Guide · Zambrero · Updated 11 September 2026
Zambrero calories and protein, and what to actually order
Order the small grilled chicken classic bowl. 316 calories, 17.2 grams of protein. It's the best cutting order at Zambrero and one of the best in any Mexican chain in Australia, and the reason is that Zambrero lets you pick a size, which GYG doesn't.
If you're hungrier, the regular bowl is 492 calories with 28.0 grams. That's still a good number. The Big is 657 calories and 46.7 grams, which is a bulking order, not a lunch.
Size is the whole game at Zambrero
Same filling, three sizes. Here's the grilled chicken classic burrito and bowl across all of them, so you can see what each step up actually costs.
| Item | kcal | kJ | Protein g | Fat g | Carbs g | Sugars g | Sodium mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Classic Bowl Small Zambrero | 316 | 1,322 | 17.2 | 15.6 | 26.2 | 4.2 | 786 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Bowl Regular Zambrero | 492 | 2,059 | 28.0 | 21.1 | 46.5 | 6.8 | 1,303 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Bowl Big Zambrero | 657 | 2,749 | 46.7 | 27.8 | 53.6 | 8.6 | 1,965 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Burrito Small Zambrero | 523 | 2,188 | 22.7 | 21.6 | 57.8 | 6.8 | 1,186 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Burrito Regular Zambrero | 776 | 3,247 | 35.5 | 29.7 | 90.1 | 9.5 | 1,838 |
| Grilled Chicken Classic Burrito Big Zambrero | 953 | 3,987 | 54.6 | 37.6 | 99.2 | 11.4 | 2,524 |
A few things jump out. The small bowl to the regular bowl is 176 calories for 10.8 grams more protein, which is a fair trade if you need the food. The regular to the Big is 165 more calories. The burrito adds the tortilla, which is worth about 284 calories at regular size. That's a lot for bread.
Sodium follows the same pattern. The regular bowl is 1,303 mg, the regular burrito 1,838 mg. The Big burrito is 2,524 mg, which is more than a day's worth.
Everything under 500 calories, ranked
This is the menu filtered to food under 500 calories with at least 15 grams of protein, best protein per calorie first.
| Item | kcal | Protein g | Per 100 kcal | Fat g | Carbs g | Sugars g | Sodium mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barbacoa Beef Fat Taco Duo | 484 | 26.8 | B5.5 | 19.2 | 50.2 | 13.6 | 934 |
| 2Grilled Chicken Fat Taco Duo | 454 | 25.0 | B5.5 | 18.0 | 47.6 | 9.8 | 926 |
| 3Barbacoa Beef Classic Bowl (Small) | 331 | 18.1 | B5.5 | 16.2 | 27.5 | 6.1 | 790 |
| 4Grilled Chicken Classic Bowl (Small) | 316 | 17.2 | B5.4 | 15.6 | 26.2 | 4.2 | 786 |
| 5Lamb Classic Bowl (Small) | 327 | 16.8 | B5.1 | 16.5 | 27.4 | 4.6 | 620 |
| 6Barbacoa Beef Signature Bowl (Small) | 456 | 23.3 | B5.1 | 25.9 | 31.2 | 6.9 | 1,040 |
| 7Grilled Chicken Signature Bowl (Small) | 442 | 22.5 | B5.1 | 25.2 | 30.0 | 5.0 | 1,036 |
| 8Lamb Fat Taco Duo | 476 | 24.2 | B5.1 | 19.8 | 50.0 | 10.6 | 594 |
| 9Pulled Pork Classic Bowl (Small) | 316 | 15.7 | B5.0 | 15.3 | 27.2 | 6.0 | 745 |
| 10Barbacoa Beef Dos Capas | 304 | 15.0 | B4.9 | 15.6 | 25.0 | 4.5 | 507 |
| 11Pulled Pork Signature Bowl (Small) | 426 | 20.8 | B4.9 | 24.8 | 30.9 | 6.8 | 995 |
| 12Lamb Signature Bowl (Small) | 453 | 22.0 | B4.9 | 26.1 | 31.1 | 5.4 | 870 |
The grilled chicken soft taco is 224 calories for 13.5 grams, and two of them together give you more protein than the small bowl for around 130 more calories. The barbacoa fat taco duo is 484 calories for 26.8 grams, which is the best beef order on the menu.
Two orders I'd get
The small bowl with a regular soft taco on the side. It's 540 calories with 30.7 grams of protein, and it's enough food that you're not thinking about the vending machine an hour later.
Or the grilled chicken quesadilla stack on its own. 538 calories, 32.9 grams. It's the most protein you'll get under 550 calories here and it doesn't feel like diet food.
What the Cali sizes really are
Zambrero's Cali burritos have chips inside them, same as GYG's. The Big barbacoa Cali burrito is 1,280 calories with 3,305 mg of sodium. That's more calories than most people need for dinner and about a day and a half of salt. The Big grilled chicken Cali is 1,220. I'm not saying never. I'm saying know what it is before you order it on a Tuesday.
Regular chips on the side are 268 calories. The corn chips are 336. Both fine as a share. Both a problem if they're yours.
Zambrero versus GYG
People ask me this a lot. The honest answer is that the food is similar and Zambrero wins on a cut because of the small size. GYG's grilled chicken bowl is one size at around 660 calories. Zambrero's small is 316. If you're at GYG, order tacos. If you're at Zambrero, order the small bowl. I wrote up the GYG orders separately if you want the numbers.
FAQ
How many calories in a Zambrero burrito?
The grilled chicken classic burrito is 523 calories small, 776 regular and 953 Big. The bowls are 316, 492 and 657. Those are Zambrero's own figures and every other filling is in the app.
What's the healthiest thing at Zambrero?
The small grilled chicken classic bowl at 316 calories and 17.2 grams of protein. If you want more protein for the calories, two grilled chicken soft tacos.
Is Zambrero good for weight loss?
Yes, if you order small. The small bowl and the tacos are some of the best fast food orders in Australia for a calorie deficit. The Big burritos and anything Cali are not, and the sodium on the big sizes is high enough that you'll feel it the next day.