Carl's Jr. Keto-Friendly Low-Carb Burger Options

Fast food is not the best option for those on a low-carb keto diet, but it can be a convenient choice when other options are not available. Carl's Jr. offers a variety of keto-friendly options that can be ordered by removing the bun and sauce. The Low Carb Thickburger, for example, has 560 calories and 5 net carbs. Other options include the Star Burger (420 calories, 4 net carbs) and the Charbroiled Chicken Club (370 calories, 7 net carbs). For breakfast, the Steak & Egg Burrito without a tortilla is a good choice (420 calories, 1 net carb). It is important to note that while Carl's Jr. used to have a low carb option, this is no longer listed on the menu, but customers can still ask for their burger or sandwich to be wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun.

Carl's Jr. keto menu items

Carl's Jr. has a variety of keto-friendly menu items to choose from, so you can stick to your keto diet without compromising on taste. Here are some delicious options to consider:

Breakfast Options:

• Steak and Egg Burrito Bowl: This hearty bowl is filled with steak, eggs, cheese, and pico de gallo. You can even add guacamole or sour cream for some extra fat and flavour.
• Loaded Omelet Bowl: If you're craving a breakfast sandwich, try the loaded omelet without the biscuit. It's filled with crumbled sausage, bacon, ham, and cheddar cheese, all layered inside a fluffy omelet.
• Breakfast Burger: For a charbroiled twist on a classic, this burger features a beef patty, bacon, egg, and American cheese. Just remember to skip the hash rounds and ketchup to keep it keto-friendly.
• Prime Rib Egg Burrito Bowl: This burrito bowl is packed with tender prime rib, fluffy eggs, and cheddar cheese. You can also add guacamole or sour cream for some extra flavour and healthy fats.
• Low-Carb Breakfast Bowl: This bowl includes eggs, sausage, two types of cheese, and bacon crumbles. It's a quick, filling, and affordable keto option.

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Guacamole Bacon Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: A juicy Angus beef patty topped with guacamole, bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Santa Fe sauce.
• Original Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: This classic Thickburger is topped with Pepper Jack cheese, tomato, red onion, and Santa Fe sauce, all wrapped in lettuce.
• Jalapeno Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: Spice things up with this Thickburger, featuring an Angus beef patty, American cheese, tomato, red onion, pickle, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and lettuce.
• Charbroiled Chicken Club: Enjoy a grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, mayo, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese. Ask for it as a lettuce wrap to make it keto-friendly.
• Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich: This sandwich features a charbroiled chicken breast, American cheese, mild green chillies, lettuce, and Santa Fe sauce. Remember to skip the bun and opt for a lettuce wrap instead.
• Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich: You can usually swap the crispy chicken for grilled chicken in this sandwich. Just ask for it lettuce-wrapped to keep it low-carb.
• Charbroiled Chicken Salad: This salad features grilled chicken, red onion, tomato, a four-cheese blend, and croutons on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Skip the croutons and opt for ranch dressing instead.
• Taco Salad: Choose from steak, ground beef, or chicken, and enjoy it in a crispy flour tortilla bowl with cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and more. For a true keto treat, ask for no shell and enjoy it as a taco/burrito bowl.
• Low Carb Thickburger: This burger is specially listed on the Carl's Jr. drive-thru menu, making it a convenient and tasty keto option.
• The Star Burger (No Bun): Enjoy the famous Star Burger with a single beef patty, cheese, pickles, onions, tomato, special sauce, and mayo on a bed of lettuce.
• Jalapeno Double Cheeseburger (Lettuce Wrapped): If you like it spicy, this burger is a great choice. It's also a bargain at just $2.49 on special.

Remember, when ordering at Carl's Jr., be sure to specify that you want your meal "low-carb" or "keto." Ask for no bun or tortilla, and consider getting a lettuce wrap or a bowl instead. Skip the ketchup and opt for mustard or bring your own sugar-free ketchup. Ask for sauces on the side to control the portions, and skip the fries in favour of a side salad with a keto-friendly dressing like ranch.

Customising orders to be keto-friendly

Carl's Jr. offers a variety of keto-friendly options on its menu, but you can also modify some of their regular menu items to fit your keto diet. Here are some tips to ensure your order is keto-friendly:

• Specify "low-carb": When placing your order, inform the staff that you want your meal to be "low-carb". This will indicate to them that you are on a keto or low-carb diet, and they may have specific buttons to push to accommodate your request.
• No bun, no tortilla: Most burgers and sandwiches come with a bun or tortilla, which are high in carbs. Ask for your burger to be wrapped in lettuce instead, or simply request no bun and eat it with a knife and fork. For burritos or biscuits, you can opt for a bowl instead.
• Skip the ketchup: Regular ketchup often contains high fructose corn syrup or sugar, adding 3-5g of sugar and carbs per packet. Instead, go for mustard or bring your own sugar-free ketchup.
• Sauce on the side: Ask for sauces and dressings on the side so you can control the portions. Some burger sauces and salsas can contain hidden sugars and extra carbs.
• Skip the fries: While this may be difficult, fries and sides like hash browns, onion rings, and similar breaded items are usually too high in carbs. Opt for a side salad with a keto-friendly dressing like ranch instead.

Now, let's look at some specific customisations for popular menu items at Carl's Jr. to make them keto-friendly:

• Steak and Egg Burrito: Order it without the tortilla. Be mindful of the salsa as it adds 1 carb.
• Monster Biscuit with Sausage, Bacon, and Cheese: Skip the biscuit. You can ask for a lettuce wrap, but scrambled eggs and lettuce might not be the most appetising combination.
• All-Natural Charbroiled Chicken Club™ Sandwich: Request this chicken sandwich as a lettuce wrap and without the sauce.
• All-Natural Charbroiled Chicken Salad: Order it without croutons and ask for buffalo dipping sauce on the side.
• Famous Star with Cheese: Remove the bun.
• Super Star with Cheese: Remove the bun.
• 1/3 lb. Original Six Dollar Thickburger: Remove the bun.
• 1/2 lb. Original Six Dollar Thickburger: Remove the bun.
• 1/3 lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger: Remove the bun.
• 1/2 lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger: Remove the bun.
• Grass-Fed All-Natural Burger (Single): Remove the bun.

Remember to always check the Carl's Jr. nutrition menu for the calorie and carb count of each item to make sure your customisations fit within your keto diet parameters.

Breakfast options

Carl's Jr. offers a variety of keto-friendly breakfast options, providing a great way to start your day while sticking to your low-carb diet. Here are some delicious and nutritious choices to consider:

The Breakfast Bowl

The Low-Carb Breakfast Bowl is a tasty and satisfying option, containing cheese, eggs, bacon, sausage patty, sausage crumbles, and ham. It's a hearty and flavourful choice, perfect for those who want a convenient and keto-friendly breakfast on the go.

Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito (No Tortilla)

For a protein-packed breakfast, try the Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito without the tortilla. It's served in a salad container and consists of steak, eggs, cheese, and pico de gallo. This option is highly recommended by keto dieters for its amazing taste and convenience.

Loaded Breakfast Burrito (No Tortilla and No Hash Browns)

If you're looking for a filling and flavourful breakfast, the Loaded Breakfast Burrito without the tortilla and hash browns is an excellent choice. It's packed with eggs, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, sliced ham, sausage crumbles, and bacon bits. It's a keto-friendly breakfast that will keep you full and satisfied.

The Breakfast Burger (No Bun and No Hash Browns)

The Breakfast Burger, without the bun and hash browns, is a tasty combination of a beef patty, bacon, egg, and cheese. It's a unique breakfast option that brings together two classic meals—burgers and breakfast—into one delicious keto-friendly dish.

Monster Biscuit (No Biscuit)

For those with a heartier appetite, the Monster Biscuit without the biscuit is a satisfying choice. It includes a sausage patty, bacon, egg, and a combination of Swiss and American cheese. This breakfast option is sure to keep you energised throughout the morning.

Sausage & Egg Cheese Biscuit (No Biscuit)

If you're looking for a classic breakfast option, try the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit without the biscuit. It's a simple yet tasty combination that will remind you of a traditional breakfast sandwich, minus the carbs from the biscuit.

In addition to these options, you can also customise other breakfast sandwiches at Carl's Jr. to make them keto-friendly. Simply remove the bready options, such as biscuits, tortillas, or burrito wraps, and hold the sauces or order them on the side. This way, you can enjoy a wide range of breakfast items while sticking to your keto diet.

Lunch and dinner options

Carl's Jr. has a variety of keto-friendly lunch and dinner options. The key to ordering keto at Carl's Jr. is to ask for your meal to be "low carb" and specify that you don't want a bun. You can ask for a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, or you can get your meal in a bowl. Here are some keto-friendly options for lunch and dinner:

Burgers

• The Low Carb Thickburger: This burger is listed on the drive-thru menu and comes with a 1/2 pound patty, lettuce, and a special sauce. It has 560 calories and 5 net carbs.
• Guacamole Bacon Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: This burger is topped with guacamole, bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, tomato, red onion, and Santa Fe sauce.
• Original Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: This burger is topped with Pepper Jack cheese, tomato, red onion, and Santa Fe sauce.
• Jalapeño Thickburger Lettuce Wrap: This burger has a 1/3 lb. Angus beef patty, Pepper Jack cheese, jalapeño coins, and Santa Fe Sauce.
• Monster Angus Thickburger: This burger has two 1/3 lb. Angus beef patties, bacon, American cheese, and mayonnaise.
• Western Bacon Cheeseburger (without the bun, sauce, and onion ring): A classic burger option with bacon and cheese.
• Low Carb Six Dollar Burger: Ask for this without the tomatoes to reduce carbs.
• Double Cheeseburger: A classic option without the bun.

Sandwiches

• Charbroiled Chicken Club: Grilled chicken breast with bacon, mayo, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese. Ask for this without the bun or in a lettuce wrap.
• Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich: Grilled chicken breast, American cheese, mild green chilis, lettuce, and Santa Fe Sauce. Ask for no bun and add red onion for a crunch.
• Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich: You can ask to substitute grilled chicken for crispy chicken. Get this without the bun.

Salads

• Charbroiled Chicken Salad: This salad has red onion, tomato, a 4-cheese blend, and croutons on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Ask for ranch dressing and skip the croutons.
• Taco Salad: Choose between steak, ground beef, or chicken, with a four-cheese blend, hot sauce, guacamole, pico de gallo, crema, and cotija cheese. Ask for no shell and get it in a bowl.

What to avoid on the keto Carl's Jr. menu

While there are several keto-friendly options at Carl's Jr., there are also many items that should be avoided to maintain an optimal low-carb diet. Here's a list of things to avoid when ordering keto at Carl's Jr.:

• Anything on the menu that says "crispy," "fried," or "battered." These items are typically breaded with wheat flour, which has too many carbs.
• Fries and Onion Rings. Potato-based items and fried onions are not keto-friendly. Onion rings are battered and have a high carb count. Even a small serving of fries can have up to 39 grams of carbs.
• Ketchup. Conventional ketchup is often made with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and is not suitable for a keto diet.
• Buns, wraps, tortillas, biscuits, and breading. These items are high in carbs and should be avoided. Instead, opt for lettuce wraps or ask for your meal to be served in a bowl.
• Sauces. Some burger sauces and salsas can contain extra sugar and hidden carbs. Ask for sauces on the side to control the portion and overall carb intake.
• All-star meals or combo meals. These deals often include sandwiches, fries, a drink, and a dessert, which can be tempting but are not keto-friendly.
• Burritos and tacos. These items can be challenging to eat without the shell or tortilla, and the soft shell tends to incorporate into the filling, making it difficult to separate.
• Anything fried, such as French fries, onion rings, or items containing gluten.
• The Beyond Meat burger. This plant-based burger has too many carbs to fit within a low-carb diet, even if you skip the bun and sauce.
• Starchy sides like beans, rice, fries, or potatoes.
• Dipping sauces like Sweet and Bold BBQ, Buttermilk Ranch, and Honey Mustard.

Remember, when in doubt, it's best to stick to simple, unprocessed foods and avoid anything that might contain hidden carbs or sugars.

Frequently asked questions