How To Be Keto At Burger King: A Beginner's Guide To Keto Fast Food

For many, Burger King is considered the King of fast food burgers. When you want a burger, and you want it fast, you might try Burger King, but don’t know what to do if you’re following a ketogenic diet. Yes, fast food is not the most healthy or nutritious, but we also understand that everyone is human and sometimes you have to settle for quick and convenient when you’re on-the-go. So, what can you order to stay keto at Burger King?

Top Tips for Staying Keto at Burger King!

Eating keto at Burger King doesn’t have to be difficult. Check out these top tips to keep it low carb at this fast-food favorite.

1. Skip the Bun!

Most sandwiches from Burger King are a good keto-friendly choice with an acceptable carb range if you forgo the bun. You can also go lettuce-wrapped to make it easy to grab and go. A bun adds a surprising amount of carbs to your meal. For example, a plain Whopper has 470 calories and 42 grams of carbs, but a plain Whopper without the bun has 240 calories and 0 grams of carbs! In some cases, you might be able to bring your own keto-compliant wrap or bun.

Premium burgers at Burger King use 4oz patties. Some of the most suitable keto-approved options include*:

Whopper, plain with no bun (0 grams of carbs)
Whopper with cheese, plain with no bun (1 gram of carbs)
Double Whopper, no bun, (7 grams carbs)
Double Whopper with Cheese, no bun (8 grams carbs)
Bacon and Cheese Whopper, plain with no bun (1-gram carbs)
Bacon and Cheese Whopper, no bun (9 grams carbs)
BBQ Bacon Whopper, plain with no bun (1-gram carbs)
BBQ Bacon Whopper, no bun (11 grams carbs)

Choose your burger or a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich without the bun, biscuit, or croissant, and without carb-loaded sides like onion rings. Grilled chicken sandwiches are another great choice. A plain grilled chicken sandwich with no bun has 0 grams of carbs.

Double your meat, for example, try a King Croissanwich with double sausage for around 2 grams of carbs or a Bacon Breakfast Sourdough King, Double, with no bread for around 3 grams of carbs.

Keto For Vegetarians: There aren’t many vegetarian choices, but some veggie keto dieters might have the veggie burger plain with no bun at around 10 grams of net carbs.

Here are a few keto meal ideas at Burger King:

2 Bacon Double Cheeseburgers, plain without the bun and an unsweetened coffee
Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun with a garden side salad and ranch dressing
2 Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Croissanwiches with no croissants and an unsweetened iced tea

2. Avoid Sugary Sauces and Condiments

Avoid sweet sugary sauces and fried, crunchy toppings that’ll spike your blood sugar and boost the carb count. Choose keto-friendly sauces and dressings, such as:

Ken’s Ranch Dressing 1 packet (2 grams carbs)
Ken’s Golden Italian Dressing (4 grams carbs)
Ranch Dipping Sauce 1 packet (1-gram carbs)
Buffalo Dipping Sauce 1 packet (2 grams carbs)
Zesty Sauce 1 packet (3 grams carbs)

3. Go Grilled Over Fried and Unsweetened over Sweetened

Select grilled instead of fried options to avoid turning your Burger King experience into a full-blown cheat day. Generally speaking, you should avoid crispy and fried options, but the Crispy Chicken Junior plain with no bun might be an option for some with 11 grams of carbs.

When it comes to drinks, go for unsweetened iced tea, unsweetened plain or iced coffee, or a diet soda.

4. Salad on the Side

Have a garden salad on the side with a keto-friendly dressing. In some circumstances, you could bring your own ready-made dressing or olive oil packets and a little salt and pepper. Ask for a lemon wedge to complete your dressing and add flavor to your salad.

Keto Fast Food Tip: The Crispy Chicken Garden Salad isn’t keto-friendly at around 32 grams of net carbs, but you might be able to tailor it to your keto needs by ditching the corn and crispy croutons and replacing the fried chicken with grilled chicken.

5. Protein on the Side

If you’re looking for a quick and simple meal or snack or you’re hungry and need more keto food, try an inexpensive protein side, such as:

Eggs, 1 serving (0 grams carbs)
Bacon, 1 piece (0 grams carbs)
Sausage, 1 patty (0 grams carbs)
Ham, 1 slice (0 grams carbs)

Remember, eating fast food on keto isn’t the healthiest option, but it is convenient and quick! Fast food restaurants don’t usually have the highest quality, nutrient-dense foods, and might not be suitable for those with certain health problems or goals.

How Do You Stay Keto at Burger King?

Share your top tips for staying keto at Burger King!

*Nutrition information from the Burger King website

Steph Green

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in and passionate about healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. Steph has worked with marketing agencies, written medical books for doctors like ‘Untangling the Web of Dysfunction,’ and her poetry book ‘Words that Might Mean Something.’ In 2016, after four years of struggling with her own health problems and painful autoimmune disease, Steph developed a life-changing and extensive knowledge of keto, nutrition, and natural medicine. She continues on her healing journey and enjoys helping others along the way.