How many calories are in 1 cup of menudo?

November 17, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the USDA, a standard cup of homemade beef menudo contains approximately 104 calories, but this can change significantly depending on the recipe and ingredients used. The rich, flavorful Mexican stew's calorie count is influenced by factors such as the type of meat, fat content, and added garnishes. Understanding these variations is key to accurately tracking your calorie intake.

Quick Summary

The calorie count for a single cup of menudo varies widely based on ingredients and preparation, from a lower count for simple beef tripe versions to a higher count for recipes with pork, pig's feet, or store-bought mixes. Homemade versions often allow for better control over calorie and sodium content than their canned counterparts. This guide explores the nutritional differences in menudo variations and offers tips for a healthier, flavorful dish.

Key Points

Variable Calorie Count: The calorie content of 1 cup of menudo is highly variable, ranging from approximately 104 kcal for a standard beef tripe recipe to over 200 kcal for richer variations or store-bought brands.
Homemade is Healthier: Preparing menudo at home gives you full control over ingredients and fat content, allowing you to create a lower-calorie and lower-sodium dish compared to most canned versions.
Fat and Protein Content: Traditional menudo features tripe, a lean protein rich in collagen. Variations that include fattier meats like pig's feet or high-fat pork cuts will increase the calorie count.
Increase Fiber with Veggies: Boost the nutritional value and volume of your menudo by adding extra hominy, diced onions, radishes, or even plant-based substitutes like mushrooms for more fiber and fewer calories.
Reduce Sodium: Canned menudo can be high in sodium. For a healthier option, rinse canned hominy and control the salt added when making the stew at home.
Nutrient-Dense Dish: Beyond calories, menudo offers significant nutritional benefits, including protein, fiber, and important vitamins and minerals like B12, iron, and zinc.

The Calorie Breakdown of a Standard Beef Menudo

For many, menudo is a cherished cultural staple, known for its hearty ingredients and bold flavors. The core components of a traditional beef menudo typically include beef tripe and hominy, simmered in a red chili-based broth. The USDA provides a useful benchmark, estimating a basic cup of homemade beef menudo at around 104 calories. This low-fat, high-protein base is what makes the soup a nutrient-dense option in its simplest form.

Beef Tripe: The primary protein source, tripe, is surprisingly lean and rich in collagen, which benefits skin and joint health.
Hominy: A key carbohydrate and fiber source, hominy adds bulk and supports digestive health.
Chili Broth: Made from dried chilis like guajillo, the broth adds flavor with minimal caloric impact, though this can change if extra oil is used.
Garnishes: Fresh onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice add flavor and nutrients without significant calories.

How Variations Drastically Alter Calorie Count

While the basic version is a lower-calorie option, many factors can cause the calorie count to skyrocket. This is especially true for regional varieties, store-bought canned products, or when extra fatty ingredients are added.

Pork Menudo: Unlike Mexican menudo, Filipino-style menudo is a pork stew, not a soup. A typical cup can contain a significantly higher calorie count, sometimes reaching 265 kcal or more, due to the fattier meat cuts, liver, and addition of potatoes, carrots, and raisins.
Store-Bought vs. Homemade: Pre-made or canned menudo often contains more sodium and preservatives. For example, some brands like Juanita's Foods may list around 130 calories per cup, but with much higher sodium levels. Homemade versions allow you to control the exact ingredients and fat content, yielding a healthier product.
Additional Fat: Skimming fat from the surface during the cooking process can reduce overall calories. Conversely, adding fattier cuts of meat or extra oil will increase the final calorie count.

A Comparison of Menudo Variations

To better illustrate how different recipes impact the caloric value, here is a comparison table based on common menudo variations.


Menudo Type	Key Ingredients	Approximate Calories per 1 Cup	Calorie Influencers
Homemade Beef Menudo	Beef tripe, hominy, red chili broth	~104 kcal	Recipe, amount of tripe and hominy, added oil
Canned Beef Menudo	Beef tripe, hominy, chili broth	~130-211 kcal	Brand, added preservatives, sodium content
Filipino Pork Menudo	Pork, liver, carrots, potatoes, tomato sauce	~265 kcal	Pork cut, added vegetables, fats, sugar
Menudo with Pig's Feet	Beef tripe, pig's feet, hominy	150+ kcal	Fatty content of pig's feet and bone marrow

Tips for Making a Lower-Calorie Menudo

Enjoying a flavorful bowl of menudo doesn't have to break your calorie budget. With a few simple modifications, you can significantly reduce the caloric load without sacrificing taste.

Select Leaner Meats: If you are using pork, opt for leaner cuts like tenderloin instead of fattier pork belly. If sticking with traditional beef tripe, consider trimming off any excess fat.
Skim the Fat: As the menudo simmers, fat will rise to the surface. Periodically skimming this off will lower the overall fat and calorie content.
Rinse Canned Ingredients: Canned hominy and some tomato products can be high in sodium. Rinsing them before adding to the stew can help reduce sodium content, which is often a hidden health drawback of canned menudo.
Bulk Up with Vegetables: Add extra fiber-rich vegetables like diced carrots, potatoes, or cabbage. For a plant-based version, you can even use mushrooms as a tripe substitute.
Use Herbs and Spices Liberally: Instead of relying on excess salt or fatty add-ins for flavor, use plenty of oregano, garlic, onion, and fresh cilantro. Fresh garnishes provide vibrant flavor with few calories.

The Nutritional Value Beyond Calories

Beyond the raw calorie count, menudo offers notable nutritional benefits. The tripe provides a complete protein source rich in collagen, which supports joint health and muscle maintenance. Hominy contributes valuable fiber, which is crucial for gut and metabolic health. Menudo is also a surprisingly good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc, iron, and various B vitamins, such as B12. In many ways, menudo embodies a “nose-to-tail” approach to eating, utilizing nutritious parts of the animal that are often overlooked in Western cuisine.

Conclusion

While a basic cup of beef menudo offers a modest 104 calories, the final count is heavily dependent on how it's prepared and what ingredients are added. Homemade versions with lean tripe and plenty of hominy will always be the lowest-calorie option, while variations featuring fatty pork, or store-bought mixes can elevate the number significantly. By understanding these differences and incorporating simple modifications, you can enjoy this flavorful, nutrient-rich dish as a healthy part of your diet. The next time you're craving a comforting bowl, remember that you have the power to control its nutritional profile, ensuring it aligns with your health goals without sacrificing the delicious, traditional taste. For more nutritional information and healthy recipe ideas, check out the resources from Your Latina Nutritionist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mexican menudo is a soup primarily made with beef tripe and hominy, with a lower calorie count, often around 104 kcal per cup. Filipino menudo is a pork stew with liver, potatoes, and carrots, containing more ingredients and fat, and therefore a higher calorie count, which can exceed 250 kcal per cup.

A traditional, homemade beef menudo is relatively low in calories due to its primary ingredients being lean tripe, hominy, and a broth. However, the caloric content can increase significantly with fatty meat cuts or store-bought preparations.

To reduce calories, use lean beef tripe, consistently skim the fat from the surface while it simmers, and increase the amount of low-calorie vegetables like onions and radishes. Limiting excess added oil is also helpful.

The calorie count for canned menudo varies by brand but can be higher than a basic homemade recipe, typically ranging from 130 to over 200 calories per cup. Canned versions also tend to have significantly higher sodium levels.

Menudo is a good source of several nutrients, including protein, fiber, iron, zinc, choline, and various B vitamins like B12 and B3. The tripe also provides collagen, which supports joint and skin health.

Yes, plant-based menudo is possible. Some recipes replace the tripe with snow mushrooms or other meaty mushrooms to replicate the texture and use vegetable broth instead of a beef base. This can be a very low-calorie option.

The main factors influencing the calorie count are the type of meat used (beef tripe vs. fattier pork), the amount of fat in the recipe, and the inclusion of other ingredients like pig's feet, potatoes, or canned versus fresh hominy.