A method for controlling an internal combustion engine including at least one exhaust-gas aftertreatment component having an electric heating element, the electric heating element heating the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component and the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component, the electric heating element briefly or permanently being acted upon by a heating current, a gas, in particular fresh air and/or exhaust gas, flowing downstream through the exhaust-gas path. In the method, a first temperature upstream from the at least one exhaust-gas aftertreatment component is ascertained, a second temperature downstream from the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component is ascertained, and the exhaust-gas mass flow of the internal combustion engine is ascertained as a function of a first temperature difference between the first and the second temperature and a heating power of the electric heating element, and the internal combustion engine is controlled as a function of the exhaust-gas mass flow.