Does Chick-fil-A Have a Keto Option? Navigating the Low-Carb Menu

December 9, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2024 study by the International Food Information Council, nearly 25% of Americans have followed a low-carb diet at some point. For many of these individuals, eating at fast-food restaurants like Chick-fil-A can seem challenging, but with the right knowledge, it is entirely possible to enjoy a meal while staying on track with your ketogenic goals.

Quick Summary

Chick-fil-A has a range of keto-friendly choices that can be customized to fit a low-carb lifestyle. By focusing on grilled items and salads, and making simple modifications like removing buns and croutons, individuals can easily create satisfying and compliant meals. Several dressings and sauces are also low in carbs.

Key Points

Grilled Chicken is Key: Always opt for grilled chicken nuggets or the grilled chicken fillet instead of their breaded counterparts to drastically reduce carbs.
Ditch the Carbs: Eliminate all buns, biscuits, and breading from your order by requesting bunless sandwiches or choosing salads.
Customize Your Salads: When ordering salads, be sure to request no high-carb additions like crispy bell peppers, corn, or roasted nuts.
Smart Sauce Choices: Stick to low-carb dressings and sauces, such as Avocado Lime Ranch or Zesty Buffalo, and avoid sugary options like BBQ sauce.
Strategic Breakfast Ordering: The Hash Brown Scramble Bowl without hash browns or breakfast sandwiches without the biscuit are great morning options.
Stick to Zero-Carb Drinks: Hydrate with unsweetened iced tea, black coffee, or diet soda to stay within your daily carb limits.

Navigating the Chick-fil-A Menu for Keto

Eating keto at Chick-fil-A requires focusing on grilled options and strategic modifications. While the menu is famous for its breaded chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, there are plenty of satisfying alternatives for those following a low-carb diet. The key is to avoid all breaded items, buns, biscuits, and sugary sauces and sides.

Breakfast Keto Options

The morning menu offers several opportunities for a keto meal. The easiest way to start is by modifying a standard breakfast sandwich or bowl. The main thing to remember is to request your meal without the high-carb components.

Hash Brown Scramble Bowl (no hash browns): This is a great choice. Simply ask for no hash browns and choose between grilled chicken, sausage, or bacon. The bowl includes eggs and a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses.
Egg White Grill (no English muffin): Get the egg whites, grilled chicken, and cheese, but skip the muffin to significantly reduce the carb count.
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (no biscuit): A simple way to get a high-fat, high-protein breakfast. Just order the components without the biscuit.
Grilled Breakfast Filet: This can be ordered alone for a protein-rich, zero-carb start to your day.

Lunch and Dinner Keto Choices

When it comes to lunch or dinner, grilled chicken is your best friend. Skip the breaded sandwiches and nuggets entirely.

Grilled Chicken Nuggets (8-count or 12-count): These are a go-to for keto dieters, with a very low carb count per serving. They can be a full meal or a protein boost for a salad.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no bun): The juicy grilled chicken fillet with lettuce and tomato is perfectly keto-compliant once you discard the bun. Consider asking for it in a bowl or lettuce-wrapped for easier eating.
Grilled Chicken Club (no bun): This offers an even more flavorful option with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Just like the standard grilled sandwich, the bun needs to be removed.

Keto-Friendly Salads

Salads are a safe bet, but require some modifications to remove high-carb toppings and ensure a low-carb dressing is used.

Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken: Order this with no crispy bell peppers, corn, or roasted nuts, as those are high in carbs. The salad includes grilled chicken, mixed greens, cheese, bacon, and hard-boiled eggs.
Side Salad: A simple, low-carb foundation. Ask for no crispy bell peppers.
Kale Crunch Side: This simple side is generally a good option, but you can omit the roasted almonds to reduce carbs further if necessary.

Customizing Your Order for Success

To stay strictly keto, strategic ordering is crucial. The following table compares standard high-carb options with their modified keto alternatives.


Item	High-Carb Standard Order	Keto Modification	Why it's a better choice
Chicken Nuggets	Breaded Nuggets (8-count) - 11g carbs	Grilled Nuggets (8-count) - 1g carbs	Eliminates the high-carb breading while retaining protein.
Chicken Sandwich	Original Chicken Sandwich on bun - 41g carbs	Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no bun) - 3g carbs	Removes all bun carbs; a simple, effective swap.
Breakfast Bowl	Hash Brown Scramble Bowl - 16g carbs	Hash Brown Scramble Bowl (no hash browns) - 2g carbs	Removes the carb-heavy fried hash browns.
Cobb Salad	Cobb Salad with crispy toppings - 23g carbs	Cobb Salad (no bell peppers/corn) - 10g carbs	Removes unnecessary starchy vegetables and toppings.
Side	Waffle Fries - 47g carbs	Side Salad - 4g carbs	Replaces a significant carb load with a fibrous, low-carb green salad.

Sauces and Dressings

Some sauces and dressings can add hidden carbs. Stick to these low-carb, high-fat options:

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
Garden Herb Ranch Dressing
Zesty Buffalo Sauce
Creamy Salsa Dressing
Classic Yellow Mustard
Packet of Mayonnaise

Drink Choices

Stick to calorie-free, unsweetened beverages to avoid added sugar:

Unsweetened Iced Tea
Black Coffee (hot or iced)
Diet Lemonade
Diet Soda options like Diet Coke or Coke Zero
Water

Conclusion: A Quick and Easy Keto-Friendly Option

Does Chick-fil-A have a keto option? Yes, absolutely. With a little planning and smart substitutions, Chick-fil-A provides several viable and delicious choices for a ketogenic diet. By prioritizing grilled chicken, bunless sandwiches, and customized salads, you can enjoy a quick and easy meal without sacrificing your low-carb goals. Just remember to always ask for 'no bun' or 'no hash browns' and to be mindful of your sauce and dressing choices. Sticking to grilled proteins and fresh vegetables will ensure your fast-food experience remains keto-friendly and satisfying.

Authoritative Resource

For the most up-to-date and specific nutritional information, consult the official Chick-fil-A website: Chick-fil-A Nutrition Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can eat a chicken sandwich on a keto diet by ordering the Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the bun. You can also order a Grilled Chicken Club and ask for no bun.

Yes, Chick-fil-A's grilled nuggets are an excellent keto-friendly option. An 8-count serving contains only 1 gram of carbs and is a great source of protein.

The Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken is a good choice, but you must ask for no crispy bell peppers or corn. You can also order a simple Side Salad without the crispy bell peppers and add grilled nuggets for protein.

Keto-friendly sauces and dressings include the Avocado Lime Ranch, Garden Herb Ranch, Zesty Buffalo Sauce, Creamy Salsa Dressing, and packets of mustard or mayonnaise.

Yes, you can have keto-friendly breakfast options by ordering the Hash Brown Scramble Bowl without the hash browns or any of the breakfast sandwiches without the biscuit or English muffin.

Stick to drinks with zero sugar, such as unsweetened iced tea, black coffee, diet soda, or water. Be sure to avoid all sweetened teas and lemonades.

When placing your order, be very specific and clearly state 'no bun' or 'no hash browns.' It may be helpful to use the Chick-fil-A app to customize your order to ensure accuracy.