chicken | About 367 g (12.9 oz) | 780 | 95 |
| Lomo saltado, no rice or fries | 150 g beef plus vegetables and oil | 370 | about 38 |
| Lomo saltado, full plate | With 150 g fries and 1 cup rice | 825 | not calculated |
| Causa limeña with chicken | One restaurant slice | 475 | 19 |
| Arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) | 1 cup (166 g) | 290 | not calculated |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup (185 g) | 222 | 8.1 |
Ceviche calories and nutrition
Classic Peruvian ceviche is raw white fish (corvina, sole or flounder) cured in lime juice with red onion, ají limo chili, cilantro and salt. The citrus marinade is called leche de tigre.
| Ingredient | Amount | Calories | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White fish, raw | 150 g (5.3 oz) | 123 | 26.7 |
| Lime juice | 2 limes, about 88 g (3 fl oz) | 22 | 0.4 |
| Red onion | 1/2 onion, 50 g | 20 | 0.6 |
| Chili, cilantro, salt | to taste | about 0 | 0 |
| Total | about 165 | about 28 |
Fish values use USDA's raw Atlantic cod as the lean white-fish match. That makes ceviche one of the highest-protein, lowest-fat dishes on any menu: about 17 g of protein per 100 calories.
The sides are where it changes:
- Camote (sweet potato): a 100 g (3.5 oz) boiled piece adds about 76 calories.
- Choclo and cancha: big-kernel Andean corn and crunchy toasted corn add starch; cancha in particular is easy to eat by the handful.
- Ceviche mixto with shrimp, octopus and squid stays lean; shrimp nutrition has the numbers for shellfish. A fried calamari topping (chicharrón) adds the most.
Lime juice doesn't sterilize fish. It firms the protein but doesn't kill bacteria or parasites the way heat does, so use very fresh fish sold for raw eating, or fish that's been frozen first. Pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system should skip raw ceviche.
Pollo a la brasa calories
Peru's rotisserie chicken is marinated in garlic, cumin, soy sauce and spices and roasted over charcoal. USDA's rotisserie chicken data is the closest match and lists an average weight for each piece.
| Portion (meat and skin) | Weight | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark quarter: 1 thigh, 1 drumstick | 142 g (5 oz) | 320 | 35 | 21 |
| White quarter: 1 breast half, 1 wing | 225 g (7.9 oz) | 455 | 60 | 24 |
| Half chicken | 367 g (12.9 oz) | 780 | 95 | 45 |
| Whole chicken (edible meat and skin) | 733 g (1.6 lb) | 1,555 | 189 | 89 |
The white quarter has more calories only because it's heavier; per gram, dark meat with skin is richer. Skin is the swing factor: USDA lists rotisserie chicken skin at 406 calories per 100 g, against 137 for skinless breast meat. Our rotisserie chicken calories guide breaks down every part with and without skin.
Typical pollería sides:
- Fries: 150 g (5.3 oz) of oven-baked fries is about 250 calories; deep-fried restaurant fries are higher.
- Salad: lettuce, tomato and cucumber are close to nothing until the dressing goes on.
- Sauces: ají verde, mayonnaise-based cremas and huancaína. A tablespoon of mayonnaise alone is 94 calories.
A quarter chicken with fries and two spoonfuls of mayo-based sauce lands around 760-900 calories, depending on the cut.
Lomo saltado calories
Lomo saltado grew out of chifa, Peru's Chinese-Peruvian cooking: strips of beef stir-fried with red onion, tomato, soy sauce and ají amarillo, served with fries and white rice.
| Component | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Beef, lean (raw weight) | 150 g (5.3 oz) | 192 |
| Cooking oil | 1 tbsp | 119 |
| Red onion | 80 g | 32 |
| Tomato | 100 g | 18 |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp | 8 |
| French fries, oven-baked | 150 g (5.3 oz) | 252 |
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup (158 g) | 205 |
| Total | 826 |
The beef is USDA lean top round. Restaurants often use sirloin or tenderloin, which carry more fat, and restaurant fries are usually deep-fried, so treat 825 as a floor for a big restaurant plate. The tablespoon of soy sauce also brings about 880 mg of sodium.
| Version | Calories |
|---|---|
| Full plate, fries and rice | 826 |
| No rice | 621 |
| No fries | 574 |
| Stir-fry only | 369 |
Causa, ají de gallina and other classics
Causa limeña is a layered terrine of mashed yellow potato seasoned with lime, oil and ají amarillo, filled with chicken or tuna salad and avocado. One restaurant slice estimated from USDA ingredients:
| Component | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Potato, boiled | 150 g (5.3 oz) | 131 |
| Oil in the potato | 1 tbsp | 119 |
| Roasted chicken breast | 50 g (1.8 oz) | 83 |
| Mayonnaise | 1 tbsp | 94 |
| Avocado | 30 g (1 oz) | 48 |
| Total | 475 |
Ají de gallina (shredded chicken in a creamy chili sauce thickened with bread, evaporated milk, cheese and nuts) and papa a la huancaína (potatoes with a cheese and chili sauce) get most of their calories from the sauce. Ask for it on the side or eat half if you're counting.
Arroz chaufa, Peruvian fried rice, is closest to USDA's meatless fried rice entry: about 290 calories per cup (166 g), before the meat or egg.
Anticuchos, grilled skewers of marinated beef heart, are one of the leaner street foods because heart is a lean, high-protein muscle. Fried snacks such as papa rellena (stuffed fried potato), salchipapa (sausage and fries) and picarones (sweet potato doughnuts in syrup) are the heavy ones.
Quinoa and Andean staples
Quinoa has been grown in the Andes for thousands of years, alongside kiwicha (amaranth), cañihua and hundreds of potato varieties.
| Per 1 cup, cooked | Calories | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Quinoa (185 g) | 222 | 8.1 |
| White rice (158 g) | 205 | 4.2 |
Quinoa has about twice the protein of white rice for almost the same calories, and a cup also brings 5.2 g of fiber. See quinoa nutrition facts for the full profile and quinoa vs brown rice for the whole-grain comparison. Sweet potato and Andean potatoes are covered in sweet potato vs regular potato.
Is Peruvian food healthy?
Peruvian food is built on fish, chicken, potatoes, corn, quinoa and chili, which is a good starting point. Where it gets heavy is the combination plate. A few easy swaps:
- Order ceviche or tiradito (sliced raw fish in a spicy citrus sauce) as a main, not just a starter.
- Pick one starch. Lomo saltado with fries or rice, not both, saves 200-250 calories.
- Eat pollo a la brasa with salad, and take the skin off the breast if you want the leanest version.
- Keep sauces on the side. Creamy cremas and huancaína are the hidden calories.
- Swap rice for quinoa when the restaurant offers it.
If you like Latin American food in general, Mexican food nutrition applies the same approach to tacos and burritos. Restaurant portions in the US are often larger than the weights here, so a photo log in Nutrify or a quick weigh at home keeps your numbers honest, and the protein calculator shows how a plate of ceviche or chicken fits your daily target.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, rotisserie chicken, original seasoning: breast meat and skin, FDC 171123; breast meat only, FDC 171518; thigh meat and skin, FDC 171522; drumstick meat and skin, FDC 171521; wing meat and skin, FDC 171523; skin only, FDC 171520. Piece weights from each entry's portion data.
- USDA FoodData Central, fish and vegetables: cod, Atlantic, raw, FDC 171955; lime juice, raw, FDC 168156; onions, raw, FDC 170000; tomatoes, red, raw, FDC 170457; sweet potato, boiled, without skin, FDC 168484; potato, boiled in skin, flesh, FDC 170438; avocado, FDC 171705.
- USDA FoodData Central, other ingredients: beef, top round, raw, FDC 173983; olive oil, FDC 171413; soy sauce, FDC 174277; french fries, frozen, oven-heated, FDC 170118; white rice, cooked, FDC 168878; quinoa, cooked, FDC 168917; roasted chicken breast, FDC 171477; mayonnaise, FDC 171009; fried rice, meatless, FDC 2708951.
- Wikipedia, Peruvian cuisine (dishes and ingredients).
