Burger King is one of the easier fast-food chains to plan around if you have diabetes, because the carbohydrate sits in a few predictable places: the bun, the fries and onion rings, and the sweet drinks and shakes. This guide lays out the published numbers for burgers, chicken, breakfast, sides, and drinks, shows how a few example meals add up, and says plainly which numbers we could not confirm. Where a source was missing or looked wrong, we left a blank rather than guess.
Quick answer: Yes, people with diabetes eat at Burger King. Among the burgers listed below, carbohydrate runs from 29 grams (a plain Hamburger) to 62 grams (the Impossible Whopper), and a Whopper without cheese lists 54 grams. The bigger swings come from the sides and drinks: a large order of fries lists 64 grams, large onion rings 70 grams, and the vanilla shake 96 grams. Choosing a sandwich, a smaller or lighter side, and a zero-calorie drink keeps a meal in a range you can plan around. This is general education, not a personal meal plan. Your care team knows your targets and your medicines.
How to read the numbers in this guide
Burger King’s own nutrition pages were not reachable when we wrote this, so every figure comes from FastFoodNutrition.org, a third-party site that states Burger King as its source. Most item pages show an update date of 9/15/2025, which is recent but not live. The drink pages are older, dated 8/19/2020, and some of their numbers look off, as we note below. A search for cross-checks only turned up other third-party databases, so we did not treat any one figure as confirmed. Treat every number as a good starting point and confirm it in the Burger King app, which has its own nutrition calculator.
Three more cautions. Menus and recipes change, and limited-time items come and go. Many chicken items on the source site carry “discontinued” tags next to specific versions, so we used only items marked as available. And serving sizes vary by restaurant, so a number is an estimate of what you will actually get. Where a page listed calories and protein but no carbohydrate, we say so instead of filling in the blank.
Burgers: where the carbs are
Per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Burger King as its source (pages updated 9/15/2025 unless noted). Menus change, so verify in the Burger King app before you order.
| Item | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | 250 | 29 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
| Cheeseburger | 290 | 31 | 1 | 7 | 15 |
| Double Cheeseburger | 400 | 32 | 1 | 8 | 24 |
| Whopper Jr (no cheese) | 330 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 15 |
| Whopper (no cheese) | 670 | 54 | 3 | 14 | 32 |
| Whopper with cheese | 770 | 58 | 3 | 15 | 37 |
| Double Whopper (no cheese) | 920 | 54 | 3 | 14 | 53 |
| Impossible Whopper | 630 | 62 | 6 | 14 | 29 |
The bun carries most of the carbohydrate, which is why a plain Hamburger (29 g) and a Whopper without cheese (54 g) are not as far apart as their calories suggest (250 versus 670). The Double Whopper without cheese has the same 54 grams of carbohydrate as the single Whopper but adds 250 calories (920 minus 670) and 21 grams of protein (53 minus 32). In other words, a second patty changes calories and protein a lot and carbohydrate not at all. Adding cheese to a Whopper adds 4 grams of carbohydrate (58 minus 54), 100 calories (770 minus 670), and 5 grams of protein (37 minus 32).
The Impossible Whopper is the highest-carb burger in the table at 62 grams, but it also has the most fiber (6 g). It is not a lower-carb choice just because it is plant-based. Fiber is the only number here that moves the other way: most burgers list 1 to 3 grams, so it is worth noticing when a sandwich lists more.
One item we could not complete is the Bacon King. The source lists 1,710 calories and 107 grams of protein for the single, with no carbohydrate figure, so we left it out of the table. That alone tells you it is a very large sandwich, and you should look it up in the app before ordering.
What about ordering without the bun?
Some people ask for a burger without the bun or in a bowl. The source does not publish nutrition for bun-less versions, so we cannot say how many grams it saves, and we cannot promise that every restaurant will do it. If you want to try it, ask at the counter or in the app, then check the calculator, which updates when you remove an ingredient. Our guide to reading nutrition label carbs explains how to account for what is left.
Chicken and fish: not automatically lower
Per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Burger King as its source (pages updated 9/15/2025 unless noted). Menus change, so verify in the Burger King app before you order.
| Item | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crispy Chicken Jr. | 440 | 39 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich (regular) | 600 | 54 | 4 | 10 | 31 |
| Original Chicken Sandwich (as listed) | 892 | 64 | 3 | 8 | 24 |
| Big Fish Sandwich | 570 | 58 | 3 | 8 | 19 |
| Chicken Nuggets, 4 piece | 190 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Chicken Nuggets, 8 piece | 390 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| Chicken Fries, 4 piece | 110 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Chicken Fries, 8 piece | 220 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
The chicken and fish sandwiches are not a shortcut to fewer carbs. The Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich lists 54 grams, the same as a Whopper, and the Big Fish Sandwich lists 58 grams, more than a Whopper. Breading and a large bun add up. The smaller choices are the real savings: the Crispy Chicken Jr. is 39 grams, a 4-piece Chicken Nuggets is 12 grams, and a 4-piece Chicken Fries is 8 grams.
One number to be careful with: the source lists the Original Chicken Sandwich at 892 calories and 64 grams of carbohydrate. That calorie figure is high compared with the other sandwiches on the list, and we could not cross-check it, so confirm it in the app before you rely on it. Dipping sauces are another place carbs hide. The pages for those sauces are listed on the source site but we did not use them, so ask for the nutrition for the sauce you choose.
Breakfast: biscuits, croissants, and the hash brown problem
Per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Burger King as its source (pages updated 9/15/2025 unless noted). Menus change, so verify in the Burger King app before you order.
| Item | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egg & Cheese Biscuit | 422 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan’Wich | 542 | 29 | 3 | 5 | 21 |
| Breakfast Burrito Jr | 462 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| Hash Browns, small | 270 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Hash Browns, medium | 510 | 55 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Pancake Platter (syrup not confirmed) | 400 | 74 | 1 | 34 | 5 |
The egg sandwiches and the burrito sit in a narrow band of 29 to 32 grams of carbohydrate. The side changes the picture. A small order of hash browns adds 29 grams, which nearly doubles the carbohydrate of an Egg & Cheese Biscuit, and the medium adds 55 grams. The Pancake Platter is the outlier at 74 grams and 34 grams of sugar. The page does not say whether the syrup is included (the page address mentions “1 oz breakfast syrup,” but the nutrition listing does not confirm it), so ask or check the app. Oatmeal is listed with calories and protein only, so we left out its carbohydrate.
Fries, onion rings, and other sides
Per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Burger King as its source (pages updated 9/15/2025 unless noted). Menus change, so verify in the Burger King app before you order.
| Item | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Fries, value | 230 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| French Fries, small | 300 | 43 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| French Fries, medium | 370 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| French Fries, large | 440 | 64 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Onion Rings, small | 280 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Onion Rings, medium | 360 | 48 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Onion Rings, large | 520 | 70 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Mott’s Applesauce | 50 | 13 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
Size is the lever. French fries run from 33 grams in a value size to 64 grams in a large, a difference of 31 grams (64 minus 33). Onion rings are heavier at every size: the small lists 37 grams, the medium 48, and the large 70, with up to 7 grams of fiber. If you want a side without much carbohydrate, the Mott’s Applesauce lists 13 grams, and the source lists no carbohydrate-free side. Picking the value size of fries instead of the large keeps 31 grams out of your meal without cutting out the side entirely.
Drinks and shakes
Per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Burger King as its source (pages updated 9/15/2025 unless noted). Menus change, so verify in the Burger King app before you order. The drink pages are the oldest data we used, so the table marks them.
| Drink | Calories | Carbs (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla milk shake (listed as “1 shake”) | 560 | 96 | 79 | 12 |
| Coca-Cola Classic, medium (page dated 8/19/2020) | 387 | 97 | 97 | – |
| Sweetened iced tea, medium (page dated 8/19/2020) | 194 | 36 | 49 (see note) | – |
| Diet Coke, any size (2020) | 1 to 3 | Not listed | Not listed | – |
| Unsweetened iced tea, any size (2020) | 0 | Not listed | Not listed | – |
| Hot coffee, any size (2020) | 0 | Not listed | Not listed | – |
Two warnings. The Coca-Cola entry lists 387 calories and 97 grams of carbohydrate for a medium, which looks high for that size, so treat it as a sign that sugary drinks carry a lot and confirm the number in the app. The sweetened iced tea entry lists 36 grams of carbohydrate but 49 grams of sugar. Sugar is a part of total carbohydrate, so it cannot be larger, which means one of those numbers is wrong. Diet Coke, unsweetened iced tea, and coffee list 0 to 3 calories, but no carbohydrate was listed, so we show “Not listed” instead of a number. Other drinks on the menu, including juices, smoothies, and the other shakes, were not part of this guide, so look them up in the app.
By the listed numbers, the vanilla shake (96 g) carries more carbohydrate than a whole Whopper (54 g), and the medium Coke (97 g) is about the same as the shake. Drinks are the easiest place to save carbohydrate at Burger King, because zero-calorie choices cost nothing in the ledger.
A simple way to order
- Pick the sandwich first. Decide on the main item and note its carbs from the tables above.
- Choose the side on purpose. A value-size fries, applesauce, or no side are all choices. A large onion rings is its own meal’s worth of carbohydrate.
- Make the drink free. Diet soda, unsweetened tea, water, or black coffee.
- Customize in the app. Removing a bun, a sauce, or cheese changes the calculator, and you see the result before you pay.
- Add protein, not a second bun. A Double Cheeseburger or Double Whopper gives you more protein for about the same carbohydrate as the single version.
The same habits apply across chains, and the method is in our type 2 diabetes diet guide. If you also eat at other chains, see our guide to McDonald’s with diabetes.
A worked example: four meals, added up
Here is how the ledger works, using the figures above. These are example meals built from listed numbers, not recommendations.
| Meal | Items | Calories | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Whopper (no cheese) + medium fries + medium Coca-Cola | 1427 | 205 | 37 |
| B | Whopper (no cheese) + applesauce + unsweetened iced tea | 720 | 67 | 32 |
| C | Double Cheeseburger + 4-piece nuggets + unsweetened iced tea | 590 | 44 | 33 |
| D | Egg & Cheese Biscuit + small hash browns + black coffee | 692 | 61 | 17 |
The arithmetic. Meal A: calories 670 + 370 + 387 = 1427; carbs 54 + 54 + 97 = 205; protein 32 + 5 + 0 = 37. Meal B: calories 670 + 50 + 0 = 720; carbs 54 + 13 + 0 = 67; protein 32 + 0 + 0 = 32. Meal C: calories 400 + 190 + 0 = 590; carbs 32 + 12 + 0 = 44; protein 24 + 9 + 0 = 33. Meal D: calories 422 + 270 + 0 = 692; carbs 32 + 29 + 0 = 61; protein 15 + 2 + 0 = 17. The coffee and unsweetened tea list 0 calories, and no carbohydrate or protein was listed, so we counted them as 0.
Compare Meal A with Meal B. Both start with the same Whopper, but Meal A adds medium fries and a medium Coca-Cola and reaches 205 grams of carbohydrate. Meal B swaps in applesauce and unsweetened tea and lands at 67 grams, a difference of 138 grams (205 minus 67). The sandwich did not change. The side and the drink did. Meal D shows that breakfast can add up as well: a biscuit and hash browns reach 61 grams of carbohydrate before any drink.
A ledger only takes you so far, because it does not show what a meal does to your glucose. Our post-meal glucose tracker and our guide to reading CGM data show how to compare a meal with your own readings, and a short walk after eating is another thing to test.
Common mistakes
- Ordering the combo by default. The combo adds fries and a sweet drink, the two biggest carbohydrate additions.
- Assuming chicken or fish is lower in carbs. By the numbers, the Royal Crispy Chicken (54 g) matches a Whopper, and the Big Fish (58 g) is higher.
- Sizing up the side without noticing. From a value to a large fries is 31 more grams of carbohydrate.
- Forgetting the breakfast side. Hash browns can nearly double the carbohydrate of the sandwich.
- Trusting a number that looks wrong. When a page is old or contradicts itself, check the app.
- Judging a meal by one reading. One glucose reading is a snapshot. Look at patterns over several meals.
Questions to bring to your appointment
- How many grams of carbohydrate should I aim for in a meal?
- Do my medicines make a high-carb meal or a skipped meal riskier?
- Should I test my glucose before and after a restaurant meal, and when?
- Would a CGM or a dietitian visit help me plan fast-food days?
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat at Burger King if I have diabetes?
Many people with diabetes do. What matters is the total carbohydrate in the meal, your medicines, and your own targets. The tables above show that the bun, fries, onion rings, and sweet drinks supply most of the carbohydrate, so the order you build makes a big difference. Ask your care team what carbohydrate range suits you.
What is the lowest-carb thing at Burger King?
Among items with full numbers in our source, the 4-piece Chicken Fries list 8 grams of carbohydrate and the 4-piece Chicken Nuggets list 12 grams. Of the burgers, the plain Hamburger lists 29 grams and the Whopper Jr (no cheese) 30 grams. Diet Coke, unsweetened tea, and coffee list 0 to 3 calories. Check the app for the current menu.
How many carbs are in a Whopper?
The source lists 54 grams of carbohydrate for a Whopper without cheese and 58 grams with cheese, with 3 grams of fiber in both. The Double Whopper without cheese also lists 54 grams. These figures come from a third-party page dated 9/15/2025, so confirm them in the Burger King app.
How many carbs are in Burger King fries?
The source lists 33 grams for a value size, 43 for small, 54 for medium, and 64 for large. Onion rings list 37 grams for a small, 48 for a medium, and 70 for a large. Picking a smaller size is the simplest way to cut the total.
Can I order a Whopper without the bun?
You can ask. The source does not publish nutrition for bun-less versions, and we cannot say that every restaurant will do it. Use the nutrition calculator in the Burger King app, which updates as you remove ingredients, and confirm at the counter.
Are the shakes and soft drinks a problem?
They are the easiest place to take on a lot of sugar. The source lists 96 grams of carbohydrate for the vanilla shake, which is more than a Whopper. Zero-calorie drinks like diet soda, unsweetened tea, and coffee do not add to the ledger, so they are a simple swap.
How do I know how a Burger King meal affects my blood sugar?
The only way to know is to measure your own response, ideally across several meals. A glucose meter before and after, or a CGM, shows the pattern. Our guides to the post-meal glucose tracker and reading CGM data explain how to compare meals fairly, and your clinician can tell you which readings to act on.
About the author: Charles Kirkland is the founder of Metabolic Clarity Labs and author of The Journey Back. He is not a physician. This is general education, not a medically reviewed treatment plan.
Sources checked October 31, 2026. Discuss personal decisions with a qualified clinician. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed treatment based on this article.
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